Lee Johnson remains safe at Hibs - for now: why no panicked move, squad cull won't be easy, past errors

Johnson's mood darkened after a Hibs' 3-0 defeat by rivals Hearts on Monday.

Their ninth loss in 11 games, the result – combined with the gaffer’s brutally-blunt assessment of the club’s predicament and the players’ quality in the aftermath – set tongues wagging. There were social media reports that the frustrated Englishman had been sacked and those tall tales gathered momentum the next morning. But, with three-and-a-half years left on his contract, the 41 year-old’s job remains safe for now.

That status could be revised, depending on how things go in the coming weeks. But, with little left to lose, he said he had no option but “to come out swinging”. He will have to hope that the players and the board react the same way.

Johnson made it clear that many of the players on Hibs’ books – some inherited and some the club’s recruitment team gambled on in the summer – are not good enough. Some who are fit enough, do not have the football IQ needed to turn that energy or physical strength into smart choices on the park, and vice versa. That leads to individual errors and missed opportunities, and in a league as tight as this year’s competition, that translates into angst.

Hibs manager Lee Johnson is under pressure after a wretched run of results.

“To be honest I’m sick to death of the mediocrity. We need to move players out in January,” explained Johnson post-derby. “This is a wonderful club full of potential with a great fanbase … it deserves more. We need to make better decisions all over the place.”

Expressing the need for quality over quantity, he is seeking a player cull and wants to actively move on players hiding anonymously in the background, or those who take to the field but continually contribute little. But, there is an issue with that. As he admitted, there have been errors made in the past. While critical of the club’s inability to tie up an asset like Ryan Porteous on a long-term deal to keep him at the club or at least allow the Easter Road to cash in when he moves on, there are others who have had their futures locked in far too tightly and offloading them might not be easy.

Out of sight equals out of mind in some cases and agents will have to graft to lure in fresh suitors. If they can get them a move south or abroad then the wages may convince them to cut their losses, but for those who want to remain in Scotland, finding a new club willing and capable of competing on the salary front for a player their current gaffer has lumped in as mediocre won’t be easy. Without a major reduction in the numbers feeding from the current budget, the widespread change Johnson wants won’t be forthcoming quickly enough. While patience is a virtue, in the world of football time is of the essence.

In the four games since the return from the World Cup break, Hibs have lost to the top three sides. Within each of those matches there were lamentable periods but there were also spells of improvement. In the other match, they comprehensively beat ten-man Livingston.

Kyle Magennis, right, can't hide his dejection after Hibs' latest defeat.

All about context, the upcoming matches are key. On Sunday, Hibs travel to Fir Park searching for their third away league win of the season. Until now they have garnered six points from a possible 30 on their travels. But, in Motherwell, they take on a side who have won just one home game in the league this term, and who, along with the Leithers, have one of the worst points returns in recent matches. Hibs, and Johnson, need a result. They then face Dundee United in Edinburgh before having another crack at capital rivals Hearts in the Scottish Cup and then welcoming a stuttering Aberdeen side to Easter Road.

Plotting triumphs in those matches could alter perceptions. Although Hibs fans are worried that they are sitting just four points clear of the relegation play-off slot, they are also currently three points off Aberdeen in fourth. Which is why there has been no panicked reach for the ejector button, after going through so many managers in the last decade. Johnson is the eighth permanent boss since 2012 and the third in a year.

Appointed in May, one of his selling points over rivals, including Jon Dahl Tomasson, was his long-term commitment and his willingness to help overhaul things to make the football department more sustainable into the future. But the recruitment has let him down. The historic turnover of bosses has left a lot of player residue and some poor choices in the summer have added to the pile up of players who don’t fit his desired style of play. There has been bad luck, too. Aiden McGeady was injured before he could get up to speed, while Kevin Nisbet, Kyle Magennis and Martin Boyle being sidelined has also been a blow. On Monday, the team were also reminded how big a loss Ryan Porteous will be when he goes.

However, the push and pull between dispirited fans and the club’s hierarchy is not new. The anti-Rod Petrie protests at AGMs testifies to that, Sir Tom Farmer went from saviour to sinner in many eyes, and while there was a lot of good in the Leeann Dempster era, with the cup win the highlight, the club took three years to get out of the Championship. Neil Lennon finally got them back to the top but he too had a period of two wins in 13 shortly before his often-tumultuous tenure came to an end. Yet, some fans want him back.

The fact is, Hibs have had just one top three finish since 2005, and they punted the man who delivered that in Jack Ross. So, knee-jerk reactions have not served Hibs well. Maybe some patience is called for. Only time will tell. Yet Johnson doesn’t just need to come out swinging, he needs to show convincing signs of improvement if he is to be granted enough of that.