I bought Leigh as a goalscorer but he’s a phenomenon now
CELTIC v HIBS Now Lenny must try to stop an improved Griff
NEIL LENNON brought Leigh Griffiths to Celtic because he reckoned the club needed a goalscorer.
Little did Lenny realise he had purchased a phenomenon.
It’s been three and a half years since Griffiths arrived at Celtic Park but incredibly the striker will go up against his boyhood idols for the first time today.
Griffiths has scored 92 goals for Celtic and the man who signed him in January 2014 insists the striker has elevated his game to a new level, netting in the Champions League and for Scotland.
Lennon said: “Leigh’s had a brilliant two and a half, three years. What did he get? Forty-odd goals in one season?
“He was terrific again last season when he was called upon.
“Moussa Dembele was in great form so he had to bide his time.
“And it’s not just for Celtic. For Scotland he’s played really well. He’s taken his game on. He’s a goal threat from many positions.
“His movement is good, he’s got stronger, he looks like he’s got that wee yard of pace – and that all comes with confidence.
“The one thing he could do, and the reason we bought him, was he could score goals.
“When I bought him his goal record was fantastic. Whether it was Livingston, Dundee, here at Hibs or Wolves, it was a goalin-two ratio. He’s taken that on and is becoming more rounded as a striker.
“He’s scored in the Champions League group stage for Celtic as well as international games now so he’s proving a lot of people wrong.
“The fact he’s starting ahead of Dembele shows you exactly what Brendan Rodgers thinks of him.
“He has worked at his game and improved it. He’s better than he was three years ago when we brought him in.
“Leigh is a free-kick specialist as well. The range of goals he scores is great. For a little guy he’s great in the air and his timing is superb.
“He can score left foot, right foot, headers and he always seems to hit the target no matter if he’s 20 yards out or outside the box
“I know he’s a threat but he’s just one of a list of worries I have when we play Celtic.”
Lennon and his side must find a way to halt the Griffiths scoring machine if Hibs are to come away from Celtic Park with a positive result. But the manager reckons Hibs can take heart from St Johnstone’s recent display at Parkhead when Tommy Wright’s men plundered a point in a 1-1 draw. Lennon said: “We’ve got a fair idea how we want to play and it’s about finding that balance of playing well defensively and making sure we have enough going forward. “I’m hoping we’ll be defensively disciplined, have a bit of luck and not just be penned in. “We need to be brave in the final third as well. I’m hoping we don’t just sit in, kick it long and let it keep coming back.
“I watched St Johnstone play there a few weeks ago and they got a great result, even though Celtic came on really strong in the last half hour.
“St Johnstone played really well and probably merited the point.
“If we can replicate that I’ll be absolutely delighted.
“I want my players to hurt them. I want them to be positive.
“The atmosphere is sensational for the first 20-25 minutes.
“I’m sure the Celtic fans will be in good form after their win over Anderlecht. “We have to try to dampen that
as much as we can.”
ANTHONY HAGGERTY