The recently formed Hibs fans' protest group has urged the club to by-pass Bohemians manager Pat Fenlon and go for Michael O'Neill as their next manager. 'Hibsforchange' believe O'Neill's pedigree and previous links with both the club and Scottish football should make him the front-runner for the job. Fenlon met with Hibs yesterday to discuss the position made vacant when Colin Calderwood was sacked earlier this month. O'Neill does have links with the Easter Road club as he played for three years with them in the 1990s and began his managerial career at Brechin City before moving to Shamrock Rovers in December 2008. On Fenlon, 'Hibsforchange' organiser Keith Sands said: "He is currently the second best manager in the Irish league, which is the equivalent of the Scottish First Division. Surely if the board are looking to the Irish league for our new manager they would go for Michael O'Neill, who is currently and, for the last two years, has been the best manager in Ireland. He also knows the Scottish game, and our famous club, having played here." 'Hibsforchange' mounted a small scale protest last week against the Hibs board and chairman Rod Petrie as the shareholders entered Easter Road for the club's AGM. Sands added: "We would, as Hibs fans, all be behind Pat Fenlon, Michael O'Neill or whoever the board choose. "But just remember this - (owner) Tom Farmer put his neck on the line and publicly backed Rod Petrie, who in turn backed Scott Lindsay (executive director) and Fife Hyland (managing director). If this next appointment goes wrong, and as a Hibs fan, like all Hibs fans, I sincerely hope it doesn't, then all I can say to the board is 'You can run but you can't hide.'"The planned protest ahead of Saturday's game against Kilmarnock has been called off out of "respect" for caretaker boss Billy Brown and the players.
Source: FOOTYMAD
