First game back at Celtic as Hibs boss was strange, I gave Garry a row for cheering when we went 2-1 ahead
SAYS NEIL LENNON
CELTIC PARK will always be like home for Neil Lennon but he admits for a while it felt like there was a stranger sitting on his sofa.
It was a surreal experience for the Hoops gaffer to return as manager of Hibs but he is going to enjoy being back on his old patch for real against Aberdeen this afternoon.
Lennon had to keep his emotions in check when he was in the opposition dugout, recalling his first time back as Hibs boss – a 2-2 draw in 2017 where the away side came from a goal down to lead with 10 minutes to go only to be pulled back to 2-2.
He said: “You’ve been part of the furniture for so long it’s like walking into somebody else’s house or your old house when there’s somebody else in there.
“It was a bit strange. We played well. You take the moment and then as soon as the game starts you’re in your role as manager. We scored and made it 2-1 and Garry Parker is jumping up and I said, ‘Sit down!’
“It was difficult but my record against Celtic as Hibs manager was decent. I was just doing my job the best I could for Hibs. It was bittersweet at times but now I’m back here I can enjoy the wins and the goals again.”
It’s been a whirlwind week or so for Lennon since he was parachuted in following Brendan Rodgers’s departure. He’s barely had time to catch his breath but will take a second to soak up his second coming at Parkhead.
Lennon said: “Of course it will be special. I’ll have a moment when it will mean so much then the whole focus will be on the team and on the club.
“I have the help of John Kennedy and Damien Duff. It’s been brilliant but it’s all about the team and the fans. I hope there’s that connection there more or less straight away between fans and players because they have been hurt.
“Hopefully there is a connection there I’d really like to see again and get the place really rocking.”
Lennon always hoped to return to Celtic some day but didn’t think it would come around quite so soon or in such dramatic circumstances.
He admitted it was a huge decision to depart in 2014 but it was a much easier choice to walk back in. Lennon said: “I had lengthy discussions with Peter Lawwell in Glasgow then went over to Dublin for a few hours for dinner with Peter and Dermot Desmond before the last game.
“It was all agreed and very cordial which is the way I wanted it. You don’t want to leave a club like this after giving so much to it under a cloud or controversially. So it was important to me to leave on the best of terms and that’s what we did. It is never easy leaving but that decision had been made.
“I hoped I’d be walking back in the door one day. Despite a lot of reports or rumours I left on really good terms with Peter and Dermot.
“I always wanted to sort of leave the door open and that’s the way we left
things. And here I am four and a half years later with a great opportunity and one I’m really relishing again.”
Lennon has made a seamless transition but admits his job has been made more straightforward taking charge of a side already in their stride.
Managers usually need to fire fight from the off but while he’s been handed a brutally tough set of fixtures he insisted he hasn’t had to rip anything up at Parkhead.
Lennon said: “It’s not like Ole Gunnar Solskjaer when he had to pick Man United up and make people happy again. This was a happy place anyway so you don’t want to disrupt that.
“Then with the cup runs they’ve had for the last two years you don’t want to go in on your first game and sort of spoil that. So there was a lot of pressure on the two games.
“Now I’ve had time to analyse things and draw breath I feel a little bit more at home again.” Wins at Hearts and Hibs made it a perfect start but it doesn’t get any easier. It’s Aberdeen today and Rangers on the horizon but Lennon insisted the Dons have his full attention. He said: “Aberdeen have a brilliant manager in Derek McInnes. He always has something up his sleeve for you whether it be a set-play or tactics. “This is the third big game we’ve had since I came in and it’ll probably get tougher. But I’m looking forward to a home game, trying to make the pitch as big as possible when we can and just play with a good tempo.”
It was difficult but my record against Celtic as Hibs boss was decent NEIL LENNON