To being roasted by success-driven Lennon

that, we’re disappointed in ourselves when we don’t perform and that’s normal. “The whole make-up of him being manager and us reacting to him how he is has been successful for us. We can’t complain.

“We know how the manager responds to us playing poorly and rightly so, we didn’t play well on the night.

“The boys are just as disappointed as him.

“He is passionate and wants to win and he gets so disappointed when we don’t win, as do the players. “Everyone who played on Wednesday is gutted that it was the game that let us down for second.

“It’s all still fresh, but if you step back and look at it there are other matches where we’ve slipped up as well.”

Asked how Lennon manages to keep the players onside despite his scathing criticism, Scotland cap Whittaker, who has recently been deployed in midfield, added: “It’s probably because we’ve been successful, he was successful at Celtic and he’s been successful here.

“Success is the main aim of the manager.”

Hibs host Rangers today knowing they will need to win 6-0 if they are to finish third ahead of their Ibrox counterparts.

However, Whittaker insists being within a point of breaking a new top-flight points record in their first season back in the Premiership and being in contention for Europa League football should be regarded as a success for the Easter Road side.

He added: “We’re looking at the season as a whole and we’ve done well, the manager will know that when everyone takes a step back and takes a look at it.

“It will be a positive season for the club.

“We’re still hoping Celtic can do the business in the Scottish Cup final so we get into Europe. “That was one of our aims at the start of the season and if we can achieve that it will be looked upon as a good season.

“The reaction to the other night is hard to take and it’s understandable with the derby, we now can’t get second and it’s a tough one to take.

“But when you look at the season as a whole, it’s been decent.”

Asked about Lennon claiming he would consider his position as head coach, Whittaker added: “The manager says he assesses his season and how he looks at the future himself – that’s down to him and how he wants to approach his own future.

“On a personal level for me, it’s been a bit frustrating through injury at times but when I’ve been in the team, he is a great manager to play for.

“At the start of the season if you had said we would finish fourth and hopefully get into Europe, we would have taken that.”