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Scottish Cup final: Celtic v Hearts offers compelling narrative in uncertain times


Celtic trophy run may not be repeated – Lennon
Venue: Hampden Park, Glasgow Date: Sunday, 20 December Time: 14:15 GMT
Coverage: Watch live on BBC One Scotland & online, live radio coverage on Radio Scotland & text commentary on the BBC Sport website & app

One manager has a shot at nothing. The other, in the eyes of some, is very possibly on a hiding to nothing.

The 2020 Scottish Cup final, for many reasons, will be like no other. None more so for what is on the line for the manager who was awarded his job in the Hampden showers the last time these sides met on this stage.

In the final of May last year, Neil Lennon was Celtic’s saviour amid the soapy suds. He had only been in the job, one he previously occupied, for three months on a temporary basis when history was made. As Brendan Rodgers sped off for Leicester, the Celtic board turned to one of their own to carry on their imperious reign in Scottish football.

A treble treble was secured that day at Hampden in a 2-1 victory, a feat worthy of a permanent post being offered in the immediate post-match celebrations. While that game was the clincher in the Northern Irishman being given the job, another win over Hearts now could well help him prove to his doubters that he is the man to keep hold of it.

The ballad of Celtic under Lennon this season has been one that has rarely struck the right note with supporters. An early Champions League exit, a doomed Europa League campaign, an insipid run of results including a Scottish League Cup exit at the hands of Ross County and fan unrest all leading to statements from the club backing their man. One of their own.

The sorry sight of protests outside Celtic Park is testament to how surreal the situation is Lennon finds himself in. A former captain and the manager with the second-highest win rate in their history, he now stands one game away from a historic quadruple treble.

Yet, their ailing form in the Premiership – they are 16 points behind Rangers with three games in hand – is what adds intense pressure on to Lennon’s shoulders. He does not need to look at pictures of fans outside the ground, he can feel them on the back of his neck, preying on a slip up.

That slip looks less likely the further we creep into December. A late equaliser to deny St Johnstone a potentially fatal victory at the start of the month was the start of Celtic’s recent revival, offering a flicker of hope when a blanket of doom and panic had been tossed across supporters in a joyless run of 11 games with just two wins.

Neil Lennon and Scott Brown
Neil Lennon has not played Scott Brown in Celtic’s past two matches

Since then, further shoots of encouragement for Lennon. Victory over Lille in a Europa League dead rubber has offered up a bounty of tangible hope, mainly in the form of David Turnbull, a dynamo in the Celtic midfield who will have fans wondering why it has taken so long for his chance to arrive.

A hard-fought win over Kilmarnock followed, character and vigour again part of Celtic’s developing narrative. But with that form comes a headache. Lennon now has a decision to make, mainly with his captain Scott Brown, who has played a full 90 minutes just three times since losing to Rangers in October, and has not made it off the bench in their past two wins. Does he go back to what he knows, or stick with the vibrant Turnbull and Ismaila Soro?

On top of their recent upturn, a Rangers defeat midweek at St Mirren and a scare against Motherwell on Saturday providing further uplift to a support drunk on success over a peerless nine years who have suffered a sobering few months.

Chief executive Peter Lawwell, the man who stormed the Celtic changing room last year to give Lennon the job, has been unwavering in his support for his man. Normally such backing is a kiss of death from a board, but there is a calmness emanating from Celtic as a consistent message is delivered amid the howling and hysteria filling social media channels and message boards.

Some fans will point to an expectation that Celtic should win at Hampden. And they should. Nevertheless, delivering another trophy and a huge of piece of history will be a shot in the arm to Lennon and another across the bow of those waiting for that stumble going into a pivotal run culminating with a potentially defining visit to Ibrox on 2 January.

Heart & soul restored by Neilson

While Celtic’s players and management will be out to prove they’ve still got it, so too will the club standing in front of them.

Relegated to the Championship as a cruel twist of a curtailed 2019-20 season, there is a burning desire inside the walls of Tynecastle to restore the Edinburgh side to the top flight.

A true mark of what they hope to achieve could be seen in the acquisition of their manager Robbie Neilson in the summer. Neilson had just secured Dundee United’s return to the top flight when he, like Lennon, answered the call of a former club.

Neilson on instilling ‘winning mentality’

Instead of managing United in the Premiership, the 40-year-old is at the centre of Hearts’ journey back. They are three points clear at the top of the Championship with a game in hand, and demonstrated their capabilities by seeing off high-flying Hibernian in an Edinburgh derby semi-final.

The spirit of a team eroded under Daniel Stendel has returned. Christophe Berra is back from exile, Peter Haring has enjoyed a run of games, former goalkeeper Craig Gordon is back between the sticks and Scotland international Steven Naismith is leading the line. Not a bad collective.

The meeting at Scotland’s national stadium will be bereft of the colour and fervour witnessed at the meeting on May, 2019. No supporters will be inside the Hampden bowl, with tens of thousands watching at home before a Christmas period offering so much uncertainty going into the new year.

Yet, one thing is for sure; a win in this, one of the most compelling and surreal Scottish Cup finals ever, will provide hope of a brighter 2021 for whoever has the guts to grab it.

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