HIBS WOULD DEARLY LOVE THE CURRENT problems they appear to have with playing staff talking out of turn to simply go away, but they are not showing many signs of doing so just yet! Nerves are it seems beginning to crack as the end of season sales approach, with few players at Easter Road or anywhere else in the SPL for that matter quite sure what if any type of professional contract they will have to look forward to next season. It was almost lost in the clamour over the weekend but Hungarian international Janos Matyus had a few words with the press lest anyone forget that he was out of contract in the summer and fast becoming nervous at no talks taking place with either manager or managing director at Easter Road as yet. Having spent much of the season out injured, Matyus has shown in recent weeks some of the form that made him an international in the first place, but while he may harbour hopes of remaining in Bobby Williamson's plans next season there is simply nobody at the club right now who can even hazard a wild stab at their prospects of remaining in the pay of Hibernian.

And then this week the club have barely been able to relax in the knowledge that the first team had actually turned in a decent (and winning) performance at the weekend before Alen Orman became the latest player to put the boot into Bobby Williamson! Orman was left out of the squad for the 3-1 weekend victory over Aberdeen, and the Austrian international who has rarely featured in a starting line-up of late was clearly unhappy and perhaps believing that he too was being sidelined at the club. "The manager didn't even speak to me to tell me and I was quite disappointed at that. I don't think it is the way to treat any player. I want to play for Hibs because I love the club and the supporters and I also want to increase my chances of playing for Austria." No doubt Orman and Williamson will have a little chat at training this week, if they have not already done so, but if you are a fan of the Hibees these days it seems that a daily diet of moaning players will be the norm for the time being at least!

It's not all bad of course, and while Scott Brown was cleaning boots as usual yesterday morning the 17-year-old striker is no longer an unknown name among the Hibernian support. Brown's performance against the Dons won him the Hibs.net man of the match award at the first time of asking, and planted his name firmly in conversations among Hibs fans around the world. The only thing missing from what was a near-perfect debut was of course a goal, but that is not bothering the youngster much as he looks back on his break into the big time. He said: ""I'd imagine most fans were probably fearing the worst when Tam and Garry were forced to come off but it worked out brilliantly for Derek and myself. I'd been expecting to play in the under-18 derby against Hearts on Saturday morning but was told the previous day I was in the first-team squad and it was only a few hours before the match I learned I'd be on the bench.

"Even so, I didn't expect to get anything more than five or ten minutes at the end of the game - if that. It wasn't great for Tam and Garry that they were injured but it did give Derek and I a chance. I actually thought I'd scored with my header which came off the bar, I was about to turn away to celebrate but it was great to have a hand in all three goals. I thought I might also have had a penalty but it was a great win for us regardless. I don't know if the Aberdeen defenders perhaps thought they were only up against a couple of kids but we seemed to surprise them a bit. But what did surprise me was the pace of the game, it went from end to end, it's much, much quicker than the under-18s and 21s. In fact, it all went by so quickly I couldn't believe it when the final whistle went, the hour I was on had just flown by." Brown had a brief glimpse of the first team action when occupying a slot on the bench for the CIS Cup tie against Rangers earlier in the season, his performance on Saturday will surely add a few hundred to the Easter Road gate when Motherwell visit this weekend as Hibs fans clamour for a glimpse of future for the club.

There are other youngsters at Easter Road who will now be looking to grab their opportunity, and it could arrive sooner rather than later. Current first-team squad members are right to look over their shoulders, Matyus and Orman have joined O'Neil, Brebner and Colgan in speaking out - feelings are more will soon follow. Or if not from the players, their agents at least as today these particular gentlemen appeared to have kicked into gear with the news that Paul Hilland could be set for a move to Premiership hopefuls Wolves. Hilland is said to have been watched by the English side as well as Stoke City, and with no new contract on offer from Easter Road Hilland looks set to move south.

John O'Neil meanwhile could be set for Norwich City according to his agent John Viola, while one Hibs target appears to be slipping through the net with Alan Combe looking set to sign this week for Bradford City. Another target however is waiting for the nod to travel to Edinburgh for talks, Sunderland goalkeeper Jurgen Macho being said to have spurned approaches from Chelsea in favour of a possible Easter Road move. Macho is looking for first-team football and if he is given assurance that he would be No.1 choice at Easter Road, he is ready to talk with his agent Frank Schreier saying: "We are awaiting official permission from the manager or managing director of Hibernian to come to Scotland to speak about the situation."