Hibs: Who is worth persevering with and who should be shown door in overhaul of stuttering squad?

JOHN Hughes questioned the character of his squad before their loss to Ross County, saying if his players did not come up to scratch he would need to recruit "one or two" during the summer. In the aftermath of the damning defeat in Dingwall on Tuesday night, the Hibs manager might be tempted to keep only one or two of his current squad and ditch the rest.

In reality, he will persist with many of the players he has in the hope that they regain their form. But he will now be taking a serious look at his squad, asking which players should be part of the core team for his next season, which ones deserve another chance, and which are surplus to requirements.

• GOALKEEPERS

After saying he wanted to establish "a right good goalies school" at the club, Hughes recruited Graeme Smith and Mark Brown in January. Smith has vied with Graham Stack for the starting jersey, although both have played poorly in recent games, so Brown may get a chance soon. However, with teenager Thomas Flynn waiting in the wings, it is hard to see how all three senior goalkeepers could be required or be content to stay at the club.

Surplus to requirements: Yves Makalambay.

• DEFENDERS

Captain and centre-half Chris Hogg is no world-beater, but he is more reliably professional than almost all of his team-mates and should remain a key member of the team next season. Sol Bamba may leave, though on the form he has shown since the turn of the year he does not stand a chance of a dream move to the Premiership.

Both Paul Hanlon and Ian Murray can play at full-back or centre-half and have the ability as well as the versatility to be among the first names pencilled in to the team.

The real problem is right-back: unless Kevin McCann makes a successful return from long-term injury, Hughes will need to go into the transfer market.

Surplus to requirements: Darren McCormack, Steven Thicot.

• MIDFIELDERS

David Wotherspoon and Lewis Stevenson are wing-backs who have also played at full-back: they need to find their best positions and be kept there. Liam Miller at his best can control a game, but that has not happened often enough, and he needs more robust support than Kevin McBride, John Rankin and Merouane Zemmama can offer him.

If Hughes had more options at centre-back he could deploy Bamba as a holding midfielder. He also needs a more attack-minded midfielder in his side, and should give Danny Galbraith a run before thinking of buying anyone in.

Surplus to requirements: Rankin, Zemmama, Patrick Cregg.

• STRIKERS

Anthony Stokes is talented but often too selfish, Derek Riordan drifts in and out of games, and Colin Nish is limited.

Riordan and Alan Gow have been used as midfielders-cum-wide-forwards: they need more specific roles when they play, although Gow has not done enough to demonstrate why he was recruited, and Riordan does not exactly thrive on adversity.

Surplus to requirements: Gow, Abdessalam Benjelloun.

Overall, Hughes has too many players who have not been fielded in their best positions, and too many who go and hide when the going gets tough. He has too many goalkeepers, but needs to recruit in every other department of the side.

Over the summer he should look for a right-back, a centre-half, a strong and physical holding midfielder, and a striker who plays for the team not just for himself. Even buying in two of those four positions could make a considerable difference.