Kyle Magennis lifts lid on situation inside Hibs and why Lee Johnson derby rant 'came out worse than it is'

Hibs attacker Kyle Magennis maintains there should be no call for any team-mates to down tools as a result of Lee Johnson having laid waste to so many.

Hibs midfielder Kyle Magennis helped launch the new 2022/23 SPFL Match Attax Collection, on sale now in Scottish retailers and via Topps.com.

Angered by the “mediocrity” on show from his players in their 3-0 derby defeat at Tynecastle on Monday, the Leith club’s manager stated the imperative to arrest a slump that has resulted in only two wins in nine games is ridding the Easter Road squad of “deadwood”.

The extent of that, he speculated, could be “five, six, seven, eight, 10 outs”. Going public in coruscating fashion with the revelation he has no interest in retaining the services of a host of players hardly smacked of a winning motivational tactic from Johnson. But Magennis - not on the Hibs manager’s unwanted list - believes professional responsibilities should ensure anyone selected for the Easter Road side displays full commitment. Moreover, he claims there were no issues from anyone on the club’s playing staff with Johnson’s post-derby outburst as the thoughts expressed weren’t new to any of them.

“The gaffer has spoken to us,” said the 24-year-old. “He’s told us he still believes in us and we’re still part of the team until such times someone moves on. The ones who are not part of his plans are still at Hibs, they’re still being paid by Hibs. If they’re not [willing to give their all] it’s not good enough from them. They are contracted to the club and they still need to give their all in training and for the team. All the boys are still behind the gaffer.

“I think [what he said has] come out worse than it is. He’s obviously already spoken to a few boys to let them know where they stand. That was done before the game, or in the weeks before. He’s told these guys what position they’re in. It’s come out in the press and it looks as though he’s just telling random boys. But he’s already had that talk with them, everyone knows where they stand. Obviously, it’s good for me that he wants me to stay. I’m a Hibs player and I want to do well for the club. It’s good the gaffer is backing me and I hope as a group we can turn it round for him.”

Magennis also sought to downplay the decision of Johnson not to enter the Tynecastle dressing room and address his players following their filleting by rivals Hearts. It wasn’t the first time in the former St Mirren midfielder’s career a manager has allowed his players to conduct their own heated debrief. “He’s come out and said why he did it,” he said. “Sometimes there’s a more honest conversation between the boys when the manager is not there. The boys did have a good conversation after the game. We know it’s not good enough. It was disappointing for us players, the manager and the fans. It was a bad day all round but we just need to try and stay positive. Sometimes it’s the assistants who come in and have a go at you. The boys all know it wasn’t good enough. There’s not much the gaffer could have said that we didn’t already know. What has gone on in the changing room, I’m not going to discuss. But it definitely [can help to clear the air].

“Boys do it after games even when we win. We look at what we could do better and we have a debate between ourselves. It doesn’t mean anybody is falling out. That’s just what happens in changing rooms.”