Fontaine hails Lennon impact at Easter Road

EVEN the youngest Hibernian players will have some idea of what their manager was like back in his playing days; the arch-competitor in Neil Lennon is available for anyone to view via YouTube. For Liam Fontaine, the experience of being in direct opposition to the midfield enforcer provides a little extra insight into the mentality Lennon brings to his new gig. Revelling in the new intensity he has brought to Hibs, the central defender revealed: ‘I made my debut in Scottish football when he was in the opposition team. ‘It was Killie v Celtic at Rugby Park, a 1-0 defeat. It was a tight game, I remember it clearly. Celtic had a great team at the time — Chris Sutton scored. ‘I was on loan and it was the biggest game I had played in, just 18 years old on loan from Fulham to Kilmarnock, where Jim Jefferies was boss. ‘I remember watching the gaffer in his time at Leicester, too, and he was always a hungry player, someone who really wanted to win. He’s put that across to us — and our standards have risen since he arrived at the club. ‘He’s made us realise that, if you’re going to be a titlewinning side, you have to be able to win games 1-0. If you’re not going to score, you shouldn’t concede. He’s trying to drill that into us. Now it’s up to us to take that on to the pitch and, if needed, grind out results.’ Lennon spoke earlier this week about developing a big-club mentality at Hibs, who started this season as favourites to win their league for the first time since Alex McLeish spent a season steering them out of the second tier. A lot will depend on how they handle the pressure — as this week’s League Cup exit to Queen of the South proved — and the fact that they are a major target for every other team in the Championship, including today’s visitors Dunfermline. ‘We’re a big club in Scottish football and the biggest club in the Championship, so everyone sees us as a scalp,’ said Fontaine. ‘We have to be able to deal with the pressure. ‘I think we’re able to deal with it. It’s a completely new way of playing, training levels, what we expect of each other. That’s because we have a new manager with his own ways. ‘I feel we’re going to be better mentally this year. We know what we want to achieve and how we’re going to do it. ‘The manager makes very high demands. Every manager has different expectations of high levels and we’ve all had to raise our fitness levels and training levels — everything. It will stand us in good stead for the rest of the season. ‘If we slip below the high standards set in training or games, he’s entitled to give us a piece of his mind. And we’re big enough men to be able to deal with it and move on. ‘I also think we’re more experienced. Every year you’re in the game, you gain experience — losing finals, in play-offs, gaining experience from them all. Last year, we had a lot of ups and downs and showed great character to finish on a high by winning the Scottish Cup. ‘Now we have a new manager and a new style. He’s a great guy to learn from.’