Victory in P45 derby will just paper over the cracks

FOR fans of Hibs and Hearts, defeat in the Edinburgh derby should be unthinkable. Tomorrow there’s a bigger picture. Losing to a bitter rival is a bitter pill to swallow. Yet the recent form of both teams under Paul Heckingbottom and Craig Levein has been woeful. A win at Easter Road might feel good for a day or two. But it would only paper over the cracks. Defeat, on the other hand, would force directors to remove their fingers from their ears and give the punters what they want. Short-term pain just might lead to long-term gain. The season is only five games old and talk of a Partick-style sacking will strike many as ludicrous. But since a 1-0 win over St Mirren on the opening day, Hibees have gone four league games without a win. They’ve shipped six at Rangers and another seven to St Johnstone, Motherwell and Kilmarnock collectively. The supporters who claimed the Easter Road side were better off without Neil Lennon have now fallen silent. Bizarrely, Hibs have almost slipped under the radar because of events at Hearts. In a statement long on words and short of a decent edit, Jambos owner Ann Budge has vowed to stand by her man despite the team sitting bottom of the Premiership. But managing Hearts has never been good for a man’s health, as Jim Jefferies will testify. And 12 months after Levein suffered his own heart scare, he must be asking if he’s doing himself or his family any favours clinging on. If Heckingbottom or Levein fall on their sword, there will be no shortage of candidates. Neil McCann would be an early frontrunner for Tynecastle. And Motherwell’s Stephen Robinson should be on the radar of both teams. Since Christmas, the Fir Park side have amassed 40 league points from 22 games — the third highest Premiership tally behind Celtic and Rangers. All this with a high turnover of players and a budget which accountants Deloitte rate the third lowest in the league. Robinson has earned the right to be linked to bigger jobs. When it comes to tomorrow’s P45 derby, he has skin in the game.