Stubbs urges Lennon to boost centre-back options

Former Celtic captain Alan Stubbs feels Neil Lennon will need a more physical centreback option to meet some of the challenges posed in the Scottish Premiership.

Christopher Jullien endured an uncomfortable afternoon against Kilmarnock’s Nicke Kabamba on Sunday, giving away the penalty that earned the home team a 1-1 draw.

The imposing Frenchman last year admitted he was too “nervous” when facing Livingston and admitted their forwards had given him a “wake-up call”. Livi striker Lyndon Dykes later branded him “timid”.

Former Everton central defender Stubbs said: “I don’t think it’s ideal when you come out and say you don’t like the physical side of it, coming up against that different type of player. And it’s happened on a few occasions now, at Livingston last year he got ruffled up a little bit by Dykes and looked uncomfortable.

“But I have got to say on other occasions he looked a really classy centre-back.

“I think that’s why it’s important you have maybe got a different type of centre-back, so when you are coming up against a team who are going to use the physical side of the game, that you have a different option Neil can call upon.

“It’s difficult to embed into someone how to be more aggressive. More often than not it’s either in you or it’s not. You either want to go and head it or you don’t, you either want to win a tackle or you don’t.

“I think he’s more of a player who likes to read the game, play with his brain, rather than get in someone’s face.

“Some centre-backs now, they don’t like that contact and I think potentially there’s an element of that in Christopher Jullien’s make-up.”