Lee Johnson claims “brainwashed” Scots players are born fearing the Old Firm but he’s determined Hibs ’ next generation will break the chains.
The Easter Road gaffer revealed he consulted psychologists in the wake of the humiliating 6-1 hammering from Celtic at the weekend. And the Englishman is convinced his squad were beaten well before the first whistle.
Despite short spells at Hearts and Kilmarnock as a player, it was a shock to the 41-year-old. But after Hibs’ youth teams completed a clean sweep against Rangers over the weekend, winning at five age groups up to under-18s, Johnson is intent on bringing about a change in mindset in the future. He said: “We had a ‘full stop meeting’ and I wasn’t happy; it was a negative meeting in terms of my delivery. There were not many positives from it. I’m just not willing to accept that we can’t get closer. Now I look back on it, I think we were beaten before we went into the game.
“It was an absolute shock to me. I thought about it, I spoke to a couple of psychologists, and I realised that these guys have probably been beaten by these teams year on year since they were eight-years-old.
“You practically come out of the womb and you’re told Celtic and Rangers are amazing. I was told Motherwell haven’t beaten Rangers in the league in 20 years or something – crazy.
“I’m not used to that sort of thing, I’ve never experienced that before. I thought about the players who have been in Scotland for a long time and this brainwashing. A few actions happened in the first 10 minutes or so and that was it. It was as if they collectively said: ‘Oh right, here we go. They’re playing well today and we’re not’.”
Johnson has confessed Hibs capitulated so badly at Parkhead that they could have shipped 10. But he’s set on making sure there is a mental turnaround the next time his squad head to Glasgow.
He said: “Big picture for us, is implementing a psychological programme
“Let’s not take away from Celtic – who have fantastic individual brilliance and they’re a fantastic team – but we’re not 6-1 away. On Saturday we were, and it could have been 10. That’s the bit that I’m now curious about. I was angry after the game because I felt we let everyone down but I’m now very curious.
“We can start this psychological programme with our young pups, like 16, all the way through. We whitewashed Rangers in the academy over the weekend. There you go, that’s a good start. Our Under-18s won the league last year, that’s a good start.
“They’re probably not affected in the same way, and that’s inevitably what you want to do. You want to phase out that negative psychology, and phase in positive belief.
“Could we go to Celtic Park in three years’ with three midfielders who are 16 now – 19 then – in our team, with a completely different fear factor?”
Johnson was speaking after taking an open training session in front of season-ticket holders and youngsters at Easter Road ahead of Friday’s clash with St Johnstone – the first game with VAR in Scottish football.
He said: “Friday night under the lights, a good experience and historic. We want to be on the right side of all that.”
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