Ronny Deila  has sought to defuse a perceived rift with Neil Lennon by insisting he’s got no issue with the way his Parkhead predecessor managed his players. The Norwegian has ordered his squad to eat lunch together at Lennoxtown, has imposed a ban on fizzy drinks and has ordered his players to reduce their body fat. Such changes were perceived by some as a slight on the previous regime – with Lennon hitting back on a radio interview over the weekend. Ronny Deila attempted to diffuse the perceived rift with his Celtic predecessor Neil Lennon . Without specifically mentioning Deila by name, Lennon stated: ‘All you hear now is that you need to ban chips, tomato sauce, fizzy drinks. Yeah, because that makes them better players. ‘It’s disrespectful when a new manager comes in and immediately says: “The players aren’t fit enough”.’ Deila, however, yesterday sought to clarify his position and stressed that striving to do things differently didn’t necessarily imply a criticism of the way things were done before. ‘I inherited a champion team so I never said anything to make that performance bad,’ he stated. Neil Lennon dismissed measures such as banning chips and fizzy drinks saying it didn't make players better . ‘What I meant is you get in some new players and you also have players who have been out injured, had surgeries and come back again — there is always room for improvements. ‘As he says as well, there are different ways to look at things and, for me, we still have a job to do to get the players fitter. That’s nothing about what has gone here before because that was great, he did fantastically well and I think I have been respectful all the time. I’m a big fan of what he has done before.’ With his side sitting fourth in the Scottish Premiership and having won just one of their past seven matches in all competitions, Deila intends playing the strongest possible team against Hearts in the League Cup tomorrow. And, despite growing suggestions that Leigh Griffiths is poised to rejoin Hibs on loan after being omitted from the squad which faced Motherwell, Deila reiterated his desire to hold on to the striker. Deila's side will face Hearts at Parkhead mid-week while Rangers will have to overcome Falkirk . On interest from Hibs, Deila said: ‘I know there’s been interest but we haven’t agreed on anything but we’ll see what is happening.’ Asked if he would consider allowing the player to leave, he replied: ‘We’ll see how it goes. ‘There haven’t been any real talks between the clubs. Leigh is playing games here and he’s fighting for a place in the starting 11. We want him here.’ Pressed on what the player needed to do to force his way back into his match-day squads, Deila replied: ‘He needs to show himself in training, work hard every day and take his chances when he gets them, same as everybody else.’ However, when asked if Griffiths would be in his squad tomorrow, the manager answered: ‘We’ll see.’ Hibs boss Alan Stubbs yesterday branded fresh talk of a loan return for Griffiths as ‘just speculation’. But he refused to deny on-going interest in the unsettled Celtic striker and admitted he remains on the look-out for ‘someone who could really make a difference’. Kris Commons scored a second-half penalty against Motherwell to earn a point at the weekend . With Hibs’ worrying start to the season continuing after Saturday’s 1-0 defeat at Queen of the South, the suggestion that a third loan spell for Griffiths at Easter Road is imminent refuses to go away. However, speaking ahead of tonight’s League Cup trip to face Premiership strugglers Ross County, Stubbs said: ‘I don’t want to speak about players that are not mine. Is that me ducking it? No, I can’t comment on someone else’s player. ‘Obviously, there’s speculation but, as far as I’m aware, it’s just speculation. I don’t know where it’s come from. ‘But, especially with it being my former club, it would be very disrespectful for me to speak about a player who’s not even ours. Leight Griffiths could be set for a loan move back to Hibs after struggling for game time at Celtic . ‘If it was someone we thought could really make a difference, then I think the board would be very supportive. ‘Obviously, you’ve got a player who’s not playing and people are putting two and two together and making six. I want to really focus on Ross County and not on something that’s got nothing to do with me.’ Saturday’s loss was Hibs fourth of the league campaign and leaves them a massive 10 points adrift of undefeated rivals Hearts. It leaves question marks hanging over the new regime being built by Stubbs under new chief executive Leeann Dempster, but the former Celtic and Everton defender insisted he had steeled himself for the pressures of management. ‘Pressure? I believe in what I’m doing,’ he said. ‘Yes, obviously I believe the results need to keep getting better, but from a pressure point of view I believe in the players. And, as long as they keep seeing me believing, it will turn.’
Ronny Deila banned  fizzy drinks for Celtic players .
Neil Lennon appeared to take offence, dismissing such measures .
Norwegian tried to diffuse the perceived rift with his predecessor .
Ronny Deila  has sought to defuse a perceived rift with Neil Lennon by insisting he’s got no issue with the way his Parkhead predecessor managed his players. The Norwegian has ordered his squad to eat lunch together at Lennoxtown, has imposed a ban on fizzy drinks and has ordered his players to reduce their body fat. Such changes were perceived by some as a slight on the previous regime – with Lennon hitting back on a radio interview over the weekend. Ronny Deila attempted to diffuse the perceived rift with his Celtic predecessor Neil Lennon . Without specifically mentioning Deila by name, Lennon stated: ‘All you hear now is that you need to ban chips, tomato sauce, fizzy drinks. Yeah, because that makes them better players. ‘It’s disrespectful when a new manager comes in and immediately says: “The players aren’t fit enough”.’ Deila, however, yesterday sought to clarify his position and stressed that striving to do things differently didn’t necessarily imply a criticism of the way things were done before. ‘I inherited a champion team so I never said anything to make that performance bad,’ he stated. Neil Lennon dismissed measures such as banning chips and fizzy drinks saying it didn't make players better . ‘What I meant is you get in some new players and you also have players who have been out injured, had surgeries and come back again — there is always room for improvements. ‘As he says as well, there are different ways to look at things and, for me, we still have a job to do to get the players fitter. That’s nothing about what has gone here before because that was great, he did fantastically well and I think I have been respectful all the time. I’m a big fan of what he has done before.’ With his side sitting fourth in the Scottish Premiership and having won just one of their past seven matches in all competitions, Deila intends playing the strongest possible team against Hearts in the League Cup tomorrow. And, despite growing suggestions that Leigh Griffiths is poised to rejoin Hibs on loan after being omitted from the squad which faced Motherwell, Deila reiterated his desire to hold on to the striker. Deila's side will face Hearts at Parkhead mid-week while Rangers will have to overcome Falkirk . On interest from Hibs, Deila said: ‘I know there’s been interest but we haven’t agreed on anything but we’ll see what is happening.’ Asked if he would consider allowing the player to leave, he replied: ‘We’ll see how it goes. ‘There haven’t been any real talks between the clubs. Leigh is playing games here and he’s fighting for a place in the starting 11. We want him here.’ Pressed on what the player needed to do to force his way back into his match-day squads, Deila replied: ‘He needs to show himself in training, work hard every day and take his chances when he gets them, same as everybody else.’ However, when asked if Griffiths would be in his squad tomorrow, the manager answered: ‘We’ll see.’ Hibs boss Alan Stubbs yesterday branded fresh talk of a loan return for Griffiths as ‘just speculation’. But he refused to deny on-going interest in the unsettled Celtic striker and admitted he remains on the look-out for ‘someone who could really make a difference’. Kris Commons scored a second-half penalty against Motherwell to earn a point at the weekend . With Hibs’ worrying start to the season continuing after Saturday’s 1-0 defeat at Queen of the South, the suggestion that a third loan spell for Griffiths at Easter Road is imminent refuses to go away. However, speaking ahead of tonight’s League Cup trip to face Premiership strugglers Ross County, Stubbs said: ‘I don’t want to speak about players that are not mine. Is that me ducking it? No, I can’t comment on someone else’s player. ‘Obviously, there’s speculation but, as far as I’m aware, it’s just speculation. I don’t know where it’s come from. ‘But, especially with it being my former club, it would be very disrespectful for me to speak about a player who’s not even ours. Leight Griffiths could be set for a loan move back to Hibs after struggling for game time at Celtic . ‘If it was someone we thought could really make a difference, then I think the board would be very supportive. ‘Obviously, you’ve got a player who’s not playing and people are putting two and two together and making six. I want to really focus on Ross County and not on something that’s got nothing to do with me.’ Saturday’s loss was Hibs fourth of the league campaign and leaves them a massive 10 points adrift of undefeated rivals Hearts. It leaves question marks hanging over the new regime being built by Stubbs under new chief executive Leeann Dempster, but the former Celtic and Everton defender insisted he had steeled himself for the pressures of management. ‘Pressure? I believe in what I’m doing,’ he said. ‘Yes, obviously I believe the results need to keep getting better, but from a pressure point of view I believe in the players. And, as long as they keep seeing me believing, it will turn.’
interview over the weekend. Ronny Deila attempted to diffuse the perceived rift with his Celtic fizzy drinks saying it didn't make players better