Hibs in 'no rush' to appoint Hughes' successor

HIBERNIAN have reiterated their pledge not to rush into the appointment of a successor for John Hughes, who parted company with the Easter Road club last week with the club sitting third bottom of the Scottish Premier League.

The board are currently narrowing down their options as they sift through the raft of possible contenders who have already applied for the management post, as well as the most promising candidates who could still prove open to an approach.

But, while names such as Raith Rovers' John McGlynn, former Chelsea coach Steve Clarke, Paul Hart, the former Crystal Palace and Queens Park Rangers manager and former Hibs player Michael O'Neill, who has proved a success at Shamrock Rovers, have emerged as front-runners, Jimmy Calderwood is seen as a manager with a proven track record of taking Scottish clubs into Europe on a regular basis, while there is an ongoing suggestion that St Johnstone's Derek McInnes would be the ideal man to oversee a significant transitional period in the club's recent history,

With two thirds of the current playing squad out of contract by the end of the season, the McDiarmid Park boss is considered a winner and a prime mover when it comes to assembling a squad capable of playing the kind of football that would appeal to the Hibs fans, as well as attaining the results which would see them competing in the top half of the table and reaching the latter stages of domestic cup competitions.

The only drawback could be the financial settlement which will be demanded by the Perth club for a manager with a growing reputation and who has recently signed a contract extension.

The level of compensation is one reason Billy Reid is expected to be ruled out, with Hamilton chairman Ronald MacDonald likely to demand in the region of 500,000 to part with the man who has guided his club into the SPL and into a position to challenge for top six status. However, one person being touted for a return, Tony Mowbray, will not be drawing up for a second stint at the helm.

The capital side finished fourth last term, in Hughes' first season in charge, qualifying for European competition for the first time in five years. But a difficult end to that campaign, allied to a start which has reaped just one win in seven in the SPL and early exits from the Europa League and the Co-operative Cup, merely compounded the misery.

However, it is acknowledged that the club's fifth manager in five years will need to serve up a period of stability as well as shoulder what Petrie described as "big expectations", which is why the appointment is unlikely to be a rush job.

In fact, it remains a strong possibility that the interim management team of Gareth Evans, Scott Thomson and Alastair Stevenson could still be in control for this Saturday's match against Kilmarnock, with the Edinburgh outfit still seeking their first home win of the season.

In the past the financially-shrewd club have earned a reputation for opting for managers currently out-of-contract or available with the minimum level of financial compensation but with a heightened need to get this appointment right and with so many ins and outs predicted in the playing squad, there is an increased possibility that some of the money freed up by the expiration of so many playing contracts could be ploughed back into getting the correct man to offer a degree of consistency as well as success.

moira gordon