BY ALAN TEMPLE – @CCP_Sport
PAT STANTON believes Neil Lennon’s astonishing suggestion that he could quit Hibernian this summer will act as a shuddering wake-up call to his players following a meek surrender against Hearts.
However, the Easter Road icon is praying that, in the cold light of day, Lennon sees his future in Leith.
Stanton, 73, empathised with the Northern Irishman’s anger in the aftermath of Wednesday’s 2-1 defeat at Tynecastle, insisting the Hibees’ did not show the stomach for a fight in Gorgie.
Lamenting his players as ‘unprofessional’ and ‘amateur’, Lennon’s criticism went to another level when he stunned Hibs supporters by confirming that he would ‘consider his position’ in the coming weeks, despite being contracted to the club until 2020.
Lennon said: “We’ll go and try to win the game on Sunday against Rangers], but it’s not good enough and I’ll need to consider my position. I’ve got things to think about, in terms of what my personal aims and ambitions are and my personal reasons.”
“One thing that is for sure, Neil Lennon is not a silly man,” said Stanton. “He is a very sharp individual. He is perhaps saying it for affect, to give a wake-up call to a few of the players.
“Neil is passionate, he’s a winner and was visibly disappointed, probably with the manner of the defeat than anything else. He knows what the players are capable of and, regardless of how well they have done this season, is trying to keep standards high.
“The Hearts played at a real tempo, were in among the tackles and, if the referee isn’t going to clamp down on tough challenges, then you’ve got to do it yourself.
“If you go to Tynecastle you know it will be a battle. That was always my experience. You had to fight for every single point you got. No-one hands you anything, you’ve got to take it.
“Too many Hibs players were on the periphery and didn’t get involved.
“You can’t just go out there and think ‘we are playing well, things will click for us’. There were one or two 50/50s, especially in the first-half, where Hearts really posted their intentions. Everybody in the stadium sees it and it screams ‘we’re not here to go through the motions’.
“Going to your arch-rivals is where you are judged. There is an expectation that you give your best when you go to Tynecastle.”
Lennon also confirmed that Dylan McGeouch would be leaving the club this summer, while transfer speculation continues to surround John McGinn. Loan stars Jamie Maclaren, Scott Allan and Florian Kamberi will also be notable absentees unless Hibs splash out for permanent deals.
There will be a board meeting next week and, having stated that ‘surgery’ will be required, the level of backing Lennon is afforded could play a major part in his decision.
“Managers have their own ideas and are asking ‘can I put these plans into motion?’ That can be a frustrating time,” continued Stanton, who managed Hibs between 1982 and 1984.
“There are conversations, debates and, somewhere down the line, money tends to be involved!
“But the club have pushed the boat out, brought in some excellent players for Neil and Hibs have done well from that.
“There will be a lot of things up in the air at the moment, doubts over what players will be there and who moves on. Taking things to the next level is something that needs to be decided among the board at Easter Road. Where do we go from here?
“Of course there are players who are attracting attention, but that’s been the case forever. I remember when we lost Joe Baker to Torino – not the easiest guy to replace! However, that’s the way of things and you need to get on with it and rebuild again.
“Neil is in charge, he has done well, the support like his attitude and it is rubbing off on the players – that feeling that we can kick on a bit. Hopefully that remains the case.”
Hibs’ Tynecastle torment was a rare blip in an otherwise superb campaign, given this is the club’s first top-flight season since 2013/14.
Barring a margin of victory of at least six goals on Sunday against Rangers, they will finish in fourth-place and, should Celtic win the Scottish Cup, qualify for the Europa League.
“It’s a terrific change in attitude that people are thinking ‘we should be getting a result at Tynecastle’ or ‘we should be finishing second’,” added Stanton. “You don’t need to go back too far to see Hibs getting beat by teams we should never be losing to and battling relegation.
“If you take a step back from what happened on Wednesday, as disappointing as it was, and look back on what has been achieved, they have done really well. However, you need to apply yourself in every game if you want to keep those standards high.
“The players have got to show a reaction against Rangers on Sunday. They will have had a wee bit of a lift by recent events, Steven Gerrard being appointed and a couple of wins, and will bring a big support through. Hibs need to stand tall, fight for every ball and make their mark.”
