Hibs players backing Calderwood

19 August 2011 14:42
Midfielder Ian Murray says Colin Calderwood has the faith of the Hibernian squad despite speculation linking the manager with jobs elsewhere.[LNB] Calderwood was linked with vacant assistant managerial posts at Nottingham Forest and Birmingham over the summer, but has remained at Easter Road, where he has been in position since last October.[LNB]Murray, who has had two spells at Hibs, said: "We all want the gaffer to stay. Hopefully the fans do as well.[LNB]"The board and directors certainly do - if reports are true they knocked back bids for him, it's a lot of money teams are willing to pay.[LNB]"His pedigree is there for all to see and other teams want him which is a compliment to himself and to Hibs."[LNB]Forest have since appointed an assistant to Steve McClaren, but Chris Hughton - the Birmingham boss who Calderwood worked alongside at Newcastle - remains without a number two.[LNB]The subject of Calderwood's potential departure was never broached among the players, according to Murray.[LNB]He said: "We just got on with it. If he wasn't here, he wasn't here. If he is, he is - it was as simple as that. It's part and parcel of the game.[LNB]"If the manager wanted to go down south then it's his prerogative.[LNB]"Talk of him leaving in the changing room and team meetings is non-existent."[LNB]Murray is emphasising the positive at Easter Road - saying it could be worse.[LNB]Hibs lost 4-1 at Kilmarnock last weekend and have now won one and lost two of their Scottish Premier League fixtures ahead of Saturday's match with St Mirren.[LNB]Calderwood's side struggled for consistency last term as they finished 10th in the SPL, while many performances last season were met with derision from supporters.[LNB]While it has been an inauspicious start to this season, Murray is not all doom and gloom, with Inverness, St Johnstone and Aberdeen below them in the table - and the latter two yet to score.[LNB]Murray said: "We've got points on the board, that's the main thing.[LNB]"There are a couple of teams in the league who haven't scored a goal yet, so things could be a lot worse.[LNB]"There's always a team somewhere who's struggling; I don't think we're struggling because we've got three points on the board.[LNB]"We're not in a bad position, win our game in hand on teams and we'll be up to fourth."[LNB]The target for the season is a top-six place by the SPL split, with Murray and the squad aware of the wider ramifications of poor on-field displays.[LNB]He added: "We went into the bottom six, top of the bottom six. To fall away at the end of the season was disappointing.[LNB]"It cost the club a lot of money and we've had to cut back like everyone else.[LNB]"There's been a few people that have lost their jobs and ultimately it's because we didn't finish in the top six."

Source: Team_Talk