Source: Team_Talk
Hughes admits to 'real concerns'
Hibernian manager John Hughes admitted to "real concerns" over his side's winless run following another defeat to St Johnstone on Saturday.[LNB] The misfiring capital side's 2-0 defeat at McDiarmid Park left them without a victory since the opening day of the SPL campaign in mid-August and the visiting fans made their feelings clear at full-time as boos rang out.[LNB]With only one win in 10 competitive matches this season, patience among the supporters is wearing thin.[LNB]However, the Easter Road boss remains up for the fight and believes chairman Rod Petrie remains behind him, despite seeing the club slip to 10th in the table, only a point above bottom side St Mirren.[LNB]He said: "Honestly, I'm not [under pressure]. I'm really close with the chairman and the chairman knows exactly what's going on at this club and what needs done. He knows the work we put in.[LNB]"Where are we in the league? Joint second bottom. It's not a place we want to be and let's hope that can give us an injection to get us up the league.[LNB]"I'm not oblivious to it, there are real concerns there, but my job is to keep them focused, trusting in what we're doing and give them confidence to start winning football matches that will climb us up this league.[LNB]"I've been here before with my old club [Falkirk] when I was fighting a relegation battle. I'm certainly up for the battle and up for the fight, that's for sure."[LNB]When asked if he was fighting a relegation now, he added emphatically: "No, no.[LNB]"We're disappointed. There's no point talking round about it, there's a real disappointment.[LNB]"It's understandable that the fans aren't happy. When it's going well we all take the pats on the back but when you're down there you have to take it as well, you have to take it right on the chin.[LNB]"I said to my players 'you need to show a strength of character, a togetherness and a trust that you can go and dig out of this'.[LNB]"There's no hiding place, we can help them, we can encourage them, we can pick a team and a system to try and help them but more importantly it has to come from within."[LNB]A header 15 minutes from time from Saints substitute Liam Craig effectively sealed the win, with fellow replacement Marcus Haber's injury-time strike adding gloss for the home side.[LNB]Hughes admitted: "We weren't great today, I have to put my hand up to that, and we didn't do enough to win the game.[LNB]"The effort and commitment was there, I could see that in the boys when they came off, they had worked every so hard.[LNB]"But that should be a given, not an ask. The hardest thing to do where we are at the moment is to create and pass the ball and make things happen. But it can't always be nice and I told them that after the game."[LNB]The match appeared to be heading for stalemate when Craig pounced in the 76th minute but St Johnstone counterpart Derek McInnes insisted he always felt his team had enough to eke out a win.[LNB]And he praised all three of his replacements after goal-scoring contributions from Craig and Haber and an impressive cameo from striker Andy Jackson.[LNB]He said: "I thought we were very determined from minute one. We played really well throughout the game but there was a wee lull five minutes before we scored and it looked like one or two had maybe resigned themselves to the goal not coming.[LNB]"But the subs came on and made an impact. We didn't think Liam had 90 minutes in him [because of injury] but we know exactly what Liam Craig is - he's a goal threat in the last third, he's a very intelligent player and a very important player for us.[LNB]"You saw the importance of him with his goal and making that impact.[LNB]"Marcus Haber also, when the game gets stretched a wee bit and defenders are getting a wee bit tired, he's got that pace to punish them and he did that and tucked his goal away fine and won his headers.[LNB]"Andy Jackson as well, I thought he was magnificent when he came on. He led the line well, took the hit and linked the play, so all three substitutes made their contribution and that's important."
