TIME TO PRAY FOR SALVATION
‘They had one cross into the box and one goal, an absolute sucker punch. But it does not seem to be a coincidence because it’s been happening to us week after week’
IN the circumstances, with emotions still running high, we can forgive the guy for not sticking to the rules. One word to sum up this campaign of creeping calamity? ‘Still hope,’ said Scott Robertson with a strained and slightly apologetic smile, the Hibs midfielder adding: ‘That’s two words. Sorry.’
Don’t worry yourself over one extra word, Scott. And don’t be concerned about expressing just a smidgen of optimism amid the gathering gloom, either. If Terry Butcher’s team are to have any chance of escaping relegation to the Championship, they must have at least some faith in their own ability, right?
Now, you may well believe that Falkirk or Hamilton will be good enough to triumph in a two-legged play-off against a nominally superior side — a team quite literally in a different league — who have won just one of their last 19 games.
You must also understand that the Hibs players are entitled to back themselves, in public and hopefully in private, to fend off challengers likely to be carrying all sorts of winning momentum into the home leg of their shot at glory on Wednesday week.
So, while Robertson spoke with admirable c a ndour a bout t he horrendous mistakes and glaring weaknesses responsible for transforming Hibs f rom top- six challengers to miserable bottom feeders in just a few short months, he simply will not accept that the deed is done. Not while they have two more cracks at redemption.
As fans turned on Butcher (pictured) for the first time — some calling for his and chairman Rod Petrie’s heads in a 200-strong protest outside Easter Road — the former Dundee and Dundee United midfielder admitted that the players owe their manager a couple of big performances.
‘Yeah. And we owe ourselves, we owe the fans, our families, everybody,’ said Robertson.
‘It’s just not been good enough. I’m not going to sit here and hide and point fingers. Me, everybody involved — it’s not been good enough.
‘I know that everyone sees us as being down already. But we’re being positive and we still have two games to play.
‘I think we have lifted ourselves for these past three games and been the better team, made more chances and been unlucky.
‘ But we’ve ended up where no one wanted to be. It’s a disastrous run that’s kept on going by us not scoring goals and not keeping clean sheets — that’s cost us.
‘We realised we were i n trouble when we weren’t winning games. ‘ Five weeks ago, we got together and said: “We need to win these games”. ‘ We’d r ather play hopeless and sneak a win. ‘We have to be positive, do our best and be brave.’ Nobody doubts
the physical courage of the Hibs players. They fought and scrapped for much of Saturday’s game, never shirking a challenge.
But their confidence is clearly shot. And the knowledge that their own back four were always going to let Kris Boyd score at least once can’t have done much for the guys struggling to break down the visiting defence.
In a fairly lacerating assessment of the Hibs back line, Robertson said: ‘You could say it’s down to luck, a little bit, but we have not done enough to nullify the other teams’ threats and they’ve managed to get goals from silly mistakes. ‘ Like myself giving away a penalty on Tuesday against Ross County. I was desperate to try to stop the boy shooting and I ended up being clumsy and knocking him over.
‘Even Kris Boyd being free in the box on Saturday… it’s just silly that someone like him can get space and time to swivel.
‘They had one cross into the box and one goal, an absolute sucker punch just before half-time. But it does not seem to be a coincidence because it’s happened week on week for the last so many games.
‘ It’s just mistakes. It’s us as professionals not being good enough. We’re not stopping teams scoring and we’re not scoring — and I include myself in that.
‘I had at least one chance that I should have scored against Killie and I didn’t. I had one cleared off the line and another deflected.
‘We’ve not done enough as a team. I mean, we were seventh going into the split.’
It’s been quite a dramatic fall, including two derby defeats. And they haven’t hit rock bottom yet.
When it was suggested that any Championship team would see Hibs as vulnerable, Robertson snapped: ‘If other people want to label it like that, fine. We have to get in the right frame of mind for two massive games.
‘I wanted to play the play- off right after the final whistle. I’m desperate to get it out the way. I was so looking forward to the Kilmarnock game. Obviously there are nerves but I was excited. It will be the same with the play-offs.
‘Everybody is devastated with the fact we’re in this position, but we have to pick ourselves up and get that positivity. If we get chances we need to take them.’
Onwards and upward with all due faith in the future, then. Don’t mock the true believers. They have no c hoi c e but to c o mmit themselves heart, soul, body and mind in the belief that salvation is just two more games away.
Why do so many people believe in heaven? Because the alternative is unthinkable.