Neil Lennon, the Ladbrokes Championship Manager of the Month for January is looking forward to getting back to business at Easter Road after almost a month on the road.
January was a particularly good month with no goals conceded resulting in an eight point gap at the top of the table and a place in the 5th round of the Scottish Cup.
In addition, key players such as Fraser Fyvie and John McGinn have returned form injury.
Hibs face Ayr United tomorrow knowing that the last time the pair met in Leith it was the Honest Men who took the points after Marvin Bartley was wrongly sent off with the hosts 1-0 up.
Speaking to Hibs TV, Lennon said: “January has been a fantastic month. I couldn’t have asked for any more from the players.
“Three great league wins and progressing to the next round of the cup so it’s been excellent consistency with some really good performances as well.
“Fraser (Fyvie) and John (McGinn) returning from injury was huge for us. They are both quality players. We lost Dylan (McGeouch) at the same time although we had him back for the Dundee United game.
“They are the heartbeat of the team and are excellent players who could play at the highest level, certainly in Scotland.
“We did miss them but we always felt that it would have been tight for a while but when we got a healthy squad again the performances would return and that turned out to be the case but I’m not putting it down to just those three coming back.
Also Chris (Humphrey) has done very well since coming in although we gave him a bit of a rest last week.
“The whole team and the squad have played very well in that period and now I’m looking for more of the same.
“I’m very much looking forward to getting back onto home turf, it has been a while, almost a month. Hopefully we can replicate our last performance.
“The atmosphere that night was the best I’d experienced at Easter Road. The fans were unbelievable, so we’re looking for more of the same.
“We can’t go into the game with any complacency, Ayr have beaten us this season. It’s a dangerous game, but it’s one with great incentives for us as well.
“Ian McCall is a very shrewd manager and he’s been working with a limited budget. They play a diamond in the majority of games and are well set up defensively at times. Most of the teams that come to Easter Road are lifted and find a little bit more so we have to be ready to overcome it.
“Dylan is back training. He played a development game on Tuesday and came through that OK. Mavin (Bartley) is back from suspension, and maybe another week for Ofir (Marciano) Paul Hanlon may require surgery which will keep him out for a couple of weeks but it’s not major surgery which is a bonus but it needs doing which is a blow for us.”
John graduated from Telford College in 2010 with an HNC in Practical Journalism and since then he worked for the North Edinburgh News, The Southern Reporter, the Irish News Review and The Edinburgh Reporter. In addition he has been published in the Edinburgh Evening News and the Hibernian FC Programme.
