Johan Mjallby says Neil Lennon hasn't become a bad manager overnight

Johan Mjallby says Neil Lennon has what it takes to deal with the pressure he’s facing at Celtic.

After their Champions League exit was followed up by a stuttering performance against Dunfermline on Saturday, Lennon’s former teammate is tipping him to bounce back.

The Swede was assistant to the Hoops boss in his first spell in charge of the club and he think their experiences then will help see him through.

He said: “Neil’s been there before and he knows Celtic inside out.

“He knows that pressure is part of being the Celtic manager.

“You don’t become a bad manager or bad players overnight.

“This is a work in progress.

“There’s been a couple of new faces coming in and there’s probably one or two more needed to really build a good team.

“He’s been in the spotlight for so many years as a manager and a player so it’s nothing new for him. He’s a very strong character with a strong mentality”.

Celtic take on AIK in the Europa League qualifying play-off round, with Mjallby knowing both teams well.

The former defender joined the Hoops from the Swedish side and despite his split loyalties, he thinks Celtic have enough to make it to the group stages.

He said:“Over the course of two games I’d say Celtic are the favourites to progress.

“I’m sad to see them play each other because they both have a big place in my heart but it’s important for Celtic to shrug off the disappointment of the Champions League.

“Celtic will be playing against a team with a strong winning mentality.

"They’ve been very good defensively over the last two seasons.

“I think they’re going to have a lot of respect for Celtic at Celtic Park so I would see the game as Celtic going forward and AIK being tight and compact as a team and go on the counter attack.

Johan Mjallby will be at Grace’s Irish Sports Bar in Glasgow on 23rd August with Stylian Petrov from 12:30pm-3:30pm.

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