Hibs pin revival hopes on transfer dealings

Defeated at home on derby day, winless since October – Hibernian have endured a hopelessly bleak winter period, and the current forecast is far from promising.

Manager Pat Fenlon has been unable to arrest the Hibbies’ slide since his arrival at the club in November. In that time the Leith side have been cut adrift at the foot of the SPL, along with Dunfermline.

Last season – and, to an extent, earlier this season – Hibs were part of a cluster of strugglers, always threatening to pull clear of trouble with a few good results. The team’s present isolation is the fruit of that lengthy barren run, and alarming proof of the scale of their deterioration.

The January transfer window is key to fans’ hopes that current form will bottom-out sooner rather than later. Although financially restricted, Fenlon has the opportunity to improve on Hibs’ weak and ineffective efforts of past windows, and stamp his own mark on the squad. Junior Agogo, Matt Thornhill and Victor Palsson have already had their contracts cancelled, presumably to free up funds for the wage budget.

Fenlon has acknowledged the difficulty of succeeding in the transfer market with admirable fortitude: “It’s important we don’t panic, we will hold our nerve until we get the ones we want.”

Although 20 year-old full-back George Francomb, who is “up for the fight” according to his new manager, has arrived on loan from Norwich City, Fenlon has signalled his desire to add seasoned professionals to the squad: “There are plenty of young players being put to us but that’s not really what I’m looking for.”

Whether Easter Road sees a trickle or a flood of new signings, Fenlon’s task is the same. Squad cohesion has been lacking for too long, and you can’t help but feel that Hibs’ form would pick up rapidly if they solved that problem alone.

Right now, though, problems such as Leigh Griffiths indiscipline, Garry O’Conner’s injury and indeed the transfer interest he is generating, all feed into the cycle of negativity. Only with some gutsy displays on the pitch and the resultant point here and there will give Hibs the strength and momentum to break out.

The next few months will see Hibs either stand or fall, for they surely cannot go on staggering any longer.