What a season it has been so far for the Hibernian fans.
Sitting three points off second place and a whopping 16 points ahead of fiercest rivals Hearts, it has been a dream return to the Premiership for the Hibees.
They also got to witness an absolutely outstanding performance from their team at the weekend to turn Celtic’s potential title party into a damp squib. They tore into the Champions from the very first whistle in a display full of energy, intensity and quality.
Read more: Neil Lennon: Warning Hibernian not to play like Rangers helped us beat Celtic
Hibs thoroughly deserved to beat Celtic on the day and the tactics employed by Neil Lennon worked a treat. The high press which has been shown by Hearts and a few others as the best way to beat Celtic was executed superbly and Hibs had the fitness and legs to see it all the way to the end.
They could have wilted when Celtic scored late but this is not the Hibs of old. This is a steely side which represents the man in charge of them.
Neil started with two main strikers in Florian Kamberi and Jamie Maclaren and both have been a revelation since signing in January. Kamberi has actually yet to play on a losing side as a Hibs player. That shows the form the Leith men have been in.
He has given Neil Lennon’s team a different dimension up front as he holds the ball up superbly and let’s Maclaren run the channels to play off him. He has been a brilliant find by the scouting team at Easter Road.
Before that with Anthony Stokes and Simon Murray it was something they just never had. They didn’t play as a pair and Stokes in particular was a bitter disappointment. It was a really jittery time in the final hours of the January transfer window for the Hibs faithful but Lennon came up trumps with his recruitment. The Easter Road outfit emerged a far stronger team and squad when it closed shut.
Before the January window, Hibs should have been at least eight to 10 points better off in the Premiership but an inability to kill teams off and take chances really cost them dearly.
I have no doubt that if Hibs had the current front two plus Scott Allan from the start of the season, not only would they be sitting in a comfortable second place but would be giving Celtic a run for the title. Hibs on current form are the the best team in the country behind Celtic, and actually gave them a lesson at the weekend.
The credit has to go to the players of course as they win or lose you matches in the games but the job Lennon has done cannot be underestimated. Let’s not forget that Hibs have just come up from the Championship and a top-six position would have been seen as a successful season by a lot of Hibs fans.
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But not Lennon.
That wouldn’t have been anywhere near good enough for him. Lenny has never settled for fine or okay in his career as a player or a manager. His sights were set on far higher than that. And that is precisely why Hibs are within touching distance of an incredible runners-up spot in the league.
Just under a year ago when the men from Edinburgh lost 3-2 to Aberdeen in the Scottish Cup semi-final, Lennon was the subject of a lot of sniggers in the press room at Hampden and around the country when he claimed post match that Hibs were “the second-best team in the country”.
They had just lost to a really consistent Aberdeen side under Derek McInnes who were proven as the next best behind Celtic for a number of seasons. Lennon still had to come up into the Premiership and prove week in, week out that both he and Hibs could walk the walk.
But fast forward a year and just look at were Hibs sit. Just three points separate them Aberdeen and Rangers. Both clubs who will have far bigger budgets than Hibs, in particular Rangers. With just four matches left Neil Lennon has a chance to prove his prophecy last year spot on.
The confidence that the Hibs players will have garnered from that pulsating win over Celtic on Saturday can catapult them to that coveted runner-up spot. With it will be confirmation that Hibs are back.
And Lennon would surely pick up the manager of the year alongside it.
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