Lennon has designs on emulating Dons
NEIL LENNON looks at Aberdeen’s place in the modern Scottish game and knows that tomorrow’s visitors to Easter Road are precisely where his Hibernian side want to be.
Established as the second force in the land behind Celtic in recent years, the Dons have regularly put themselves in a position to at least challenge for honours.
It’s hardly the worst target for any club on an upward trend.
‘That would be the marker for us,’ said Hibs boss Lennon. ‘Derek McInnes has been there for four or five years now. They have been really consistent and strong.
‘And he’s had to make changes. He lost Ryan Jack, Niall McGinn, Jonny Hayes and a few other players this summer — but they look stronger again.
‘He’s brought in some great players — Ryan Christie, Greg Stewart, Stevie May is a handful — and they don’t concede many. So the core of the squad is very, very strong.
‘They have been pretty successful over the last three or four seasons. And Derek has earned the right to bring in players.
‘They have been really consistent, up there challenging and in Europe. So that’s the marker for us. We’d like to be in the top three or four over the next few seasons.’
With undefeated Aberdeen sitting joint top of the Premiership, trailing Celtic only by goal difference after an impressive 3-0 win over St Johnstone, most would expect a newly promoted side to struggle against them. Even at home.
But Hibs have arrived in the top flight with something of a swagger. A victory over Rangers at Ibrox and an away draw with Celtic — that might have been a win but for the home team’s late equaliser — have laid down a marker to all-comers. The international break falling just after the Celtic Park performance probably hasn’t helped them retain momentum. Still, Lennon has been working hard to recapture the mood leading up to that game. ‘That was a very good team performance at Celtic Park — we handled the environment and circumstances very well,’ he said. ‘We played very strongly and almost won the game. So the mentality of the team is good. ‘Now there are no excuses. That’s their marker. That’s what I know I can get from the team. That’s what they can produce, so I’m just looking for more of that on a consistent basis.’
Lennon believes his team have improved from last season’s Scottish Cup semi-final loss to Aberdeen, the then-Championship side going down 3-2 at Hampden.
‘I think we’re better,’ he said. ‘I think we’ve improved. I think we’ve brought some good players in and they certainly showed at Celtic Park what they are capable of.
‘That’s why I am saying there are no excuses now. If they can play like that at Celtic Park for 94 minutes — as strongly as that, as composed as that and as disciplined as that — then there’s no reason why they shouldn’t be able to do it against Motherwell at home or Hamilton at home, where we’ve seen them fade in the second half.
‘That’s not physical. That’s a mentality thing and maybe an expectation in the game.
‘They manage the big games well but I think every game is a big game. It’s just how they approach the match. It has to be bang on, week in, week out.
‘The international break wasn’t great for us, although the four boys who were away have come back fine. And David Gray is fit now, so that’s a bonus.
‘But, when you have played so well, you are looking forward to the next game and there has been a two-week hiatus.
‘However, the Aberdeen game, like the Celtic game, will take care of itself. There will be a good crowd. Aberdeen will bring a few with them as well. You’ll have two good teams, hopefully going at it.’
John McGinn was an unused substitute for Scotland in the World Cup double-header against Slovakia and Slovenia, the now departed Gordon Strachan’s decision not to use the midfielder criticised both at the time and in retrospect.
Asked how his player had returned from the experience, Lennon said: ‘Every player who goes away believes they can play.
‘He has not come back with his head down or anything like that. He enjoys the experience.
‘He will probably be disappointed that he didn’t get a run-out at some stage.
‘But, at this stage of his career, he’s a work-in-progress. If he wants to be a regular Scotland international, then he has to keep performing consistently well every week.
‘He’s got the game. Maybe he just lacks that wee bit of experience. But, now the (World Cup) campaign is over, it may be John’s time. So he has to be ready and prepared for that.’