Regardless of form, John Hughes hails season a successful one

HIBERNIAN are fighting to stay in the European places after a lengthy dip in form, but manager John Hughes argued yesterday their season has to be regarded as a success whatever happens. Although his team have fallen some way from the heights they hit when they were challenging Celtic for second place in the SPL, Hughes insists that, judged over the campaign as a whole, they have made progress since he arrived from Falkirk last summer.

"I think we've had a right good season now," he said yesterday. "Did I want to play in the Scottish Cup on Saturday? Aye, I did. Do I want to get third spot? Aye, I do. Do I want to push the Old Firm all the way? Yep.

"But I think you have to be a realist as well. And when you're a realist you see what's happened through the course of the season.

"Right from the start of the season – losing possibly our two most influential players in (Steven] Fletcher and (Rob] Jones. We had to fill the void there.

"Then you get Ramadan, and injuries – I don't think (Merouane] Zemmama has had enough game time for Hibs to have seen the best of him.

"I think he's only finished five 90 minutes for Hibs. If we could have got Zemmama playing on a more regular basis, on top form, then I'm quite sure we would have benefited from that."

Zemmama and his fellow Moroccan Abdessalam Benjelloun observed the daylight fast during Ramadan, and although he kept up his fitness levels well, he later suffered niggling injuries and is now out for the rest of the season with cruciate ligament damage. But, while Hughes had hoped for more from the midfielder, he thinks other members of his squad have risen to the challenge.

"I think the emergence of David Wotherspoon has been absolutely fantastic. I think we've got the goalie situation sorted out," he said. "Young Paul Hanlon has impressed me, big Sol Bamba has slotted in at centre-half and done great – I always feel he's going to get better, because when he goes away with the Ivory Coast he comes back a better player for rubbing shoulders with these guys.

"Anthony Stokes' goals, Derek Riordan's goals – there have been a lot of positives. And I think the form of some of the boys as well – I think Ian Murray has had a right good season, and Liam Miller has been exceptional.

"We've surpassed what we did last year. But I'm definitely wanting that European football.

"We're still trying to catch Dundee United. We need to get back to winning ways and try to put a wee run together between now and the end of the season."

Had Hibs arrived at their present position, eight points behind third-placed United, after a series of gentle ups and downs, more of the club's supporters would be inclined to agree with Hughes' analysis of their season. But instead they enjoyed a flying start to the season and continued their good form for some time before losing their way two months ago, leaving some to question whether the manager knows how to get the team back on track.

Since the turn of the year they have won four league matches – against the teams which currently occupy the bottom four places. The most impressive of that quarter of victories was the 5-1 home win over Hamilton in January, but Hughes thinks Accies will be a tougher proposition when his team meet them tomorrow at New Douglas Park.

Alan Gow and Kevin McCann are back in training, and the former, having had a far shorter absence because of injury, could be in the squad for that match. Club captain Chris Hogg, who has been out with a back problem, may also return, as could Kevin McBride and Paul Hanlon. Hughes denied the match at New Douglas Park might make or break his hopes of taking Hibs to third, but he did acknowledge that the lead held by United was already a daunting one. "Let's see if we can go and catch Dundee United. It's going to be a hard task to go and do that. But if we can get on a wee run then you never know what can happen," said Hughes.

"We're playing for European football, so there's that motivation. I'm really delighted with where we are, but I'm wanting more. Looking back, we should have had more.

"Our benchmark has to be United. They're everything that I want. They're sitting in that third spot, they're in the semi-final of the Scottish Cup, they've got some fantastic footballers, good squad.

"We're after them and I don't think we're too far away. When the split happens, we just need to put our foot on the accelerator."