LENNON IS LOOKING FOR LOUD LEADERS
IF Neil Lennon would like one thing from his Hibs players over the course of this season, it’s to see them develop a taste for telling each other off. The Easter Road boss was critical of his charges after Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Motherwell, describing their performance as ‘unacceptable’. He was rewarded with an improved showing in the Betfred Cup win over Livingston, but the former Celtic boss has urged his players to find their own voices and sort things out among themselves. ‘I don’t know if it’s a dying breed or not, but you are looking for someone to lead, to get somebody by the neck and say that’s not acceptable,’ said Lennon. ‘What I want is from these experienced professionals, who have won championships, who know how to get it done in big games, to step up when the bad moments occur.’ Known for sharing an opinion or two with team-mates during his playing days, Lennon laughs when someone suggests that he could do with ten clones of himself for the first team at Easter Road. ‘I’d like that,’ he said. ‘You saw me play for 15 years. You saw Roy Keane play, you saw Jamie Carragher play. ‘I don’t know if it’s generational or not — or if they are afraid of upsetting their pal.’ Invited to name the most effective moaners from his playing days, Lennon runs through a Who’s Who of Celtic players who all have one thing in common; they won things. He said: ‘(Johan) Mjallby, Lambo (Paul Lambert) was quiet but (Stiliyan) Petrov could lose it. ‘You want that, even if they are not having a good day themselves, it doesn’t matter, because they lead. ‘I want people to stand up. You still need that bit of character and personality — no matter what the tactics or formation are. ‘I tell them if you’re not happy with someone, have a go at them. Otherwise, it’ll just keep happening again and again.’