Lenny’s looking for a better view on Govan return

NEIL LENNON spent the second half of his last trip to Ibrox as a manager watching the game on TV in the media room.

Today he returns to the dugout at the Govan ground. And will hope to stay there this time.

But if the Irishman’s previous visits to Glasgow’s south side are anything to go by don’t expect a quiet affair.

Lennon claimed he was “deprived of doing my job” after a 3-2 defeat to Rangers as Celtic boss on a day when the Hoops could have clinched the title on enemy territory.

His last game as a player there also ended in a loss when Celtic went down to Walter Smith’s side but he wasn’t going to slip away quietly.

Skipper Lennon blew the home fans a kiss as he made his way off at half-time and lifted an imaginary trophy with Gordon Strachan’s side already champions.

But while his final Ibrox fixtures as a Celtic player and manager ended in disappointment he had some memorable visits.

Lennon won on his Ibrox debut both as a player and manager, losing on only seven occasions in 19 trips.

It’s not a bad record but he was part of, and in charge of, some great Hoops sides in more than a decade with the Hoops.

But victory as Hibs boss today would arguably be the best of any of his eight wins with Celtic given the fact the Leith side are 4-1 outsiders.

Lennon’s Celtic teams were never such lengthy odds so that would make it a bigger achievement.

The Irishman won’t have the backing of 8000 fans like he did with Celtic, Martin O’Neill famously leading him to the Broomloan Road stand in a show of solidarity after he was on the end of abuse.

But Lennon has revelled in his role as Public Enemy No. 1 at times, cupping his ears as he walked up the tunnel, urging the Light Blue legions to give it their all.

The 46-year-old might now be representing the green of Hibs but that won’t make a blind bit of difference to him or the home fans.

Lennon will want to win – and a sell-out crowd will want to taunt him. It even started last week when a section of the Gers fans spotted him in the Fir Park directors box on a spying mission.

Throw in the fact it’s the first meeting between the two clubs since the ugly end to the Scottish Cup Final and Hibs starting the season with a perfect record and it’s an intriguing fixture.

It’s just a pity the TV cameras won’t be at Ibrox. Armchair fans would have been in for a treat.

The pantomime villain role aside, Lennon will

Lennon won on his Ibrox debut both as a player and manager

fancy his chances of leading Hibs to only their second top-flight Ibrox win in the last decade – Colin Calderwood’s side the last to do it with a 3-0 win seven years ago.

Lennon’s Ibrox visits are rarely without controversy. He was redcarded off as a player in 2005 and as manager he was sent off at half-time in 2012 after raging following defender Cha Du-Ri’s dismissal for a challenge on Lee Wallace.

He was sent to the stand but opted to watch the second 45 minutes in the media room “for my own safety”.

But he’ll be back out there today lapping up every minute. OUR TOP WRITERS GIVE THEIR FEARLESS VERDICTS EVERY DAY IN RECORD SPORT