Hibs manager Colin Calderwood continues to back his players and has confidence they will prove their critics wrong after their recent progress was halted against Motherwell. Hibs had only lost one game in six ahead of last Saturday's home game against second placed Motherwell. However, they were outplayed by the Lanarkshire side and were fortunate to only lose by a solitary Jamie Murphy goal. Calderwood, whose team visit St Mirren on Saturday, has urged his players to share his belief that they will turn around their form as he starts his second year in the Easter Road hot seat.
Calderwood said: "I have got a group I believe in. I'm determined they will prove everyone wrong and get the results and the points and get everyone onside in the long term. That's what makes me not worry too much. I like what I see and I have got to make sure we get a productive outcome when it comes to league matches."
Calderwood has encouraged his players to forget about their poor first-half display and focus on the game in Paisley. He said: "That happens, there's no use worrying about it now. We have got to address it next week and get into it. It's around the corner for every team - they'll have a bad half and suffer because of it. It's our fault and we bear the consequences. But we have got to get ourselves motivated and focus on St Mirren. You don't want it but it has happened. We won't analyse too much what went on, we might as well wish it away because there's nothing good to take from it."
The progress mentioned above is only relative. Hibs are now just one point above bottom club Inverness and something will have to happen soon to avoid more calls from the disgruntled Hibs fans for a change at the top. Calderwood said: "We have got to get into the mental side of it and make sure they are not thinking negatively. Whether they are confident or not doesn't matter, what matters is they are thinking about a positive outcome and a positive input, their concentration levels and awareness of the right things to do at the right time in the right area. That's really what we have focused on, and we make sure they know that crunch time is Saturday at three o'clock. This Saturday is production time. We make sure we know the jobs, we make sure we know what their strengths are, we make sure we are forceful and on the front foot."