LENNON WILL FIND THE RIGHT RESPONSE TO IMPENDING LOSS OF McGINN
SAYS HIBS HERO PAT STANTON
PAT STANTON has backed in-demand midfielder John McGinn to be a success wherever he ends up after Hibs.
But the Easter Road legend is equally adamant that the Leith outfit won’t wilt in the Scotland star’s absence as long as Neil Lennon is at the helm.
Stanton watched as fans’ favourite Dylan McGeouch left in the summer for English League One giants Sunderland.
In his place, Lennon recruited former St Mirren midfielder Stevie Mallan, who has hit the ground running with five goals in his opening five appearances.
McGinn spent yesterday in talks with Aston Villa over a £2.7million move. But Celtic and Brighton are also still keen on signing the nine-times-capped Scotland powerhouse, who helped Hibs end their infamous 114-year Scottish Cup hoodoo in 2016.
With the English transfer window closing at 5pm tomorrow, it looks increasingly likely that Hibs will be without their 23-year-old talisman when they kick off the home leg of their Europa League qualifier against Molde just two hours and 45 minutes later.
Should that be the case, however, Stanton believes the club are in good hands under former Celtic boss Lennon.
‘Hibs did very well last season and, when that happens, it’s only natural that clubs will start to look at your better players,’ Stanton told Sportsmail.
‘Dylan McGeouch and John McGinn have been very good players for Hibs and both were called up into the Scotland set-up. Dylan is away already and it’s just the way of the world that John will also eventually move on.
‘If that happens with John this week — and it looks as though it will — then I think most Hibs fans will say good luck to him. I think most people would wish him well — as long as Hibs get a good price for him. And I would back him to do well wherever he does end up.
‘But over the last two or three years, Neil Lennon has done very well on the recruitment side of things.
‘In the past, Hibs have brought in new guys and you soon realise they are not good enough.
‘It’s not the easiest thing in the world to find players who will do a turn for you, but Neil seems to be a very shrewd judge of a player.’
During last year’s close season, Hibs successfully fended off interest in McGinn from English Championship side Nottingham Forest. This year, the midfielder’s future has been the main transfer saga of the Scottish summer and Stanton admits the situation has grown a little wearying.
‘I think the Hibs fans could maybe do without the uncertainty surrounding John McGinn,’ said Stanton, who moved along the M8 from Hibs to Celtic in September 1976.
‘Should he leave, it will be up to how the other players perform against Molde.
‘But there’s no doubting John is a terrific player. He is very strong, very quick, he has a lot of skill and he can pop up with a goal as he showed in the Europa League draw with Asteras Tripolis out in Greece last midweek.
‘He’s a really effective player. A lot of guys play on the fringes of the game but John is always in the centre of the action and, because of that, he takes a fair few knocks. But he’s a brave boy and a nice type of laddie, too.’
Meanwhile, Hibs are battling through red tape as they attempt to finalise the signing of Manchester City winger Thomas Agyepong in time to face Molde tomorrow night.
The 21-year-old has passed a medical with the Easter Road side and has agreed to make the season-long loan move north, following in the footsteps of City team-mate Brandon Barker, who was a huge hit last term and has now joined Preston on a temporary agreement for the campaign ahead.
Ghana international Agyepong has even been registered with UEFA as a member of the Hibs squad in anticipation of him being able to play in the third qualifying round tie against the Norwegians.
However, a visa hold-up means the move cannot be completed.
It remains to be seen whether tomorrow’s first leg in the capital will come too soon but it appears that next Thursday’s away leg in Norway may be a more realistic proposition for the player, who has spent the last two seasons on loan at NAC Breda in the Netherlands.
Manager Lennon said last week: ‘We are waiting on the paperwork as Thomas has (already) had his medical.
‘He’ll be with us on a year’s loan. He’s very similar to Brandon: good with both feet, quick, good end product.
‘He’s 21 years old, so he fits the profile.’