Craig Levein '˜would have hated to see froth and fury if Celtic had lost'

Brendan Rodgers was critical of the surface in the aftermath of his side’s 3-1 triumph over Craig Levein’s men on Sunday afternoon, saying he was “embarrassed” to see a pitch like it in Scottish football.

Levein hit back earlier today, saying Rodgers could “bleat” all he wants. And he’s found an unusual allay in the opposing manager ahead of Wednesday night’s Edinburgh derby.

Hibs manager Neil Lennon speaks to press ahead of the Edinburgh Derby against Hearts. Picture: SNS

Lennon told STV: “I’m delighted to see grass on it. It is going to be dry and a bit long but it looked fine.

“Obviously, Brendan wasn’t happy about it, I get that, but Hearts aren’t going to treat the pitch to suit anybody other than themselves. It’s entirely their prerogative.

“Like I say, I was just glad to see grass on it as a couple of times this season it’s been very, very bare.

“They play a certain way and get the pitch suited to their style of play. We try to keep the pitch quick, that suits us.

“You hear of manager’s bringing the pitch in at times, I’ve come up against that plenty of times in Europe and the Premier League, so no change there really.

“It’s a tight pitch, not conducive to playing with a great deal of width, so the game becomes narrow and a bit more physical. I can understand why they are very strong at home.”

More to follow...

'˜I'm delighted to see grass on it': Lennon backs Hearts over pitch row