New Hibs boss Pat Fenlon - “I’ve got what it takes”

Although the 42-year-old has built up a formidable reputation as a manager in Ireland, winning five titles, three cups and enjoying many big nights of European football, he accepted he was still something of an unknown in Scotland.

But Fenlon, who saw his hopes of taking over at Dundee United almost two years ago vanish when Dublin club Bohemians couldn’t thrash out a compensation deal with the Tannadice outfit, insisted he can win the doubters over.

Having signed a two-and-a-half year deal as he became Hibs fifth manager in just four years, Fenlon said: “I can understand why people will be asking who I am. That would be the same as a manager going to Ireland that no-one knew.

“People will ask who is he, what has he done and why is he coming here. That’s par for the course.

“The way to change that is by what you do on the park, how you conduct yourself. I have to try to win people over but at the end of the day it will be based on what I do as manager of Hibs.”

However, Fenlon revealed the players will possibly have to wait until Monday morning to meet their new boss.

Caretaker boss Billy Brown was told earlier in the week that he’d remain in charge for today’s match against St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park regardless of whether or not Hibs search for a successor to the sacked Colin Calderwood ended beforehand.

Fenlon agreed, opting to stay away from the club’s East Mains training centre yesterday for fear of disrupting the team’s preparations and, instead, he will watch the match from the stand.

And he’s unlikely to even visit the away dressingroom after the final whistle. He said: “I’ve had a brief meeting with Billy but they had been working all week in relation to the game and I did not feel me being around would be too helpful.

“I don’t think after the game would be the right environment to speak to the players so I’ll speak to Billy and we’ll see the players either tomorrow or on Monday.”