Nick Montgomery addresses Hibs critics amid evolution and offers more transfer hope

Rugby Park was where it all started for Nick Montgomery. Hibs’ return there on Saturday afternoon offers an opportunity to assess progress under the manager, whose first game in charge saw his side roar into a 2-0 lead before drawing 2-2 in September.

It's been a similar case of what might have been on several occasions since. This weekend’s assignment might be considered a gauge by some. Are Hibs getting better or are they struggling to adapt to Montgomery’s vision for a free-flowing, attacking footballing unit? In short, are they going backwards? Are they too, well, soft? “People talk about the style of play, but the style is the reason why we had four or five opportunities to score against Rangers the other night,” the manager noted on Friday. “Had we taken those chances, the game could have been different.” Hibs failed to take any of these opportunities and fell to a lame 3-0 defeat.

It’s now 20 league and cup games in charge for the new man and seven wins. Progress has been stuttering at best amid some fan disenchantment and criticism from former players. Tam McManus remarked that “everything is too nice at Hibs” in a newspaper column following the Rangers reversal. The former Easter Road striker described the current side as the easiest top-flight team to play against he has ever seen. John Collins even sounded somewhat dismayed while commentating in midweek for Radio Scotland.

Hibs manager Nick Montgomery speaks to the media ahead of Saturday's trip to Rugby Park to face Kilmarnock.

There are several mitigating factors, including a lengthy injury list and the further disruption of losing two integral members of the first team in Martin Boyle and Lewis Miller, who are competing in the Asian Cup with Australia at present. Montgomery and his staff are working as hard as they can to make some running repairs. It’s hard to judge any manager while they are in the midst of a first transfer window. The manager has revealed that a further two new signings should be checking in imminently.

One, a replacement for the Melbourne City-bound midfielder Jimmy Jeggo, could arrive this weekend. Jeggo has been allowed to return to Australia for family reasons. A much-needed centre-half, meanwhile, should be in the building next week in what Montgomery hopes will be a permanent deal. Buttressed by a combination of new and returning players, there is certainly hope for the months ahead.

“Every week that goes by is a week closer to getting some of the players back from international duty," said the manager. "By then we really will have competition for places and a strong squad moving towards the second half of the season. I’d have liked more points on the board but bar a few games, we have competed in every game and been close to getting more points than we have. I accept that is where we are right now and I know the big picture of the club and the club’s ambitions and my ambitions.”

Montgomery will be given time and help to try and realise these ambitions. Myziane Maolida, Emiliano Marcondes and Luke Amos all made their debuts v Rangers and the trio showed glimpses of what they can do. Hibs are evolving. It might be a slow process, and the signs of improvement hard to see at present, but the Montgomery method will, he promised, become apparent in time.

The Hibs players train at East Mains ahead of the Killie match.

“It’s been four months," he said. "I came in after a pre-season and with the team near the bottom of the league. There’s been highs and lows, which I expected. Right now, we’ve been in a bit of a mini-rebuild in this window, and there will be more rebuilding into the summer. Most teams go through these transitions, but I feel firmly bedded in. I know the expectations at this club, I knew the challenge when I took the job on. It’s never an easy challenge coming into a big club with big expectations.

“That’s why it’s important that the players I bring in understand this is a club with high expectations. The big picture is hopefully with the Bournemouth investment and the rebuild of the squad. There’s a lot of young players coming into the team making debuts. When I came into the club, that was one of the remits. That’s what this club has been known for over the years.

“Fans can see players coming through the academy out there wearing the Hibs shirt, but it’s important that they’re good enough and that we bed them in. We’ve got players out on loan gaining experience, hopefully they’ll come back better for that experience – like Kanayo Megwa. What a game (v Rangers) to start for your debut, not an easy game but circumstances presented themselves as a great opportunity for him. I’m really proud of the way he played, it’s a real learning experience for him.”

As for the critics, Montgomery had some words for them, too. “I’m in a position where I’ll get praise when it goes well, and criticism when it doesn’t,” he said. “Losing a game to a team with the quality of Rangers is not going to define me or the season. Yes, you don’t want to concede soft goals but we need to look at the opportunities we created. If we put those chances away it could be a different game. I don’t really get caught up with any of that stuff, I focus on what I know is right, and what we’re doing. Everyone’s got their own opinion, that’s normal, it’s the world we live in.”

Regarding the specific criticism that Hibs are too easy to play against, it was no surprise that he rejected it. Although he admits he does want to make things a lot more awkward for opponents. “We don’t want to concede goals, especially soft goals, so we’re working on it all the time,” he said. “It’s a question that I think any manager would answer the same. We want to be tougher to play against and we’re trying everything to make sure that we are.”