Lee Johnson admits Hibs got it wrong last summer as youngster singled out for pre-season praise

Lee Johnson has admitted Hibs got their pre-season preparations wrong last summer and insisted his side will reap the benefits from Thursday's friendly defeat to Bournemouth.

The 4-0 thumping against the English Premier League side brought an end to Hibs warm-weather camp in Marbella where an ongoing heatwave has made conditions particularly challenging for the players.

This time last year Hibs earned victories over Hartlepool United and Burton Albion at their base camp in Portugal, but after a 2-0 win over Gibraltarian side Europa FC was followed by the heavy loss to the Cherries, Easter Road boss Johnson declared himself much happier with the build-up to the 2023-24 campaign.

“It was a really good exercise for us,” he told Hibs TV. “Last season I thought we got our pre-season wrong. I don’t think the quality of those pre-season games were good enough, but out here we’ve had two really good challenges.

Hibs manager Lee Johnson has been happy with his side's pre-season preparations in Marbella. (Photo by Mark Scates / SNS Group)

“Jacob MacIntyre came up to me after the game and told me he had never played against a team that good. Playing against these teams helps expand your knowledge and develop as a player. I know what we need ahead of the start of the season. This was a brilliant exercise in the heat and the end of a really tough and physical week training out here.”

Johnson took encouragement from aspects of Hibs’ performance against Bournemouth with one youngster singled out for praise. “There is lots to digest from that performance,” he said. “The first 10 or 12 minutes I thought we were poor, but then we started to play our way and for the next 30-40 minutes we were much better. I don’t mind if we fail playing our way, we were much better with ball retention (during that period) and grew into the game.

“In the last 30 minutes I tended to watch the youngsters – Reuben McAllister was excellent against a good Premier League side. I don’t like losing football matches, but I understand why we’ve lost that today, and I’m excited by how the current squad is shaping up. It has been an intense week for us, which the heat has magnified. When we come back to the normal climate we will gain that extra yard, that extra breath, and our fitness levels will have improved greatly.”