BY ALAN TEMPLE – @CCP_Sport
IAN MURRAY is adamant Hibernian cannot lay claim to having the strongest squad in the race to be crowned Scotland’s best of the rest.
However, he is resolute in his belief that they do boast the best manager.
And the former Easter Road skipper has backed Neil Lennon to underline his ability by crashing Celtic’s title party.
The Hoops know a victory in the capital on Saturday will seal seven-in-a-row, but Murray merely sees that as a welcome incentive for the Hibees, who have their own priorities – namely, seeking to close the three-point gap to Rangers and Aberdeen.
And Murray only needs to look at the respective dugouts to find the confidence that Hibs are destined to topple their rivals.
“Hibs can definitely use the occasion to their advantage, it is a huge incentive to stop Celtic from winning the league at Easter Road,” said Murray. “You use that prospect as motivation and try to say ‘we’re going to spoil their party’.
“I’m sure during the build-up it will be all about what Celtic will do and what they can achieve. It’s easy for people to forget that this is a huge game for Hibs too.
“It could be massive for them going for second place, which they have every reason to believe they can get.
“I don’t think they have the best squad out of Aberdeen, Rangers and Hibs – however I do believe they have the best manager and that could be a deciding factor.”
Should Hibs emerge as Celtic’s closest challengers when the curtain comes down on their first campaign back in the top-flight since 2014, it is a feat which Murray contends should see Lennon in the running for manager of the year.
“I’ve chatted with a few people about who should be manager of the year in Scotland and there are a few up there,” continued Murray. “Steve Clarke has done very well at Kilmarnock, Stephen Robinson getting to two cup finals with Motherwell, Brendan Rodgers going for the double treble.
“But Neil Lennon deserves to be in that conversation for bringing a team up from the Championship and potentially finishing second. Neil and his coaching staff have done a fantastic job.”
Few players have more experience of seeing another club toast a title in Leith than Murray.
The 37-year-old, who amassed 253 appearances at centre-back, full-back and across the midfield during two spells at Hibs, was in the side on ‘Helicopter Sunday’, when a Rangers win at Easter Road, allied with Celtic’s capitulation at Motherwell, famously saw the Gers claim the crown in 2005.
It was deja vu all over again five years later when the Glasgow giants repeated the feat in Edinburgh thanks to a solitary Kyle Lafferty strike.
“It can be a surreal experience,” continued Murray. “It’s a bit strange to effectively be hosting a celebration for another club and their fans.
“I’ve been through that, and of course the most notable one was when Rangers won it at Easter Road. That was a unique situation, the league was in the balance and nobody knew what way it was going to go.
“This one is a foregone conclusion, Celtic will win the league. We just don’t know when it is going to be.
“Nevertheless, it’s not something, as an opposition player, that you ever really want to be on the other end of and I’m sure that will be driving the Hibs players on.”
Should Celtic do the business on Saturday, it will prove a particularly poignant triumph for two of their top men.
Skipper Scott Brown emerged through the academy at Hibs and made well over 100 appearances for the club before joining the Hoops in 2007 and becoming the cornerstone of their success.
Leigh Griffiths, meanwhile, is a boyhood Hibs supporter, scored 39 goals for them during two loan spells and remains a regular at Easter Road when his Celtic commitments allow.
Murray, a former teammate of both men, knows celebrating a championship in Edinburgh would be special for the duo but is adamant their professionalism will shine through.
“For Scott and Leigh, I think you can call it icing on the cake if they do it at Easter Road,” added Murray. “Particularly for Scott, who is an academy graduate and was given his big chance at Hibs before going to Celtic.
“In terms of playing, Leigh was obviously here for a shorter time, but scored some wonderful goals over a couple of loan spells – and there’s no doubt how he feels about the club.
“However, the bottom line is they are footballers, and this is their job, so I know their only priority is getting the title won at the soonest possible opportunity. It just so happens that they have that chance at Easter Road.”
