‘David Brent patter’ - former Hibs man’s Lee Johnson claim and two-word Nick Montgomery verdict

The former Sunderland and now Fleetwood Town gaffer has been compared to the famous Ricky Gervais character from The Office.

Lee Johnson recently spoke about his Hibs sacking, saying he was ‘shocked’ and also ‘dissapointed’ not to be given more time in the role. The former Sunderland gaffer was recently confirmed as the new boss of English Football League side Fleetwood Town, replacing ex Hibs and Celtic midfielder Scott Brown.

He opened up about how he felt a lot of players ‘weren’t good enough’ and the struggles adapting to the busy schedule of both European and league football fixtures. It’s fair to say the reaction to his comments from Hibs supporters showed little sympathy for the 42-year old and now one former Hibees player has weighed in on the conversation. Tam McManus, who turned out at Easter Road between 1997 and 2005, has compared the manager to David Brent - the Ricky Gervais character from BBC sitcom The Office.

Writing in his column for The Daily Record, McManus said: “By the end of Lee Johnson’s reign, they (Hibs supporters) were fed up with all his attempts to sound clever when all he succeeded in was sounding like David Brent with his weird patter about sharks and lions chasing defenders. They saw through all the bluster and they saw through Lee Johnson too.”

The former Falkirk, Dundee and Ayr United forward also spoke about new Hibs boss Nick Montgmery, who he played alongside for Scotland under 21s, and how he expects his one time teammate to ‘cut the crap’ and do his talking on the pitch.

Brent, the principal character from The Office who was created and portrayed by comedian Ricky Gervais, is presented in the show as an office manager who believes he is beloved amongst his employees when, in reality, many dislike or resent his often cringy behaviour. A similar character, Michael Scott, was based on the Gervais’ creation and was played by American actor Steve Carrell in the US remake of the show.