Source: Team_Talk
Hughes puts midweek collapse behind him
John Hughes has defended his decision to spare Hibernian's players the video nasty of their 6-6 draw at Motherwell ahead of the SPL finale.[LNB] Hughes insists it would have done more harm than good to force his squad to sit through a re-run of Wednesday night's crazy game at Fir Park, which saw the visitors surrender a 6-2 lead.[LNB]The result was a potentially fatal blow to the Edinburgh club's hopes of overhauling their hosts in the race for fourth place and the SPL's final guaranteed Europa League spot.[LNB]"I never showed them any stuff from the other night there, video footage," said Hughes, who takes his side to Dundee United this weekend one point behind Motherwell.[LNB]"It's too late, it's done and dusted, it's history, it's behind us.[LNB]"If you keep watching it, it can put you back down there."[LNB]Hughes believes his side, who looked set to end a run of six straight defeats at Fir Park, hit rock bottom in terms of defending that night.[LNB]Despite having only three days to rectify the problem, he is certain there will be no repeat and revealed he was sticking by goalkeeper Graeme Smith, who was arguably at fault for half the goals conceded on Wednesday.[LNB]"I don't think it can get any worse," he said of his side's performance in the final 25 minutes.[LNB]"I'll tell you right now Graeme Smith's playing in goal.[LNB]"It's going to be a test of his character but we brought him to the club knowing what he can do."[LNB]Hughes urged his players to take the positives out of the result.[LNB]"To go to Motherwell and score six goals, play some really good football on a tricky surface, you'd take that," he said.[LNB]And despite insisting he shared supporters' frustrations over the manner of Hibs' collapse, lifelong fan Hughes said: "I get exasperated more on the training pitch at times."[LNB]Admitting he would have one eye on Motherwell's match at Ibrox on Sunday, Hughes said: "We need a favour from Rangers, but let's look at our own game, that's where our focus is.[LNB]"I want that European spot."[LNB]The Hibs boss urged his players to prove they were winners, revealing they had shown just the kind of competitive spirit he wanted in a game of head tennis this morning.[LNB]"You daren't stick your head half over the net, because they're going to kick it off," he said.[LNB]"They're getting stuck into each other and arguing with each other, and that's what we need to take into Sunday."[LNB]One player who has seen television footage of Wednesday's game is defender Sol Bamba, who was serving the final instalment of a three-match ban.[LNB]"I've never seen a match like that before," he said.[LNB]Echoing his manager's post-match assessment that Hibs' forwards stopped defending, he added: "I was very, very disappointed. It was hard to take.[LNB]"Defence is not just about the back four and goalie, it's about the team.[LNB]"If you defend better as a team, you're not going to concede too many goals."[LNB]The 25-year-old is hoping for a recall on Sunday as he looks to impress new Ivory Coast boss Sven Goran-Eriksson, who will watch the game at Tannadice as he finalises his World Cup squad.[LNB]An impressive tournament could see Bamba leave Easter Road this summer, a year before his contract expires.[LNB]But he said: "I'm happy here so I'm still going to be here next season."
