John Hughes reaffirms third-place target as faltering Hibs bid to ease cup pain

JOHN Hughes believes that if his Hibernian players are still in need of consolation after being knocked out of the Scottish Cup on Tuesday night, showing them the league table should do the trick. Defeat by Ross County in the quarter-final replay meant the Easter Road side have now only won one of their last nine games, but they are still just two points behind third place in the SPL.

After such a bad run, it is remarkable that one of their major aims is still within their grasp, and as he prepares his players for tomorrow's visit to Falkirk, Hughes will use that fact to persuade them they still have a lot to play for. He knows that to finish third they will need to rediscover their form quickly, but thinks they can do that as quickly as they lost it last month.

"Third place is still up for grabs, is it not?" Hughes said yesterday. "We still have every chance, especially if we hit the form we showed earlier on in the season. We have as good a chance as anyone else.

"I'd like to think we have that strength of character. If there's something out there at which we can go and succeed, then let's go for it. There always have to be demands and challenges at this club and hopefully these boys will come up with the answers.

"I feel for one or two of them, because they're trying ever so hard. The last month's results haven't gone our way and they're maybe feeling sorry for themselves and taken it hard, but they need to go away and reflect and give it their best shot between now and the end of the season.

"We're bitterly disappointed to be out the cup, but it's done and dusted. We need to pick ourselves up and get ourselves going again. It's my job to keep them lively and tell them they still have a lot to play for this season.

"Put any spin on it you want, but it's massively disappointing for the club when we knew the prize that was sitting in front of us. But the good thing about football is you get the chance to bounce back and you have to show the strength and character to go and do that and hopefully that will be the case on Saturday.

"We've nine games to go between now and the end of the season. Let's go and give it everything we've got. If we can all hit form then we'll win football matches and see where it takes us.

"As quick as you lose it you can get it back. It's about happy thoughts, where you go. All your world-class athletes are all their own self-motivators and psychologists and my players need to be that way too."

The way Hibs have played in recent weeks suggests that few of them are expert self-motivators, and the manager knows that he has a motivational role to play. He also has to be aware by now that some of them lack the required strength of character – he branded his team "soft" after the cup exit – but at least until the transfer window opens he will persist in trying to get the best out of the players he has, and thinks that positive support rather than public criticism is the best way to do so.

"As a manager I have to get the best out of them and make them better collectively and individually and you have to use every tool as a manger to bring success to this club. That includes everything – kidding them on, cuddling them, kicking their backsides, anything you can do to get success.

"Listen, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. It's smacking me right in the face. How long will it take to get back to winning ways? I don't know. That's what we're working towards. What the boys have given me from the start of the season until a month ago has been great. I still have great trust and belief in them and we just need to stick together.

"What I mean when I say soft is I mean losing late goals. We're not a physical side and it's just to keep hammering into the players the demands and the culture. It's what you saw from Rangers the other day when they were down to nine men (in the League Cup final] and what we saw from St Mirren and Dundee United on Wednesday night. It's a belief, a culture and a standard and we still have a lot of hard work to work towards that. You can generate it and it's my job to try and generate it."

Hibs captain Chris Hogg has resumed training after missing the County game and the Edinburgh derby because of back spasms, and if he is fit to face Falkirk he should have a positive effect on morale. Hughes is convinced, however, that one man cannot make that big a difference on his own.

"It's not just about Chris as he's the captain, but everyone. He's got the armband because he is a good pro and he's respected in the dressing room, but I need others to step up to the plate too."

Given that Hogg was in the team for most of the recent defeats, that is obviously the case, but the Englishman is at least physically and mentally stronger than most of his team-mates. Alan Gow and Merouane Zemmama have also resumed training, but the key selection issue for the manager may be whether to include Danny Galbraith for his first start of the season or to keep him on the bench until the Falkirk defence have begun to tire.