Lee Johnson compares Celtic to top English teams as he admits gulf in class and speaks on Ryan Porteous future

Lee Johnson reckons Celtic are one of the best sides he has come across in his managerial career after watching them cruise to a 4-0 victory over Hibs at Easter Road on Wednesday night.

Lee Johnson believes Celtic are one of the best sides he's faced as a manager - but insisted Hibs did improve on the 6-1 game

First-half goals from Aaron Mooy and Daizen Maeda had Ange Postecoglou’s side two goals up at the interval, with Mooy adding his second and Celtic’s third from the penalty spot before Kyogo Furuhashi waltzed in a fourth.

Johnson insisted he saw improvements from the previous meeting between the two teams at Celtic Park, which ended in a 6-1 victory for the Hoops, but admitted Hibs had let the visitors take control after a strong start from the hosts.

Speaking afterwards, Johnson said: “I didn’t want to lose the game; I thought we improved on our last performance against Celtic. We started the game well. I suppose the criticism was that we allowed them, with their quality, to start to control the game too much. We still had counter-attacks and I think we were a bit unlucky going in 2-0 down at half-time.

"I’m not denying there’s a gulf in class, and we are very early in a journey where we are trying to bridge the gap with the top teams [in Scotland]. I thought there were signs of improvement after a 4-0 win and a decent first half against Rangers, and now the derby becomes really important to us because we know the magnitude of the game but also that the points can get us where we want to be.”

Insisting his side hadn’t lacked confidence going into the game, Johnson continued: “Celtic are a top team. I’ve managed against English Premier League teams and Celtic are maybe one of the best sides, bar Manchester City, that I’ve come across. Celtic have obviously got a challenge in trying to bridge the gap to the ‘super elite’ teams in the Champions League but at the moment they are way above anything else in the Scottish Premiership in my opinion.

"Sometimes you’ve got to hold your hands up and say they’re a better side. Do we like saying that? No. Did we want to apply more pressure than we did? Of course. But Celtic do that to everybody. What you can’t do is switch off. It’s a relentless pressure, both psychologically and physically. We’ve got to take the good bits of the performance and the good bits from the Livingston win into the derby.”

Attention turns now to the Edinburgh derby on January 2 and the winter transfer window. Activity is expected at Easter Road but with a heavier slant on outgoings than arrivals – although Johnson denied Ryan Porteous had definitely played his last game for Hibs despite appearing to say his goodbyes at the end of the game.

"I need windows. I’ve got three different managers’ players here, we’ve got really good young players to develop and bring into the side and that’s the only way we are going to bridge the gap,” Johnson added.

"If Ryan was saying his goodbyes, it’s the first I know of it. He’s suspended for the derby but as far as I’m concerned we have had no official offers – bits and bobs of conversations and interest, but maybe he knows more than I do at this particular time.”