I STILL OWE HIBS SO MUCH
Lennon feels Easter Road stint reinvigorated him as a manager
AS Hibernian’s players prepare to take a trip along the M8 tomorrow, Neil Lennon was off on a journey of his own down memory lane.
The Celtic boss will always be grateful to the Easter Road club for allowing him to rejuvenate his own managerial career just as it threatened to hit the skids.
Taking the reins after Alan Stubbs had won the Scottish Cup but failed to get Hibs promoted from the Championship in 2016, Lennon duly steered the Hibees up and into Europe while playing an exciting brand of attacking football.
That adventure proved just the tonic for Lennon after a bruising experience at crisis-hit Bolton Wanderers ended with him sacked after winning just 18 out of 79 competitive games in charge.
His eventual parting of the ways with Hibs in January last year was to prove a bizarre experience.
Five days after it was first reported that he had been suspended following a full and frank summit with his squad, Hibs confirmed his exit by ‘mutual consent’ while praising his work as manager.
Despite that ugly ending, Lennon now had his mojo back and was hired for a second spell by Celtic to replace Brendan Rodgers when he quit Parkhead for Leicester City a month later.
And ahead of tomorrow’s league clash with his old club, he insists he will always cherish his memories of working in the capital.
‘I loved my time at Hibs. I had a brilliant time there,’ said Lennon.
‘My time there reinvigorated me as a manager.
‘I had a brilliant group of players and good people in the background.
‘It’s a great club with a great support.
‘I had a couple of fantastic years with getting promotion and then getting into Europe.
‘There were a couple of semifinals, too, and we played with a real swagger and freedom.
‘I really did enjoy myself there. I enjoyed it immensely.
‘The first time I went in, I felt Stubbsy had left me a very good squad. They’d not long won the Scottish Cup.
‘I just looked at the players and felt we had a chance.
‘They kicked on and did everything we asked of them.
‘It was difficult to maintain the standards set in those first few years. But I had a brilliant time at the club.’
After their first full pre-season under Jack Ross, Hibs are sitting pretty in third place after eight games of the new campaign.
Last weekend they drew 2-2 at home to a Rangers side that had not conceded a single goal domestically up until that point.
And Lennon knows it will be a tough contest in the east end of Glasgow tomorrow for his side, who trail Rangers by a point but have a game in hand.
‘I know a lot of the Hibs players and Jack’s got them playing really well,’ he said.
‘I was impressed with how they approached the Rangers game.
‘They’ve got a very strong mentality about them so, yes, it will be a tough match for us and a big game in terms of the championship.
‘But we will be prepared for it. We know the threat Hibs pose and we know their style of play.
‘It’s got the ingredients of a very good game.
‘They’ve got some really good players. Martin Boyle I know very well, and he’s a big threat. Kevin Nisbet and Christian Doidge are playing really well.
‘And Ryan Porteous and Paul
Hanlon offer a good blend of youth and experience at the back.
‘Ryan’s had a few injuries, so he needs a run of games. But at his age, I think he’s got real good leadership qualities.
‘He’s aggressive in the air and is a really good defender.
‘It’s not surprising you’ve seen him do so well.
‘Ofir Marciano can be among the best goalkeepers in the country when he’s playing well.
‘Since I’ve been back at Celtic, and played against Hibs, he’s pulled off some outstanding saves.
‘He’s capable of that. He was superb for me over the time I was at Hibs.
‘So, the team complements itself
very well at the minute. It’s obviously still very early in the season — but they’ve made a great start and we’re very wary of Hibs.
‘Any team that takes points off ourselves and Rangers has to be respected. We will need to keep an eye on them.’
However, given the respective strengths of Celtic and Rangers this season, Lennon doubts Hibs can split the Old Firm.
‘It’s a big ask,’ he said. ‘I think the big two in Glasgow are strong and it’s a long season. But you never know.
‘This is a year that’s unprecedented. So, you can’t predict anything the way things are going this season.
‘But Hibs is a big club. They are a proper big city club and certainly it was important I got them back into the Premiership.
‘I’m really pleased to see them doing so well. I just hope they don’t do so well on Sunday.’
Meanwhile, Jeremie Frimpong hopes to sample Europa League group stage football this season after missing out on last year’s adventures.
The 19-year-old defender came off the bench in Riga on Thursday night to set up fellow substitute Mohamed Elyounoussi to score a late winner.
That has now set up a play-off tie away to FK Sarajevo on Thursday night for Lennon’s side.
And Frimpong is desperate for a starring role after not featuring in last year’s group ties with Lazio, Rennes and Cluj.
‘Last season, I was watching the Europa League group stage so to be in it would be amazing. I’d really like it,’ said the young right-back.
‘I have always thought the Europa League is a good tournament because there are some teams from the Champions League who come into it and they are top quality.
‘Obviously, we would have liked to be in the Champions League, but the Europa League is still a good tournament.
‘I feel we have a team that can do really well in it.’