NEIL LENNON did NOT want to get his hands on the Scottish Cup yesterday as he met the media before tomorrow’s semi-final encounter against Aberdeen at Hampden.
The interim Celtic manager asked the sponsors William Hill to remove the famous old trophy out of the room before he chatted with the Press.
But Lennon will be delighted to meet up again with the silverware at Hampden on May 25 if they overcome the Dons to set up a showpiece showdown with either Hearts or Inverness Caley Thistle, who meet in the other last-four confrontation this afternoon.
A grand finale next month would see the Hoops on the brink of an unprecedented treble treble which the Irishman is an achievement which will NEVER be equalled.
Under Brendan Rodgers, the Parkhead side have won seven domestic trophies in a row and Lennon, speaking to the Daily Record, said: “I thought the going the season unbeaten and winning the treble was something I’d never see again.
“I thought the double treble was good. Now they’ve done two and they’re on the cusp of a third.
“It’s fantastic for what they’ve done for the domestic game.
“Everybody wants to beat them and they overcome all those obstacles and challenges and they just keep going.
EYES ON THE CUP…Neil Lennon with the trophy before it was taken away.
“It must be fatiguing mentally and physically at times and we’ve probably seen a little bit of that, but when the big games come they really sharpen their minds again and focus.
“Will a treble treble be out of reach for any other team in our lifetime? Yes, probably.”
He added: “It’s phenomenal what they’ve done, absolutely phenomenal. The hunger to keep going, I think it’s fantastic.
“It’s not like: ‘Ach we don’t need it now, we’ve done that’. The hunger is still really there. Brendan has to take a lot of credit for that, too.
“I’d take a degree of satisfaction, yeah.
“It will all be down to the players and the foundations Brendan’s put in place over the last two and a half years.
“Twenty-five Cup-ties in a row? It’s not a fluke, is it? It’s not a coincidence.”
Oliver Burke is facing a fitness fight while Filip Benkovic was sent for a precautionary scan on a foot injury, but is expected to be fit.
Tom Rogic and Ryan Christie will also be in contention.
