Hibernian midfielder Lewis Stevenson accepts he and his team-mates must take responsibility for the "farcical" managerial situation at Easter Road if they are to avoid finding themselves out of a job like John Hughes.
Stevenson is one of 16 players whose natural eagerness to impress new manager Colin Calderwood is heightened by the fact they are out of contract at the end of the season. The 22-year-old, who has played under Hughes, Mixu Paatelainen, John Collins and Tony Mowbray since making his debut in 2005, admits the manager is sometimes the easy target when players do not perform.
"It's getting almost farcical now," the midfielder said. "I've been here six years and this is my fifth manager. So the players have got a bit of responsibility. I don't know if they maybe need to change the players rather than the manager sometimes."
He added: "Everyone was happy with the old manager and we just need to get on with the new one."
Stevenson admitted he felt sorry for Hughes, who followed Paatelainen in being asked to leave shortly after leading the club into the top six of the Clydesdale Bank Premier League, and, in his case, Europe.
"It's easy to take the manager out because the club can't really get rid of the players," the former Scotland Under-21 international said.
"We need to take responsibility and do our best for the new manager.
"I don't think there are a lot of clubs where 16 players are out of contract at the same time. It's usually a gradual thing. I'm one of the players so I know I have to impress in that short period of time or else I won't get a new contract.
"It's maybe a good thing that people are in the same boat. If there were less numbers you would maybe be more worried.
"It's the same with any job with a contract - you have to do your best and impress the manager. He will have his own ideas and a lot of contacts down in England."
Source: PA
