Hibs will need board and fan patience!
Stand in bosses look for the new management team to be given a chance to turn things round...

As revealed on Hibs.net yesterday morning, Grant Brebner is set to play a part in this afternoon's game against Dundee at Easter Road as he continues his comeback from the horrific arm break he suffered earlier this year.  With Stephen Dobbie also set to feature at some point, Hibs will be in the slightly unusual position of having more fit midfielders than they've had for a while although the extent of the 'return' is not likely to be much more than that.  As Jim Clark and Gerry McCabe hosted another press conference yesterday, it was revealed that one player who may make a comeback, although not for a couple of weeks yet, is club captain Ian Murray.

"Brebner and Dobbie's available - they played Monday so they're available for selection but Matt Doumbe's still out. The usual long term ones are still out. Jonathan Baillie's still out, he's had his operation so he'll not be fit until the start of next season.  Gary Smith and Stephen Glass will definitely not be available this season but there's a very slight chance that maybe Ian Murray might play in the very last game, but very slight."  While his return may only be for ten minutes or so, the sight of Murray taking to the park once again will surely give a much depleted squad a real boost, knowing that things will only get better on the injury front.  Although grant only made his footballing return on Monday in the Under 21's, he's certainly been around the first team for a longer period as Gerry McCabe confirmed. 

"Grant's been training for the last month with us, he's done all the training that's been asked of him, it's just actually games, and it's no secret that we've been short in that department, especially experienced players."  With Brebner returning, there was a suggestion that Kevin Thomson may be given the opportunity to have his own hernia operation carried out early to allow him the maximum amount of time to recover, a notion seemingly dismissed by Clark!  "I don't think he's going to be getting a hernia operation, hopefully not anyway!" McCabe added, "I think it's just rest you know, Thomo says he's OK to play through it."  That will no doubt worry some sections of the support given the relative inexperience of Thomson and the possible additional damage that he could do should he not get any treatment that he needs.

Brebner set for first team return this afternoon  (sns)

While Bobby Williamson was brought in on a five year contract, his assistants were keen to point out that they were not given similar contracts on arrival at Easter Road while emphasising the fact that any new manager be given a similar length of contract as was awarded to Williamson in order to turn the club around.  "First of all, we weren't brought in on a five year deal, Jim and I. Bobby's come here and laid the foundations by bringing the young boys through. This is a full season they've played, more than a full season they've played together, so at the end of the day whoever comes in has got a good start on the squad of player's he's going to have." Jim Clark re-iterated a point made last week about the lack of experience in the team as well as backing up his colleague.  "I think I said last week that whoever comes in is going to need 3 or 4 experienced players added to the squad but whoever comes in going to, I think, should get a longer term contract to give them time. I think whoever's going to manage any club in Scotland deserves time to get it right. I don't think you can get it right in two or three years, I think they need time and patience from the board of directors and the fans." That point was backed up once again by McCabe as he added, "I think the way Scottish football is now, all the club's now are starting to bring through their own players because the money's not there to splash out and bring other players in apart from probably Celtic and Rangers although they're starting to toil to spend money. I think is very important, as Jim says, that whoever they bring in is given the opportunity to work with the lads for 3 or 4 seasons or whatever."

The move earlier in the season to tie up the contracts of some of Scotland's 'hottest talent' was seen by some as a great piece of business.  That, coupled with the return of some of the injured players, will give the new manager a good starting point for the next few years according to McCabe.  "Yes, that's another thing. The players have signed 3 or 4 year contracts and you've still got the Ian Murray's and that to come back but they'll probably have to bring a few experienced players along with the lads that they've got. Whoever comes in will get a look at the boys and know what he needs to bring in anyway."  With others not as lucky on the contract front yet, there is a real sense of being in limbo for some of them.  "I think the players that are out of contract at the end of the season are in a limbo situation obviously. I don't think that Gerry or are in any position to offer them contracts, if we're honest enough to say that!"  While some players may have impressed Williamson and his assistants, there's no guarantee that the new manager will feel the same way about them as Gerry McCabe admitted.  "I think that's important thing as to why whoever comes in has a look and can deal with the players he feels he'd like to keep, move on or whatever. It works both ways for the club and for the player"  Whether these players should look elsewhere for their playing future is certainly something that the caretaker bosses though they should consider.  "Obviously you'd do that in your situation. You'd be looking to say, you're hoping that if you don't get offered something here then you've got to keep your options open elsewhere." Jim Clark added, "I would hope that if a player's contract's up then they'll be in the shop window and they'd be trying even harder, you'd hope! If my contract's up I'd be say OK 'maybe Hibs aren't going to offer me a new one so I'm here look'. It's an opportunity for me to try and sell myself to somebody else."

When it comes time for Clark and McCabe to leave Easter Road, the pair will certainly have their regrets over the time they spent here, and they're not just about the disappointing league positions that they've presided over, Clark saying, "I'll certainly have regrets. I've enjoyed working with several of the players, regret not winning the Cup Final, maybe not doing better, not getting time to see the thing out to a finish but that's just football." Like it is in the stands, there's no smooth ride in football, let alone at Hibs as McCabe rounded off, "There's been ups and downs but we've always had ups and downs in football and we always said that we'd give it our best shot. You're always hoping you get more ups than downs. But as Jim says, I think the big disappointment is getting to the cup final and, again as he says we'd like to have worked with the young lads for a longer period."  While the speculation over exactly who will come in to replace Williamson, Clark and McCabe continues, one thing that is certain is that they Hibs support will not want that rollercoaster ride to continue in the fashion it has done for the past few years.