'I feel sorry for the gaffer' - Lewis Stevenson insists Hibs poor form not a reflection on Lee Johnson

Lewis Stevenson admits out-of-form Hibs desperately need a win at Kilmarnock on Saturday because they do not want to go into the World Cup break on a downer.

Lewis Stevenson (left) with Hibs manager Lee Johnson. (Photo by Paul Devlin / SNS Group)

Hibs have lost five of their last six matches and were booed off following Tuesday’s 2-0 home defeat by Ross County.

Veteran Stevenson dismissed any suggestion that the five-week break in play is coming at a good time to allow Hibs to regroup.

“No, because we want to win some games and pick up more points,” the 34-year-old said.

“We have a tough game on Saturday, it’s a must-win for us. Tuesday was a must-win and we didn’t do it.

“We need to get the season back going, we had a decent points tally before. From the defeats we’ve had recently, I don’t think the performances have been that bad but I thought Tuesday was totally different, with and without the ball we were not good enough.”

Stevenson has been through plenty of sticky patches in his long Hibs career and he is confident they will soon rediscover their form if they maintain the correct mindset.

“I’ve been in this situation a few times and you can’t panic,” he said. “You need to step up and put on a performance and hopefully that can take you back up the table.

“We have a talented bunch of players and good athletes – I see them training every day – but we need to do it on the pitch.

“We were set up properly, and we know our jobs but when we get to games it’s individual errors, people not taking their chances and a lack of quality.

“I feel for the gaffer because there is only so many things he can do.”

Prior to the current poor run of form, Hibs had won four games in a row and Stevenson believes they can get back to that level if they sharpen up at both ends of the pitch.

“I’ve been in this league a lot of years and there is never that much between the teams,” he said.

“If teams are better than you in both boxes that can make the result.

“Box to box on Tuesday I thought we were alright, it was just the final third and then when you are giving away goals like we did it gives you a mountain to climb.”