Hibs boss makes unusual Celtic remark as discusses Puntos and Formula One races

Lee Johnson knows Hibs will have it tough against Celtic on Wednesday.

Describing Ange Postecoglou’s side as one of the best he has seen, he said playing them was like swapping a Fiat Punto for an F1 car, and he has called for high concentration levels as the Leith side look to make amends for the 6-1 thrashing they endured in their last coming together, at Celtic Park, in October.

“I have faced Man United and Man City as a coach and, in my opinion Celtic are very, very strong at this time,” said Johnson. “They are a top side, Celtic. I enjoy watching them, in terms of the dynamism and movement but the challenge is to find a way to take points off them. How you do that, how you set them up, how you give the boys confidence. You are playing at home so the fans have to be part of the performance and all these things have to be at elite level if you are to beat/get a result against a side like that.”

Acknowledging that the level of opposition can impact his own players’ performance, Johnson is hoping it is for the better. “The mind focuses because there is a fear element that makes you track runners that little bit more, and it's on Sky and you don't want to be embarrassed so there are all these various factors that go into the arousal levels of a game and what becomes most important,” he continued. “But you can also lose quality in those moments because you are concentrating so hard. It is almost like driving a Punto and you are pretty comfortable and almost on autopilot but then you are shoved into a Formula One car, in a Formula One race, and whoosh, it is a different level. But, purposeful practice should allow you to improve as a player and as a team when you encounter more and more games like that. We will be better for our last Celtic experience, which I think we showed at Rangers.”

While Celtic are a F1 car and Fiats provide further Premiership opposition, Hibs are not fully assembled. “We’re a kit car at the moment, still being pieced together. But we have a good engine – that’s the fanbase, the history of the club, the training ground, the stadium. Now we need to fine tune some bits around it to make sure we are moving dynamically forward.”

After one win in eight games, the convincing Christmas Eve victory over 10-man Livingston lifted spirits just in time as Hibs look to find answers to the conundrums posed by the defending champions. "You have seen other teams, in recent games, not really trying to get out of their half, hoping to somehow handle a draw and actually, perhaps strangely, everyone that I bump into that are Hibs fans respect the fact that we tried to have a go at Parkhead, despite losing 6-1. No-one wanted the result but they respected the attitude. So, we have to turn the dial depending on the opposition but still try to hang onto our values and principles as much as we can within that game. The proof will be in the pudding.”