McNamara tells Hibs to give Pat Fenlon more time

However, McNamara fears defeat to a Dundee United team managed by his son Jackie on Saturday could prove the final straw for the Irishman.

McNamara himself won over the disgruntled Hibs fans after arriving from Celtic in a swap deal for club legend Pat Stanton in 1976, going on to play well over 200 league appearances.

And the 60-year-old believes chairman Rod Petrie will also allow Fenlon the opportunity to prove his increasing band of doubters wrong, despite one online poll indicating only five per cent of supporters want the former Bohemians and Shelbourne boss to remain in post. With this weekend’s league clash with United now potentially pivotal after the 9-0 aggregate mauling from Malmo in the Europa League and 1-0 defeats to Motherwell and Hearts in the Premiership, McNamara does not back change in the dugout just yet.

He said: “It’s a horrible situation for any manager to be in. His players have no confidence and I don’t see any leaders. I don’t see anybody getting angry. When we played we had right crabbit people on the park  snarling at each other and I just don’t see that.

“I think the way things are going, [the end is] going to come sooner rather than later unless they turn things around against Dundee United. But I think you’ve got to [give him more time] because you can’t keep  hiring and firing managers every 18 months or two years.”