Hibs boss laps up chance to play as the underdog

JOHN HUGHES reckons the fear factor has derailed Hibs' European challenge and today insisted that going into the final five matches of the season as underdogs would suit his under-fire side.

The Easter Road side suffered a 4-1 defeat to Hamilton on Saturday and the players and manager have come in for criticism from their own supporters, despite the fact that they have already accrued more points than they did in the whole of last season.

Hughes believes the fear factor may have had a part to play in the way his side have been playing in recent weeks and said: "I want my players to embrace the chance that they have got, not to be scared by it.

"Maybe all of the talk of Europe has frightened some of them a wee bit, maybe one or two of them have not got that mental mindset.

"I have been there myself as a player when one or two things are not going for you and you're lacking that bit of confidence.

"All you need to do is stick together and dig it out. I am looking for characters and maybe it won't be done out on the pitch, it might be in training it might be in one-to-one sessions or team meetings with boys saying to their team-mates that we've got five games to go and we've got to go out there and win them so that we can be where we want to be."

Hughes knows that his side have let themselves down in recent weeks but says there is time for his players to pick themselves up again: "All I will say to the fans is that there have been a few times this season that we have let ourselves down and Saturday was one of them.

"We need more battling qualities – but that is why I was brought here and it is a work in progress."