HIBS boss Lee Johnson insists that players in Scotland are brainwashed into thinking they cannot beat Celtic or Rangers.
The Easter Road manager wants to get rid of the mindset of fearing the Glasgow giants at his club.
His men were thumped 6-1 by the Hoops at the weekend, in what could have been an even more humiliating result.
The Englishman is planning to implement a “psychological programme” with Hibs academy kids who he is hoping will star for the club in the future.
While that's all well and good, Johnson knows he's got to get the message across to his first team that they need to be far braver and positive.
Johnson told the media: “We had a ‘full-stop meeting’ and I wasn’t happy. I’m just not willing to accept we can’t get closer to those teams. We were beaten before we went into the game. It was an absolute shock to me.
“I spoke to a couple of psychologists, and I realised these guys have probably been beaten by these teams year on year since they were eight.
“You practically come out of the womb and you’re told Celtic and Rangers are amazing.
“Someone told me Motherwell haven’t beaten Rangers in the league in 20 years — crazy. I’m not used to that sort of thing.
“I thought about the players who have been in Scotland a long time and this brainwashing.
“A couple of actions happened in the first 10 minutes or so and that was it. It was as if they collectively said, ‘Here we go. They are playing well today, we’re not’.”
The ex-Hearts and Kilmarnock player continued: "The big picture is implementing a psychological programme.
“Let’s not take away from Celtic, who have fantastic individual brilliance and they are a fantastic team.
“But we’re not 6-1 away from them. Last Saturday we were, and it could have been 10.
“That’s the bit I’m now curious about. I was angry after the game because I felt we let everyone down and gave up points that were available, but I’m now very curious about it.
“To give you an example, I think we can start this psychological programme with our young pups, like 16, all the way through.
“We whitewashed Rangers in the academy last weekend. That’s a good start. Our Under-18s won the league last year, that’s a good start.
“They are probably not affected in the same way, and that’s what you want, phase out that negative psychology, and phase in positive belief.
“Could we go to Celtic Park in three years’ time with three midfielders who are 16 now, 19 then, with a completely different fear factor?”
