Beating Hearts when they’re propping up the table will only paper over cracks at Easter Rd
Cowan fear for under-fire Heckingbottom
STEVE COWAN is well aware that Hibs boss Paul Heckingbottom is a man under pressure.
The former Hibs striker isn’t convinced an Edinburgh derby victory against bottom of the table Hearts will cure all the Easter Road side’s ills.
In fact Cowan reckons beating the Jambos right now is no barometer of success.
He reckons new owner Ron Gordon will also be watching on with interest to see how events unfold in the capital at Easter Road on Sunday and that should his former employers lose then the former Barnsley manager will have to field some serious questions.
Cowan said: “I hate to see any manager under pressure but Paul Heckingbottom clearly is. Does a derby win against Hearts on Sunday lift everything? I am not so sure.
“I believe a Hibs win would just paper over the cracks.
“Hibs would be absolutely delighted to get all three points on Sunday. Is it really a gauge of success?
“Hearts are bottom of the Premiership on merit as they are a really poor team.
“Even if Heckingbottom can somehow steer Hibs to a victory I don’t think that it is a lot to shout about. Hibs are on a bad run and haven’t won in their last five league and cup matches.
“The new owner Ron Gordon will have heard all about Heckingbottom and he will have been sold on him to a degree.
“However, if he feels that he is not getting a return on his investment and all of a sudden the season tickets dwindle and the crowds stop turning up at Easter Road then he might make a decision based on the fact that Heckingbottom is not his man. That would make it easier for the new owner to let Heckingbottom go.
“I am sure Gordon is conducting his own root and branch review of the club from the bottom up. As a businessman you have to get a feel for the place first and foremost.
“That sends out the message that you care and Gordon did say when he came in on day one that he cared deeply about Hibs.
“I am sure in due course he’ll make his own decisions and he will be looking at the way the football side of the business is operating.
“Football’s a results-driven
business. Heckingbottom and the Hibs players cannot hide from the fact that they are not getting results.
“When that happens it stands to reason that you are going to be under pressure and subject to intense scrutiny.
“The current situation of Hibs not achieving results can’t go on forever.
“I don’t want to see anybody losing their job but if Hibs lose to their great city rivals who are bottom of the league then that does not a paint a pretty picture.
“If Hibs were to lose to a team that are bottom of the Premiership then that would thrust Heckingbottom into the spotlight.
“The new owner would then have to ask some serious questions of Heckingbottom and it will be up to him to provide the right answers.”
Cowan also reckons that part of the Edinburgh side’s problems has been the fact that Heckingbottom’s summer recruits have not hit the ground running.
The Yorkshireman recruited 10 new players, mainly from English Championship and League One clubs.
Cowan believes that the Hibs supporters’ jury is still out on many who have failed to live up to their billing.
The 56-year-old said: “The signings Heckingbottom brought to the club have just not cut the mustard so far.
“I don’t know whether the players he brought up from English football had any kind of perception of the Scottish Premiership before they arrived. I would like to think they believed they were coming to a decent football environment and knew it was one that was also very physical.
“It just hasn’t happened for most of them up until now and that is a major worry. I don’t like to single players out but £350,000 for Christian Doidge is a lot of money for a striker who is not scoring regularly.
“He has two goals so far in eight games and both of them came in Betfred Cup matches against Alloa and Morton. There is also a real vulnerability in the Hibs defence.
“Hibs are now a team who are leaking goals at one end and not scoring at the other.
“I think that at this moment in time Heckingbottom is a long way to resolving both of these problems.”