Neil Lennon has bemoaned the "impossible" task of improving his Hibs side this season after losing key players.

The Easter Road outfit saw their dynamic midfield pairing of Dylan McGeouch and John McGinn move south to Sunderland and Aston Villa respectively over the summer.

Playmaker Scott Allan's return to Celtic further weakened Lennon's options in the engine room.

Following the departures, Hibs currently sit seventh in the top flight having struggled to replicate their form of last season.

Head coach Lennon was unable to hide his frustration when discussing the challenge he currently faces in the capital.

Asked how tough it is to improve Hibs, he said. "It's impossible, it's just impossible.

"If you took Ntcham, Rogic and Brown out of the Celtic team would they be as good? Or Jack and Coulibaly and those type of players [the the Rangers team]?

"Maybe that's the wrong simile to use.

"We had a really good crop of players last year but we knew that they would move on and that's just the reality.

"It's not always going to be champagne football. I would love it to be that way but that's not the reality.

"So we have to knuckle down, enjoy what we're doing, accept the challenge that's in front of us and take it on board.

"And people need to show a little bit of patience at times because it's not always rosy in the garden."

Hibs have slipped into the bottom half of the Premiership table after picking up just two points from the last fifteen available.

Asked if patience was required at this point, he said: "Yes, and I hate it.

"You know me - I like being up there in the limelight and in amongst it.

"This is a test of my own character, which I enjoy, because you have to suffer a little bit of pain at times to improve."

Lennon guided Hibs to fourth upon their return to the Premiership last time out.

The Northern Irishman conceded his team may well have hit a glass ceiling given the quality of player that has exited Easter Road of late.

He continued: "Glass ceiling? Possibly.

"How do you replace a John McGinn? We haven't got the finances or the nous to do that.

"So you have to try and bring others along, like [Stevie] Mallan. Develop him and in the meantime try and keep performances and results going the right way.

"It is frustrating because we have hit a plateau - there is no question of that - and that was always going to happen because the rise of the club in the past couple of years has been very much on an upward spiral.

"However we have still got some quality players here. We've got international players here. We've got entertaining players here. We've got young players here.

"So it all encompasses the work you have to do with them, on and off the training field."