John Hughes insists he was right to set third-place target for Hibs

JOHN Hughes has no regrets about revealing his Hibernian side are under orders to finish third in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League this season, despite them responding with their worst run of results since he took charge.

Hibs initially appeared to react positively to Hughes going public with the target almost six weeks ago, winning at Celtic and beating St Mirren to spark talk they could even split the Old Firm.

But they go into today's game with Kilmarnock having taken just two points from their last five games, surrendering third place in the process.

Hughes, who became manager of his boyhood idols last summer, admits he may have scared one or two of his players by demanding they finish best of the rest.

But he added: "The reason I did that is because I feel that when standards are set at the club, you have to go and adapt and play to that standard.

"There's no hiding place. Knowing football and being in it and being in dressing-rooms myself, you give football players an out and they'll take it.

"Me doing that, there's not an out there. Apart from one or two results, I've had a good response.

"It goes with a club the size of Hibs: we should be third; should be third, fourth, getting that European spot and getting to the latter stages of cup competitions."

Hughes admits he may have overreacted to poor results in the past month by making too many changes in terms of formation and personnel.

"You maybe over-analyse it, you're maybe too critical of yourself and your team," he said. "I just sit back and say, 'When are we at our best? When we go and have a go at teams'.

"We've just chopped and changed it a bit too much in terms of trying to keep a clean sheet and being harder to beat."

Striker Derek Riordan yesterday claimed the state of the Easter Road playing surface had hampered Hibs recently, and his manager was less than impressed to hear the striker's view on the pitch.

"I have to disagree with Derek," Hughes said yesterday. "I see the work that goes on and these guys (the groundstaff] put in a real hard shift. They are caring people, they work morning, noon and night, putting in overtime to make it the best they can. But unless you have the hundreds of thousands of pounds the likes of Celtic and Rangers have to put in those big lights, you don't get the growth in the grass.

"I was disappointed to hear what Derek had to say because that is negative.

"There's no excuses, it's the same for both sides. We need to get the sleeves rolled up and get back to winning ways."

Hughes hopes the arrival of spring will spark an upturn in the fortunes of a club who have always been renowned for trying to pass the ball.

"We're coming into the spring and the sun's starting to come out and the pitches are going to get better and that'll suit us," said the Hibs manager ahead of his side's first game since the demolition of Easter Road's East Stand. The game kicks off an hour earlier than normal, at 2pm, due to lack of floodlighting after the stand came down.

"The last time they took a stand down (in 2001], we finished third in the league and got to the Scottish Cup final, so maybe it's an omen." Although far from happy with his side's recent run, Hughes makes sure he leaves any frustration in the workplace. "I go home and I've got a great family," said the Hibs manager, who is nearly always greeted by eight-year-old twin daughters he calls 'The Kray Twins'.

"Give me an hour of them, watching the X-Factor and them oblivious to anything that's gone on in terms of football. It takes you right back to being grounded.

"Only an hour mind and then they have to get shipped back to their mum – can't handle more than a hour!"