No regrets: Lennon glad he still has fire to blast team
● Hibs coach has no regrets over Raith outburst and will fight to retain cup
Neil Lennon has no regrets after he very publicly hauled his Hibs players over the coals in the wake of Saturday’s draw with Raith Rovers.
He claims that the fact he was so incensed by the performance proves that he still has fire in his belly and he wants to see that burning in his players as well, but not just in tonight’s Scottish Cup fifth-round replay against Hearts. The result against Raith denied Hibs the chance to open up a nine-point gap at the top of the Championship which, with just a dozen games remaining, would have been a massive advantage.
It also prompted the Easter Road head coach to question the professionalism of his players.
But, while he acknowledged that his own quest for perfection meant that the standards he has set his squad are lofty, he maintained that any player who shares his priorities of a league and cup double this season must deliver a much higher level of consistency.
“Am I a perfectionist? Yes, I think a lot of managers are,” Lennon said. “A wise old bird once told me ‘don’t look for the perfect when the best will do’, but I didn’t get the best on Saturday. You’ll never get perfection, whether it’s me, Brendan [Rodgers], Pep [Guardiola], but you need to strive for it. What actually pleased me was that I’ve still got the rage! I thought maybe I’d mellowed, but I’ve still got it in there.
“I caught myself the other day – and that’s no bad thing, that it still means so much. It is rare [to have such an outburst], but there is a time and a place for moments like that. I did it at Celtic and I’m sure I’ll do it again at other clubs.
“There are standards and they fell way below the standard that we expect of them. I want them to be consistent. Sometimes maybe I ask too much of them, I don’t know, but I don’t think it’s too much to ask that they perform a lot better than they did in the first 45 minutes. Tonight [against Hearts] is a different animal.
“Am I looking for a reaction? Well any manager would be after a disappointing performance and I think these guys have got good mental strength when they really need it.”
The swift return to action, in such a monumental game for the fans and one that will ultimately help determine the success of this season, is a blessing, according to Lennon, who can’t wait for the replay at Easter Road.
“Any game would have been ideal but this game is a little bit more special because of the rivalry between the two teams. I don’t look too much into that but what I want to do is prevail in a cup tie and get to the quarter-finals because we are the holders.”
Having bettered Hearts en