‘Hibs have to stop blaming me for their troubles’ says hurt Hughes

The former manager has urged Rod Petrie to “let it go” after the chairman once again suggested that Hibs are suffering for the perceived failures of Colin Calderwood’s predecessor.

“I see myself as a success at Hibs,” he told The Scotsman yesterday. “Why does my name keep getting brought into it? I think I made them money.”

Hibs posted losses of £900,000 on Tuesday and Petrie highlighted the team’s exits from the Europa League, against Maribor last August, and the Co-operative Insurance Cup, against Kilmarnock the following month, in his explanation of the accounts to 31 July this year. Hughes was sacked on 3 October, barely two months into the financial year.

“I take great pride in the fact that we still got top four and a European place after the sale of two of our best players, [Rob] Jones and [Steven] Fletcher,” said Hughes.

“I am not having a go at Rod Petrie either,” he added. “I am just saying: let it go. Time’s up. We have all moved on. It has taken me a while. It’s only now that the fire is back in my belly. It’s only now I really have got the bit between my teeth again to get going.

“That’s why it is so disappointing. I am not going to sit here and play the blame game. But neither am I going to sit here and play the patsy or the scapegoat.”

Hughes has broken his silence after tiring of still being blamed for inadequate performances both on and off the field at Easter Road more than a year after he left the club. He has offered to make an appearance at next month’s annual general meeting if any shareholder should wish to question him on his time in charge. Hughes was denied the chance to make his case when he was sacked on the day of the agm last year.

The former manager was surprised to see himself back in the news this week as Hibs announced their latest financial results. It is the first time in seven years that the Easter Road club have failed to post a profit.

It is not the first time Hughes has come under fire from the club’s upper hierarchy since his departure from Easter Road, however. He was criticised by Petrie in the summer as the chairman sought to outline his reasons for backing Calderwood, who was then being linked with moves to Nottingham Forest and Birmingham City following an underwhelming start to his career at Easter Road. Petrie wrote that Calderwood had “stripped away the unworkable legacy saddled upon the manager by the previous incumbent”. Hughes and Petrie held ‘clear the air’ talks a few days later over a coffee.

But Petrie’s decision to highlight two cup exits just prior to Hughes’ sacking in his statement to fans and shareholders this week has dismayed the former manager, who felt a line had been drawn under the original disagreement. Hughes had angered Petrie with comments of his own made on radio, and which cast doubt over the wisdom in re-signing former players Ivan Sproule and Garry O’Connor.

Petrie this week blamed a lack of on-field success and “recessionary pressures” for the near £1 million loss but he also remarked that the team “exited two competitions before the change in management”. Calderwood was absolved of blame for the later Scottish Cup defeat to Ayr United, since it came before he had time to “refresh” the squad.

Hughes was among many who interpreted these comments as a thinly-veiled swipe at his tenure. Hibs finished fourth and qualified for Europe in the manager’s only full campaign in charge and he was sacked just ten games into the following season. Hughes is “delighted” that Calderwood is receiving such strong support from Petrie but doesn’t want it to be at his expense. “I have a lot of time for Colin and I am sure he will turn things around,” said Hughes. “But what I will say is that I wish the chairman made a statement to support me.

“All he needed to do was stand up in the agm and say that it was my first year in charge, mistakes had been made and there had been good and bad times. He could have pointed out the club finished fourth in the league and had got into Europe, let’s build on that.

“I am disappointed my name is still brought up,” continued Hughes, who felt compelled to make public his feelings as he continues to look for a way back into football. His name is now being linked with St Johnstone following Derek McInnes’ departure for Bristol City and Hughes is concerned that his reputation is being damaged by Petrie continuing to make derogatory references to his time in charge.

“I thought he might have let it go by now,” said Hughes. “My next employer might be reading [what they are saying]. I can only talk about my time at the club. We sold Fletcher, Jones, Stokes, and finished fourth, which brings a European place.

Hughes picked up Anthony Stokes for a nominal fee from Sunderland and saw the striker sold to Celtic for £1.2 million just weeks before he was sacked.

“A year has gone by and your name has come up again,” he continued. “It’s down and dusted as far as I concerned. I had a great time when I was at Hibs. He [Petrie] is the chairman and he decided that I was no longer the man for the job and that my time was up. So be it. The last time he made a statement, a really embarrassing and infantile statement as far as I am concerned, we had words and put it to bed. We are still friends. But for your name to suddenly come up again. You can’t blame me for results. My time has gone.”

“Usually I’d let it go,” Hughes added. “But I am ready to go again and this is the last thing I need. If I have not read it right and Rod says ‘you are wrong Yogi’, then I apologise. But one or two others I have spoken to reckon there is a veiled reference to me in this latest statement.”

Hughes stressed that he still valued his friendship with Petrie.

“I bumped into him at Ian Murray’s testimonial,” he recalled. “There’s no resentment. But he knows I am a manager out of work and I need to get going. I might be picking up the wrong vibes, but it seems he is blaming someone else to take the pressure off. I am not the patsy, I am not the blame-guy. It’s up to the Hibs guys to work it out for themselves.”