Who was scared to play in local clashes in Africa
for you. Here, the worst you get is some abuse on Twitter. In Africa, they come to you direct!”
In the most recent capital derby, the worst abuse was reserved for the officials after Hibs’ Oli Shaw was denied a goal. The referee erroneously did not believe the ball had crossed the line but television evidence supported the view of others in the ground, including the Hibs manager Neil Lennon, who insisted the goal should have counted.
Asked if he is looking for the man in the middle to clamp down on overly-robust challenges as each side has talked of the physicality of the other, Lennon said he had other priorities.
“He could give a goal if it’s a goal, that would help for a start,” he said, still smarting from the poor decision on 27 December. “I think the referees in the main, with the games that I’ve been involved in, have come through them pretty well and let the game flow as much as possible.”
There have been new additions to the squad since the last capital meeting, and while goalkeeper Scott Bain will have to be patient, with Ofir Marciano retaining the shirt tomorrow, Jamie Mclaren may feature at some point.
Neighbours Hearts have managed to pull off a transfer coup, though, luring Steven Naismith to Tynecastle, on loan from Norwich City, and Lennon is well aware of the hunger and the ability of his rivals’ latest recruit.
“I’m surprised he’s come back, he’s only 31, but maybe he just wants to play regular football at this stage of his career. He’s good player, a very good player, has been for a long time, so it is a very good signing for Hearts.
“But we are in a position where we can’t afford to do a deal like this. Hearts are in a position to do a deal like that and that is maybe because they are back in the division for their third season now.
“We are building up, building up, but we can’t just throw everything at one player, we are not prepared to do that. I am pretty happy with what we have got, we are in a decent position, and we have got a really juicy cup tie to look forward to.
“If something comes into our wage bracket that we like the look of, and we can manipulate the deal then we will do that, but it is 19/20 January so after the game there is still a lot of things that can happen before the window closes.”