Lenny’s got fans on side
Neil Lennon hopes he’s convinced even the biggest Hibs diehards that he’s left Glasgow behind as they face his old club today.
The former Celtic boss has re- established the Easter Road side as a top-flight force with only three defeats in 16 games since their return from the Championship.
And Lennon said: “There were maybe a few Hibs diehards who weren’t sure about me because of my Glasgow connections.
“It maybe takes a while to win them over but I’m hoping that’s the case now.
“I’m enjoying the job. Hibs are a big city club and we have a team playing good football in front of healthy crowds.
“The character of the team has pleased me most – they look unfazed at this level and have never been out of any games.
“We have dominated most of our matches and are exceeding expectations. We were only a point off second place after 16 games.
“I’m delighted with it and didn’t think we would be as close.”
A win this afternoon would close the gap on leaders Celtic to five points and Lennon insisted the Hoops’ unbeaten run has to end sometime.
He said: “Motherwell came close last week, taking it to 88 minutes, before a rush of blood to the head. You can’t have that – you need to be cold and see the game out.
“When we went 2-1 up on them in September there were still 15 minutes to go. You need to have a two-goal cushion.
“Celtic can score at any time. You’re thinking ‘ We probably need another one to win’ – but I never thought we would lose it.
“So if you are two goals up with 15 minutes left maybe you can think ‘This is our day’ – but I’ll let you know if that ever happens.”