Source: Team_Talk
Calderwood focused on Hibs
Colin Calderwood has moved to reassure Hibs fans that the speculation and uncertainty over his future has not affected their pre-season plans.[LNB] And Calderwood declared on Friday he would still be in charge when the SPL kicks off next week following the saga surrounding Birmingham and Nottingham Forest's interest in his services.[LNB]New Birmingham manager Chris Hughton, under whom Calderwood worked at Newcastle, and Forest boss Steve McClaren were keen to take the former Scotland defender in an assistant capacity, but Hibs chairman Rod Petrie rejected both approaches.[LNB]Calderwood did nothing to dampen the speculation when it first emerged last month, but he has since been keen to focus on his job.[LNB]And the former Scotland defender today claimed the matter was closed, "as far as we're concerned".[LNB]"I haven't heard anything about it for probably 10 days, two weeks," he added.[LNB]Some Hibs fans heckled Calderwood over the uncertainty at East Fife last weekend but the manager, whose team host Barnsley in their penultimate friendly before facing Celtic in the SPL next Sunday, insists there has been no negative impact behind the scenes.[LNB]"In the way the boys have worked, not at all," the 46-year-old said.[LNB]"The group has been excellent. It hasn't touched us at all in terms of affecting training or games.[LNB]"You come in and do your job, the focus is not on that.[LNB]"It may be for other people but it's not on that for me. So it doesn't touch you as much.[LNB]"I'm definitely aware that it affects the club and it affects supporters' thinking because they are the ones who are listening, reading and watching the coverage.[LNB]"But rest assured the work that's going in wouldn't be any different."[LNB]Calderwood, who has strikers Cillian Sheridan and Junior Agogo on trial, claimed the uncertainty had not hindered his attempts to sign players.[LNB]"I haven't talked to anyone about that," he said. "We've got two people in that we wanted to, so it hasn't affected them."[LNB]The former Northampton and Forest manager claimed he was neither flattered nor apologetic about the interest in his services.[LNB]"It's not something you congratulate yourself about," he said. "I wasn't embarrassed about the fact that someone may have wanted me and I'm still not.[LNB]"We hope to have players, managers and coaches always going forward that are an attraction to other people. That shows you are doing a good job.[LNB]"But what we want to do is do the good job here and everyone should rest assured the focus is on doing it right and creating a unit and a club that is ready for the start of the season."[LNB]Calderwood hopes the fans can see the unity he believes is present in the squad when they host Barnsley.[LNB]He added: "There is always a story, a conflict, a controversy bubbling under at whatever club you're at. It's more or less normal.[LNB]"The height of the controversy and back page lines it gets will vary from club to club and person to person.[LNB]"It's something you address as a manager throughout every week.[LNB]"But we have got to make sure they (the fans) realise the unity of the group at the training centre, and that translates itself to Easter Road."[LNB]Against Barnsley, Hibs will be without the injured Akpo Sodje, Martin Scott, Michael Hart and Sean Welsh, all of whom look likely to miss the visit of Celtic.[LNB]
