Source: Team_Talk
Hughes considers summer shake-up
A season that promised so much at Easter Road is in danger of unravelling following a run of only one win in the last eight matches.[LNB]A limp performance in Saturday's Edinburgh derby - which left Hibs fifth in the Scottish Premier League - has led Hughes to question his side's stomach for the fight ahead of Tuesday night's Scottish Cup quarter-final replay at Ross County.[LNB]After being strong favourites to reach Europe via the SPL as well as the semi-final of the cup, Hughes' men could yet end the season empty-handed.[LNB]"I'll really be disappointed if we fell at the final hurdle," the Hibs boss said.[LNB]"If it did happen then we'd need to sit down and try to do something about it and bring in a stronger character of player into the club.[LNB]"If my players are walking about in the comfort zone, sitting back and resting on their laurels, that's when something comes up and bites you on the backside.[LNB]"That's just me telling you how it is."[LNB]Lifelong Hibs fan Hughes insists supporters have every right to expect the club to be challenging for Europe in both league and cup.[LNB]"You're deluded if you think anything less than that is success," he said, questioning his players' ability to handle the pressure.[LNB]"Are you scared of success? Are you scared of failure? How do you handle it?"[LNB]Hughes, who took charge last summer, added: "I've been walking about with my slippers on, and just getting around about people and using a bit of humour to try to get the best out of them.[LNB]"I've not really cracked the whip."[LNB]Hughes certainly made his feelings clear on the Tynecastle touchline on Saturday, berating goalkeeper Graham Stack and striker Derek Riordan, neither of whom took it lying down.[LNB]"I don't mind that. I give plenty out and sometimes you have to take it," said Hughes.[LNB]Yet the Easter Road boss is wary about playing bad cop too often and challenged his players to perform that role themselves.[LNB]"I had a wee go last week after the Ross County match and left one or two things in the dressing room," he said.[LNB]"If I'm in there cracking the whip all the time and changing diapers, how do I create that strong mentality?[LNB]"They need to get into each other and demand of each other and set standards for each other."[LNB]Defender Lewis Stevenson suggested that process had already begun.[LNB]"We've had a few meetings ourselves, saying the standard's not good enough and we need to turn it around," Stevenson revealed.[LNB]"A few boys are having words in the changing room and I think it's what we need.[LNB]"Everyone knows deep down what we have to do and maybe a few home truths are getting told."[LNB]Hughes believes a worrying combination of poor passing and defending is what has cost his side of late.[LNB]"A lot of it has been self-inflicted and we have to eradicate that," he said.[LNB]"The work we're doing on the training pitch, it's right back to basics, it's simplicity.[LNB]"Don't complicate it, get right back to basics."[LNB][LNB][LNB] Hibernian 4/5, Draw 5/2, Ross Co. 7/2
