Hibs boss Lee Johnson insists he doesn't fear for his job and can turn results around given time

Hibs boss Lee Johnson says he does not ‘fear the worst’ but he is aware of the criticism being aimed at him from some fans frustrated by the club’s recent results and consequent league position.

Hibs manager Lee Johnson addresses the media ahead of hosting Livingston on Christmas Eve. (Photo by Paul Devlin / SNS Group)

Sitting eighth in the Premiership, after just one win from their last eight games, such is the closeness of the teams in the top tier they are still within reach of third-place, just five points behind Aberdeen, less than halfway through the campaign.

Naysayers will point out that they are also just eight points from the foot of the table and five from the play-off spot.

While Johnson understands that concern he is still backing himself but maintains there is no quick fix.

“I’m not stupid. I’ve managed nearly 490-odd games and I’ve been through all spells both as a player and a manager. I do know that it turns if you keep doing the right things, if you stick to your guns, if you make the process better, as we have needed to do at this club.

“There’s a lot of things we’ve got to work on and improve all the way through the club and the manager takes the fall and it’s fair enough.

“I don’t fear the worst. I love this club, I think it’s a great club with great potential. But if you were writing an epitaph, it would be ‘you need time’. We can get it right but you can’t keep doing it if you keep changing things all the time.”

Since Jack Ross was relieved of his duties in December last year, Johnson is the third man to take charge, after Shaun Maloney and David Gray [an interim appointment]. That has left a hotch-potch of ideas and personnel and Johnson says the job of aligning everything is a long-term project. But he believes it will reap more positive results.

“You need stability. You have so many managers and players through the door, that’s one thing but there’s so many systems and processes that need set up, that’s massive. We have to do that and we have to make sure our transfer windows are better than they have been. We know that.

“You can point fingers at me or Ian [Gordon] or Ben [Kensell] or anyone else. But you have got a group of key decision makers at this football club who are desperate to do very, very well.

“I have great communication with Ron, Ben and Ian. We have robust conversations, it’s not all nicey-nicey, don’t get me wrong. This is both ways because we are very strong on what we believe needs to be done. I’m definitely strong on that, make no mistake how front footed I am with trying to drive the club forward. But it does take time. Money needs to be allocated to certain areas of the business.

“Allocation from previous managers has been used in different ways, naturally, so to get everything channeled towards the way I want to work, to be successful sustainably, all your ducks have to be in a row and they’re not at the moment. But we’re trying to do that.

“I could write you a book on what’s wrong and how to correct it and we are doing that, step by step.

“And if we had 4-6 more points, which I think we should have, the noise wouldn’t be there.

“So I just hope that turns based on the law of averages, making your own luck, getting decisions that go against you.

“And if it doesn’t then I have still done the right thing for the football club to make it better in the future.”