Hibs fans booing players: Shaun Maloney speaks on treatment of duo and explains how they are feeling

Shaun Maloney would never presume to tell fans what they should be thinking but, after two of his players were booed onto the pitch last weekend, he does ask that they consider how players may be feeling and how that could impact on performances and results.

Hibs manager Shaun Maloney on the sidelines during last week's win over Ross County.

Insisting he had never heard such an overtly derisory response to players being sent on as substitutes, he said it was another example of the negativity he feels he has inherited

“It’s really hard for the players,” said Maloney. “I would never tell a fan what they should be thinking. This is their club but it’s hard for the players to hear that.

“These players have been really good. Drey Wright has been really good for me and James Scott has trained extremely hard. I feel that some of this I’ve inherited.

Drey Wright trains ahead of Sunday's match against Celtic.

“I don’t understand the negativity about this, because of how hard they’re training. Both of them came on at a stage where we were winning 1-0. Kevin Nisbet and Ewan Henderson had worked extremely hard out of possession against Ross County and there were things I needed from James and Drey. In those positions, in that game, they covered a lot of distance for the team.

“And, I needed a striker with a certain profile at that point to try and put pressure on Ross County and James gave us that, with speed in the final area and strength.

“So, it’s hard for both players to hear that. I wish the pressure had just been on me so I could take everything away from the players.”

With eight first team players sidelined by injury and illness, Maloney’s selection options are limited and he says the fans will have to get used to seeing the pair as the Leith club tries to break away from the pack and end the season in one of the European places.

Hibs striker James Scott in action last weekend.

“I think the squad in general has a big part to play. Look, we have eight people missing this week so I am going to need 13/14 senior players – which is all we have – I am going to need every single one of them. If it is different in three or four weeks time and I have 21/22, with the number of games we are going to have, I am still going to need every one of those players at some point.”

Likening it to the barbs aimed at Nisbet in the initial stages of Maloney’s reign, he is hoping that the fans will ease off Wright and Scott the same way once they recognise the efforts being put in.

“I haven’t heard that [reaction] before but I felt something similar with Kevin Nisbet. That’s slowly changing. Kevin is working extremely hard out of possession and that’s probably the moment when fans can show their real support.

“Drey and James are working just as hard but they’re maybe not getting the minutes on the pitch to really show that. They’ve acted as professionally as possible and both are really committed

“Those two players know how much support I can give them. I play them, I pick them – that’s a big indication of how much I think of them. When they have difficult moments, that’s when a manager has to give full support.”

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