HELPING HAND
I’ve called on Ian Wright and Rudimental to help with team talks and now I’ll do the same at Hibs says Lee Johnson
HIS management style isn’t basic.
But Lee Johnson reckons it could be Wright to call on a Rudimental approach to help inspire Hibs.
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Since becoming a boss at Oldham, Johnson has left no stone unturned.
A detailed way of working has been the backbone to his spells in the dugout.
Part of that has included inviting in star speakers — and not all of them from the world of football.
At Bristol City he brought in Arsenal legend Ian Wright but also Leon Rolle from drum and bass band Rudimental, as well as the SAS and Red Arrows.
Now Johnson is ready to do the same again at Easter Road — with world boxing champion, and Hibs fan, Josh Taylor already in his sights.
He said: “Every year that’s gone by you learn a lot in management.
“You forge what you think works and how to fast-track certain things.
“The demographic of this squad is quite similar to the ones I had at Barnsley and Bristol City.
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“You have the same attributes but the same flaws. That can lead to you going on good runs when they feel good about themselves or a bad run can continue longer than it should.
“Those situations help me flatten the waves, keep consistency and create a growth mindset.
“One of the layers we have is a speaker series. We’ll bring guys in, whether it be a sleep coach, the SAS, my mate Leon from Rudimental or Ian Wright.
“Rudimental and Ian Wright came to Bristol City. We had the Red Arrows. The former cricketer Marcus Trescothick came in. He’s a big Bristol City fan.
“Leon’s charismatic and very successful. He’s extremely passionate in everything he does and I wanted to bring that vibe.
“The energy levels he needs to perform — he can’t have an off day because there’s paying public there — is similar to a footballer.
“We also invited Ian Wright to give a few pearls of wisdom for our centre- forwards and for that enthusiasm of scoring goals.
“It works as a bit of motivation. There are so many things you can do and learn from and we try to drip feed this into the boys and create a bit of a culture.
“Josh Taylor is a big Hibs fan. We try and find the right theme for what is required.”
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Johnson and his side are back after a warm-weather camp in Portugal. Following wins over Hartlepool and Burton Albion in the Algarve, they face Clyde on Saturday in their opening Premier Sports Cup clash.
Johnson has settled quickly into life at the club and in Edinburgh. Predecessor Shaun Maloney was binned as boss after four months.
But Johnson can see similarities in the Hibs set-up, where owner Ron Gordon’s son Ian oversees recruitment, with what he had at Ashton Gate.
He said: “Effectively, clubs are about the people. The personality and structures often change the dynamic of every individual club.
“Hibs reminds me of Bristol from the ownership level because it was Steve Landsdown and his son John, who had a very prominent role. We worked well in terms of the communication so that felt quite comfortable.
“I didn’t see that as a challenge, more a family vibe. We’ve got to win games and communicate well. But it feels like good people are around the place and hopefully you get some backing.”
Johnson hasn’t settled on his skipper for the season.
He said: “I might vary it through the cup, then in the league I will set that.”
Asked about leaders in the modern game, he asked: “Aren’t they dead in terms of the old-school ones? Are they there any more?
"You’d probably say Ryan Porteous is closest to an old-school leader and Darren McGregor is a great lad.
"Even your 30-year-olds aren’t maybe cut from the same cloth.
“It used to be you earned respect but it’s now ‘you must respect me, no matter what’.
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“That’s a delicate balance in terms of leadership. Society has changed. You can’t all be like the wacko who heads the door before he goes out.”
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