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Neil Lennon: 'Celtic will not be distracted by Rangers defeat'

Neil Lennon: 'Celtic will not be distracted by Rangers defeat'
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Steven Gerrard's title challengers suffered a shock defeat to bottom club Hearts, leaving their Old Firm rivals five points clear.

Celtic manager Neil Lennon has urged his players to keep calm and focus on their own job after Rangers' slip-up.

The Ladbrokes Premiership champions stayed five points clear of Rangers, who have a game in hand, after the Ibrox men lost against bottom club Hearts on Sunday.

The result puts Celtic in the driving seat two games after their derby defeat.

Lennon, whose side face Tommy Wright's St Johnstone in Perth on Wednesday, said: "It's a result that happens. Things will twist and turn maybe as we go along.

"We are just concentrating on St Johnstone and looking forward to the game because we have played quite well since the turn of the year."

When asked if his players had been lifted by the Tynecastle result, he said: "I've not really detected any change in their emotions over the last couple of days.

"Our focus is on Wednesday, it will be a tough game. Tommy has had a couple of decent results as he always does. Sometimes he gets a bad run and then turns it round into a good run. He is quite shrewd that way.

"We just have to be careful and concentrate on our own business and keep things nice and calm.

"They have been fantastically consistent over the years in terms of league titles and cup wins, they have been absolutely amazing.

"Every year is different. This year is another one where they have a challenge on and they are rising to the challenge as normal."

Lennon does not expect any more transfer business after completing a deal for Ivorian midfielder Ismaila Soro on Monday, who joins Polish striker Patryk Klimala in arriving at Parkhead this month.

"If we don't do anything else then I will be happy," Lennon said. "We have a great squad and real quality in it. It's a very difficult window.

"We have got a couple of good players in and streamlined the squad a bit.

"If there's something available that catches our eye and we can afford it then we might look at it but at the minute it's very quiet. I don't think anyone else will be leaving."

Soro will not feature in Perth but Lennon believes he will be a worthwhile addition in the coming months following his move from Bnei Yehuda Tel Aviv.

"He's had a good career so far, played in some tough leagues," Lennon said.

"He has played for a team in Israel who are not one of the top teams but he has stood out and he has been very consistent. He can drive, he can pass the ball, he can break up play.

"He has been playing up to the end of the year but he has been training on his own for the past week, so it may be a week or two before we use him."

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Rangers manager Steven Gerrard pictured in November 2019
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Today's games header
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Bublik
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10am
Auger-Aliassime
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10am
Bautista Agut
Khachanov
10am
Cachin
Tiafoe
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Machac
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Medvedev
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Monteiro
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Purcell
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Annie Fernandez
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Gauff
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Haddad Maia
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Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
Championship Group
1Celtic000080265478
2RangersRangers000072234975
3Hearts000046341262
4Kilmarnock00004334951
5St Mirren00003843-543
6Dundee00004454-1041
Relegation Group
1Hibernian00004451-739
2Motherwell00004651-537
3Aberdeen00003549-1435
4St Johnstone00002446-2231
5Ross County00003256-2430
6Livingston00002259-3718
 
First Phase
1Celtic33246380265478
2RangersRangers33243672234975
3Hearts33195946341262
4Kilmarnock33131284334951
5St Mirren33127143843-543
6Dundee331011124454-1041
7Hibernian33912124451-739
8Motherwell33813124651-537
9Aberdeen33811143549-1435
10St Johnstone33710162446-2231
11Ross County3379173256-2430
12Livingston3339212259-3718


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