Interview: John Robertson, on why Hibs shouldn’t be afraid to appoint an ex-Hearts manager

John Robertson tells Moira Gordon why Hibs should not let city rivalry get in the way of picking the best man for the job

HEARTS hero John Robertson brought a lot of misery to Hibs fans over the years as he put their team to the sword more times than they would care to remember. Now, though, he is looking for the chance to help put smiles on their faces after a poor start to the season.

His name is one of those being pondered by the Easter Road board for the current managerial vacancy. Former Tynecastle bosses Jim Jefferies and Csaba Laszlo have also been linked with the position, while former Hearts assistant manager Billy Brown is already in charge on an interim basis. Now Roberston has revealed that he would like the Hibs job and his CV has been submitted to Easter Road. He argues that past allegiances should have no significant bearing if Hibs want to find the right man.

“When any club loses a manager, the supporters look for a perfect manager – someone who has played for the club, knows what it’s all about. I don’t think it necessarily works. Look at the great managers. Was Jock Stein a Celtic man? He started off [in management] at Dunfermline. Walter Smith? He did his work at Dundee United. It didn’t work for John Greig and Tommy Burns [at Rangers and Celtic]. A lot of clubs think it must be someone with a previous association at the club. Manchester United have just celebrated 25 years with the best in the business, Sir Alex Ferguson. I don’t recall him being a Manchester United fan or having had anything to do with them. Fans would love it to be one of their own, but it doesn’t necessarily mean it will work.”

Robertson was raised in a Hibs family but was fully adopted by Hearts as he rattled in those derby goals, and he says the same applies to managers. “If you could give them the success that they want they would take anyone. My brother’s a Hibs fan. Would he accept me, Jim Jefferies or Billy Brown? Too right he would. But only if we brought success. He’d be the first one hounding me out if I wasn’t getting results. That’s all fans are asking for. If you told the Hibs fans Jim Jefferies would get them in the top six and a Scottish Cup final, they’d bite your hands off for that.”

Speaking as he collected his Irn-Bru Second Division manager of the month award for his exploits with East Fife, he believes he still has at least one more shot at a full-time position and would be happy if it was in Leith. He can see no reason why he couldn’t work within the budgets set by the club and still rejuvenate fortunes and he has no qualms about working with under-fire chairman Rod Petrie. “[Hibs managers have] been given reasonable funds to do what they want and bring in their own players.

“I can understand that the fans are frustrated and feel, perhaps, that the club have invested in other areas but, if you ask any club in Scotland – ask Hearts fans – would they like a stadium like Easter Road? Would they like to have the training ground Hibs have? And, like Hibs, have little or no debt? Every club in Scotland would love that as a starting point.”

But, if he does not secure the job, he says the club would be crazy to dismiss the likes of Jim Jefferies or even resist the urge to promote Billy Brown on a full-time basis.

“Jim Jefferies has been widely touted for it. I can understand why many Hibs fans may not see him as the ideal candidate because of his previous playing and managerial record for Hearts. But, on doing the job, it’s a no-brainer. He has to be one of the favourites. But what they have to do is find out if Billy Brown wants a go at it.”

He says it would be nonsense to rule him out simply on the basis he has never managed at the highest level before. “Because he has, to all intents and purposes. He’s been with Jim all these years and he’s a brilliant, brilliant coach.

“Is Billy Brown a candidate? I hope so. Hibs would be getting someone who would work his socks off and he’s a great coach, an organiser and a tactician. One thing is for sure, if the rumours are true and there are one or two players who aren’t putting everything in at the training ground, then Billy and Jim – as a pair or singularly – are the right men to sort that out.”

And the success of Peter Houston at Dundee United has proved the potential for assistant managers to progress if they are given the chance. “I think Billy would be the same. Scottish football, due to the financial climate, is coming back to good coaching. And we have good coaches. I hope from a selfish aspect that they stick to Scottish coaches.”