ONE ROUND SUBMISSION
NEIL LENNON used to tease his mate Tommy Wright for wearing a leotard that made him look like a 70s wrestler. So he’s looking forward to grappling with the guy he rates as one of the best bosses in the business when he takes Hibs to face Wright’s St Johnstone side in Perth tomorrow. Lennon might find himself in a headlock after dropping big Tommy in it with a cracking revelation from back in the days when they played together for Northern Ireland. But then again Wright started it when the news emerged earlier this year that Lennon had started taking lessons to learn Portuguese. He said: “Well having played golf with him in Portugal on holiday the only words Lenny needs to learn are ‘fore’ and ‘ball right’.” A brilliant line that earned the belly laugh you’d expect from Lennon when told of it yesterday. Along with a sombre admission that Wright’s withering putdown is “about right”. But amid the laughs is a serious admiration for Wright and the job he has done at St Johnstone, leading them to a Scottish Cup win in 2014 and consecutive fourth-place finishes in the Premiership for the last three seasons. Pretty impressive for a guy operating on a shoestring budget in comparison to most other clubs in the top flight. But then again Wright is no stranger to operating within tight constraints. Lennon said: “He used to wear a leotard under his training kit. Oh, he has never told you about the leotard has he? Surprise!
“I used to call him Mick McManus because it was this all-in-one thing that he used to pull on with the straps over the shoulders.
“It was one of those under armour things. But it looked like a wrestler’s outfit, covering him all the way down there.
“That’s what he gets for slagging off my golf !
“We go back over 20 years to playing together for the Northern Irish team. We kept in touch through all those years and we see each other every year in Portugal on our wee holiday.
“His wife and my partner are good friends and I’m delighted for him with his success.
“I’m surprised someone hasn’t tried to pinch him but he seems happy there and has brought great success.
“Winning the Scottish Cup was fantastic and a top-four finish in this day and age for St Johnstone is spectacular.
“The transition was good because he was initially assistant to Steve Lomas but he has really kicked St Johnstone on.
“I watched them against Celtic and they were good value for the draw. Not many teams are good value for a point at Celtic Park.
“They are streetwise, they all know their jobs and they’re a difficult team to beat.
“I like Steven MacLean, I’ve always liked him because he’s outstanding at this level.
“Michael O’Halloran has come back in and really hit the ground running. Defensively they’re a very hard team to break down.”
Safe to say Lennon is under no illusions how tough a game his side will face when they roll up to McDiarmid Park tomorrow – even more so with his central defensive duo Darren McGregor and Liam Fontaine both facing late fitness tests ahead of the trip.
In McGregor’s case it’s the latest flare-up of an ongoing knee problem that could now require surgery if the scans they get back today convince club docs he can wait no longer.
But such problems require resilience and that’s another quality Lennon admires in Wright and his team.
Which only makes it all the more confusing why bigger clubs haven’t come in to lure him away.
He added: “It is baffling he hasn’t been picked up. I don’t want to upset St Johnstone fans but he has worked minor miracles on a budget that wouldn’t be in the top four.
“Whenever he loses a player he just seems to find a replacement every time.
“What he does well is find a player who’s maybe out of favour and he makes them hungry. MacLean looks as hungry as ever and he’s 35.
“So there’s real hunger about St Johnstone and that comes from Tommy.
“I’d never seen him as a manager back in our playing days, just because he was a goalie, but he’s a very smart guy with a big personality.”
Another manager Lennon admires is his new city rival Craig Levein.
Speaking for the first time since Levein’s return to the dug-out for Hearts was confirmed, Lennon said: “Craig is an excellent manager with a great pedigree. He has managed his country. So there will be a period of stability there because he knows the players and the backroom staff. ”