Calderwood not the cure for ailing Hibs

It never rains but it pours at Hibernian. After a dreadful start to the season in which they have won just 3 league games, only one point separates them from the bottom spot and relegation.

Things were looking bleak for manager Colin Calderwood and had been for several months but a battling goalless draw at Celtic Park followed a 3-2 win at St Mirren at the end of October to lift spirits at Easter Road. However, a gutless home defeat to strugglers Dunfermline two Saturdays ago quickly stifled any chance of a revival and Calderwood was promptly shown the door.

Chairman Rod Petrie left the ground after that fateful match to chants of “sack yourself” as fans’ frustrations boiled over. This was the culmination of 12 extremely disappointing months under Calderwood’s management with the club now in an even sorrier state than when he arrived.

Any Hibs fan will be quick to let you know that the problems at the club run much deeper than the manager though. Petrie’s decisions have bewildered fans; many bemoan penny-pinching as player transfer fees received have not translated into quality replacements in the playing squad. Others despair at his managerial choices as the last 3 appointments have failed to get the club to where fans feel they should be. Other fans even doubt Petrie’s intentions altogether, claiming he is killing the club. Whatever the reasons, there is no question that Hibs are certainly underachieving.

Their stadium redevelopment looks sadly out of place as the fans vote with their feet in protest at the product on the park. Season ticket sales have plummeted in recent seasons and attendances are dropping at an alarming rate, even by today’s standards. But that potential audience is out there, and football fans are fickle as ever. With a training academy to rival any other in Scotland and an impressive history of bringing through exciting young Scottish players, the Hibs managerial job is still an attractive prospect in spite of its recent poisoned-chalice reputation.

It is said that the SPL needs a strong Hibernian and as a capital city team this has some truth in it. The resources are there for Hibernian to be successful, and a well thought-out managerial appointment should harness this potential and guide them away from the perils of relegation. Whether those in charge at Easter Road will make the right decision remains to be seen; making the same mistakes again could be the last straw for many of the Leith side’s fans.