Stubbs stands up for Cummings
THE ROAD TO HAMPDEN:
STRIPPED to his underpants and with pen marks scrawled on his chest, Jason Cummings cranked up preparations for Hibernian’s biggest game of the season in his own inimitable style.
His video challenge to impact Wrestling star Grado, who was a guest at the club’s training ground on Tuesday, became a Twitter sensation. Storming into the canteen, Cummings won a mock bout that included a body slam delivered from atop a sideboard.
manager Neil lennon was among those hooting with laughter at this madcap performance. Cummings — or Cum Dog, as his wrestling alter-ego was named — is as prolific at generating hilarity as he is at scoring goals.
lennon would obviously have found the whole affair somewhat less amusing had the striker slipped to sustain an injury. it would have been a pretty surreal bit of team news to deliver ahead of Saturday’s Scottish Cup semi-final against Aberdeen.
The Northern irishman’s predecessor at easter road is adamant, however, that the manager is right to put up with the daftness that Cummings brings.
Alan Stubbs admits there were times when he delivered some plain truths to the 21-year-old. Off the field, Cummings was putting himself in situations he should not have been anywhere near.
Stubbs believes important lessons have been learned in that regard. And, when it comes to the workplace, he views the zanier aspects of Cummings’ personality as a genuine asset.
‘He’s a great lad,’ said Stubbs. ‘He was exactly the same when we were there. He’s brilliant for the dressing room.
‘Sometimes, you have to curtail it a little bit. But i think him being the type of person he is, you don’t want to take that off him either.
‘He is what he is. You have to sometimes turn a blind eye to it. But, sometimes, he needs help as well just to guide him along the right way.
‘He’s made a couple of decisions in the past which are regrettable, but i think now he’s starting to mature and grow up a little bit.
‘my kick up the backside was when i’d bring him into the office and speak to him. We had some harsh words at times. Sometimes, i was pulling my hair out with him.
‘But the one thing was that i wanted to be there for him. i wanted to be there to help him. i didn’t want to cut him away and let him make the same mistake again.
‘it was just when he was caught up in a couple of unsavoury incidents. Off-field stuff we tried to help him with.
‘He’s got his own apartment now. He’s got himself a girlfriend — his pet dog — and it’s all part of finding out who you are. i think he’s doing that.
‘He’s done a lot of talking on the pitch and that is what we all want to keep reading about, what Jason’s doing on the park.’
Stubbs laughs when asked if he considered launching a wrestling move on Cummings during last season’s semi-final against Dundee United when an audacious attempt at a ‘Panenka’ penalty sailed hopelessly over the bar.
‘i didn’t just want to body slam him — i wanted to take him out,’ grinned Stubbs. ‘i wanted to throw him over the top ropes. it would have been a TKO!’
it was typical of Cummings that he had no fears about stepping forward again come the decisive shoot-out that day. indeed, his more orthodox strike proved the winner as Hibs made the final.
When Stubbs then exited to rotherham, lennon persuaded Cummings to sign a new four-year contract. That did not deter Peterborough United from submitting a £1.5million bid that Hibs rejected.
‘Jason has certainly learned,’ said Stubbs. ‘When you sit down and speak to him face-to-face, he actually knows what’s what.
‘He’s quite intelligent when you’re having a one-to-one conversation. He’s not one of those where you think it’s going in one ear and out the other, and you are looking right through them.
‘He understands and has an opinion and he wants to learn. That is the biggest thing i’ve found about him: he wants to learn and be as good as he can be. And if he does that, who knows where he is going to be?
‘He’s a goalscorer. everybody wants a goalscorer. everybody is willing to pay top dollar for one, whatever league you are in, whether it is the Scottish Premiership or in england.
‘Obviously, there has already been interest in him from england. it’s always nice to be at a club when you have a few diamonds. it’s better to have them than not and obviously Hibs have them on their books.’
in terms of his own position, Stubbs was this week named as bookmakers’ favourite for the Dundee job, prior to Neil mcCann’s interim appointment.
‘it wasn’t from my point of view, it wasn’t from my representatives,’ he countered. ‘maybe it was the usual two-and-two together because i’m out of work.’
Sacked by rotherham after just five months in charge, Stubbs won just one of his 13 Championship games for a club who have only recorded three more successes in 30 subsequent matches.
On his move from Hibs to Yorkshire, he reflected: ‘it was the wrong decision but it was my decision and you live by it and move on. We’ve all made wrong decisions from time to time. i just need to make sure i don’t make that decision again.
‘i probably jumped in too quick. i don’t regret the decision i made because at the time i thought it was the right decision. But it was just the wrong club.
‘i’m hoping something comes along in the summer. One or two things are bubbling away in the background, so we’ll just see how they materialise.’