Hibs on the edge

Much has been made of the Leith side's problems, as doubt has been cast over Colin Calderwood's position as manager for several months. A dreadful end to the 2010/11 season saw Hibs take just one point from eighteen in the run-in, all against bottom-six opposition; things needed to change.

The departure of eight players - among them John Rankin, Derek Riordan and Colin Nish - seemed to hint at an imminent overhaul of the playing staff and perhaps an overhaul of the team's fortunes. Calderwood promised to stamp his own mark on the team and improve the situation, but was quickly caught back-pedalling.

In June, managerial movement in England witnessed Chris Hughton take over at Birmingham and Steve McLaren appointed at Nottingham Forest. Both wanted Calderwood as their assistant manager and he refused to distance himself from a return to work in the Championship. Weeks of deliberation saw no commitment to the club, and the fans grew restless. Many called for Calderwood to either deny the links or leave the club, but with the season starting earlier than normal things were no clearer come matchday one. Former players Garry O'Connor and Ivan Sproule signed up, but neither brought the promise of Calderwood's own team forming, while the incoming Sean O'Hanlon, Junior Agogo and Isaiah Osbourne didn't appear to replace the outgoing quality.

One win in the opening eight did little to endear Calderwood to the fans. Garry O'Connor's goalscoring form was the only shining positive in an uninspiring run that saw humiliation at Kilmarnock, a heartless derby defeat to Hearts and a two-goal lead thrown away at Dunfermline.

In previous seasons teams like Hamilton and Gretna have fallen away at the foot of the table, but there is no outstanding relegation candidate this year. It could well be that Hibs are no longer “too big to go down” and they need to realise this. The last week has seen a promising league cup win and a home victory against in-form St Johnstone, but many fans are still not impressed with the product on the pitch. It's not inconceivable that O'Connor will leave in January, which would leave the green half of Edinburgh in a very precarious position indeed.