NEIL Lennon has urged his Hibernian players to keep their on-field discipline this afternoon as they bid to get back into his good books. The Easter Road manager was deeply critical of his side in the wake of last weekend’s goalless draw with Queen of the South and went on the offensive in a bid to spark a reaction against Dundee United this lunchtime.

The Northern Irishman believes modern-day footballers are, compared to his playing days, too cosseted from their manager’s anger. However, he believes his squad have the character to take the flak on the chin and come back fighting.

He said: “It’s a manager’s prerogative sometimes to criticise his players. I think these days we get really sensitive when managers come out and have a go at players. But when I was playing it was par for the course and you took it and said ‘I’ll show you’. Sometimes what you want is a reaction.

“I thought our play in the final third could, and should, have been better last week and I’ve got every right to voice that opinion. When they play well, I’ll praise them to high heavens as well. I’ve got a good bunch in there. I don’t think they’re over-sensitive and I don’t think they sulk too much either. There are some players you have to deal with a little more softly, softly. But I tend to treat players all the same. If there’s something I’m not happy about I won’t be shy in coming forward to tell them.”

After five successive victories, Hibs have stuttered in recent weeks, suffering a shock defeat to Ayr United and then drawing with Queens.

On both occasions they were reduced to 10 men, with Marvin Bartley’s red card against Ayr being overturned and Lewis Stevenson taking the long walk at Palmerston Park for two yellows. It is a scenario Lennon has warned he wants no repeat of today.

He added: “Keeping 11 men on the pitch would be nice – that would be really, really helpful. The first one with Marvin was unfortunate and we’ve seen that rescinded. With Lewis, on a yellow card, you’ve just got to be more careful. In all my time I’ve been big on on-field discipline and having 11 players, particularly on Sunday on the telly, would be a big benefit.”

Meanwhile, Dundee United goalkeeper Cammy Bell believes the pressure to return to the top flight is just as great at Tannadice as it is around Easter Road.

“I think there’s still a lot of pressure on us to get promoted this season,” said the player who moved from Rangers in the summer. “With the size of the club, the expectation will always be there from the fans. And that’s the way it should be.

“We should be up towards the top of the league come the end of the season. Nothing is won and lost in the first half of the season. But I think trying to get some consistency over the next two or three months will be key, so that going into the back end of the season we can be in good form.”

United returned to winning ways last weekend by beating Morton at Tannadice and know a win in Leith would put them just two points behind their hosts.

Bell added: “It would be a solid start if we were to get the win. Looking back, after the first few games of the season, we were a bit disappointed at not picking up as many points as we had hoped. But I think that’s the way the league is going to go this season.”