Neil Lennon believes that yesterday’s performance in the 2-1 defeat to Livingston was one of the team’s poorest for a long time.
The Head Coach criticised the defending for both goal conceded and claimed that the display was unacceptable.
He didn’t put all the blame on the players however and accepted his share of the responsibility.
One player who escaped criticism was young striker Lewis Allan who held the ball up well all afternoon and was unlucky not to score.
After the game a disappointed Neil Lennon told Cliff Pike of Hibernian TV: “That was one of the poorest displays I have had for a long time.
“We thought we were all right first half, decent control of the game and missed a really good chance just before half time. We scored an early goal in the second half but our defending for the two goals was abysmal. We dealt with the first cross for the goal then he has beaten two of our players far to easily and got the shot off.
After our goal we started losing second balls in midfield and that gave Livingston the impetus.
“There was no real cohesion about us today. I thought that once Livingston equalised the momentum was with them and we looked as if we lacked a bit of character to get another goal and we made some changes to be positive.
“It’s my fault, I take responsibility. I don’t know if the players were ready for the game although they should have been. We warned them that Livingston were a big physical team.
“Maybe that’s me not preparing the players right although I doubt that, but I can’t put all the onus on the players I have to look at my own performance and say ‘was that enough’
From our point of view the defending was awful. People going to ground, people turning their back, it’s unacceptable to come here and play, not as poorly as that, but as disjointed as that.
“If we are not going to compete and that’s not like us, we are going to be in for a long season.
“I have a bit of work to do on the mental side of the game.
“I don’t know if it’s too many changes too soon but we need to start rectifying.
“I thought that Lewis Allan was excellent and held the ball up well. He just ran out of steam a bit toward the end. He can be pleased with his performance today, very much so.
“The international break will maybe give us time to get the players up to speed.”
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.
