Hibs manager Montgomery given stay of execution
Hibs say they will conduct a full review of the club’s football structure in the wake of failing to reach the top six of the Premiership this season.
The Easter Road outfit missed out on finishing the right side of the league’s split last weekend following a 1-1 draw at Fir Park against Motherwell.
Hibs’ remaining fixtures will be played in the bottom six and the highest they can finish is seventh, with no prospect of securing European football for next term.
As a result, pressure has increased significantly on manager Nick Montgomery, who took over from Lee Johnson last September, but for now he remains in his post, although results will need to improve between now and the end of the season and finishing seventh is the expectation. The 42-year-old has only won 11 of his 34 matches in charge so far.
With recent investment from Bournemouth owner and American billionaire Bill Foley, Hibs were always going to undertake a significant rebuild in the summer.
However, on the back of failing to reach the top six, Hibs’ review will take place in conjunction with Foley’s Black Knight group, who have ties with the Cherries, French Ligue 1 side Lorient and Auckland in New Zealand.
Foley’s mission at Hibs is to make them the undisputed third force of Scottish football, with the 79-yearold to inject at least £6 million into the club’s coffers for the summer.
Scrutiny will not be reserved just for Montgomery, though. All roles and responsibilities will be examined, with Hibs moving much closer to Foley’s stable of clubs. Current
director of football Brian Mcdermott was heavily involved in the appointment of Montgomery and recruitment, while some fans have trained their sights on chief executive Ben Kensell, with three managers sacked in three years and a decline in onfield performance under his watch.
In an update from the Hibs board of directors, a statement read: “Like all Hibs supporters, we believe that a club with our stature should, as an absolute minimum, finish in the top six. Ending the season in the bottom six is simply unacceptable.
“In the aftermath of Saturday’s draw with Motherwell, we came together to understand what happened this season and what are the necessary steps to move the club forward. With that in mind, we will conduct a full review of the club’s football structure in conjunction with Black Knight Football Club.
“We have also held detailed discussions with Nick montgomery to understand what has gone wrong during the current campaign and mutually agreed that results this season have been disappointing. There’s an understanding that results need to improve.”