Euro exploits take their toll on tired Celtic

Celtic manager Neil Lennon said his side's European exploits had taken their toll after he watched the Hoops twice throw away a lead to draw 2-2 with Hibernian at Parkhead.

The Hoops booked their place in the Champions League group stages for the first time in four years when they defeated Swedish champions Helsingborgs 2-0 in midweek to seal a 4-0 aggregate win in the play-offs.

It was Celtic's fourth qualifying match of the campaign so far after previously dispatching Finnish side HJK Helsinki over two legs in the third qualifying round.

The games have taken a lot out of Lennon's squad with the Celtic manager missing six first-team regulars for the meeting with Hibs due to injury.

But the Hoops boss hopes the upcoming international break will allow his squad to recover.

"The European games have certainly taken their toll on the squad. We had so many players out and we lost Victor Wanyama to an injury as well today," Lennon said.

"We had Beram Kayal, Scott Brown, Joe Ledley, Georgios Samaras and Charlie Mulgrew missing too. These are exceptionally good players but I'm not using that as an excuse as you want to bring these kids through.

"Last week at Inverness was fantastic and against Hibs for the majority of the game they played great so I am not particularly unhappy with them.

"We have been through the qualifiers now and hopefully when everything settles down after this two-week break we will go to St Johnstone with a good squad to pick from."

Mikael Lustig had volleyed Celtic into a 10th-minute lead against Hibs but Tim Clancy took advantage of a mix up between Lustig and goalkeeper Fraser Forster to fire Hibs level in the 53rd minute.

A howler from Hibs keeper Ben Williams then allowed Lustig to atone for his earlier error as he fired in off defender James McPake to restore Celtic's lead in the 69th minute.

But Hibs were on level terms again four minutes later when Paul Cairney finished his mazy run with a low shot past Forster.

Despite being disappointed with aspects of his side's performance at both ends of the pitch Lennon refused to blame any of his players.

"These are players who have done superbly for the past two years here so they are allowed a bad day at the office," the Celtic boss said.

"I'm not worried as it was very unlike us and maybe just a lack of concentration.

"It was a mix-up for the first goal and we missed two tackles for the next goal. The players know this can't happen at any level never mind senior level.

"We played some great attacking football particularly in the first half and we should have been out of sight at half time.

"We hit the bar and hit the post and Tony Watt has been one-on-one with the goalkeeper so on chances alone we could have won two games today.

"I think the result flatters Hibs and I think they can count themselves lucky to get a point."

Celtic paraded new signings Efe Ambrose and on-loan Getafe striker Miku before the match and the Hoops boss said he was hopeful of adding free agent Lassad Nouioui to the squad despite reports the French-born Tunisian had already signed for Spanish side Levante.

"We have agreed terms and the paperwork is done so we just need him in to do his medical," Lennon said.

"He will do a couple of days fitness work as he hasn't had a club since the end of the season and we just need to gauge his physical condition and take it from there.

"He is six foot two inches and leads the line very well. He can play outside or inside the box and he heads it very well.

"We have liked him for a while and he has a decent record. I know most of his goals have come in the second layer of the Spanish division but it is still a very decent standard.

"He has played for Deportivo La Coruna for the last couple of seasons and scored 30 or 40 goals so he will bring another dimension to the team that we have missed."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/euro-exploits-toll-tired-celtic-004037526--sow.html

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