الصفحات

Calderwood calls for Hibs belief

احدث اجدد واروع واجمل واشيك Calderwood calls for Hibs belief

Colin Calderwood has challenged Hibs to rediscover their inner belief as he warned they could not afford to dwell on their latest setback.

Hibs' season went from bad to worse on Tuesday night when a solitary goal from Ayr striker Mark Roberts sent them crashing out of the Scottish Cup at Somerset Park.

This time last year the Edinburgh side were on a run of form which raised hopes they could provide one of the strongest challenges to the Old Firm in recent years.

But they have since embarked on an almost inexplicable slump that shows little sign of abating.

Hibs have won seven games out of 43 in a run stretching back to February last year, with Calderwood unable to arrest the slide since replacing John Hughes in October.

Consecutive victories over Rangers and Motherwell did not spark a lasting turnaround and the defeat in Ayr was the ninth game in a row they have failed to win.

Hibs now face a relegation battle if their form does not improve but Calderwood is determined to ensure there is no lasting damage from the cup loss against the Second Division leaders.

"There is no room for self-pity," Calderwood said. "We can't afford to have that.

"A lack of confidence can't be used as an excuse. We've got to make sure that's not in their thought process and not allow them to have a wire to cling onto.

"Confidence can ebb and flow in a game and we've got to find something, a belief will come before confidence.

"That inner belief has got to come from within themselves and within the dressing room."

Hibs have some of the most talented players in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League in Derek Riordan and Liam Miller, but the winning habit has deserted them as a team.

And Calderwood, whose side face Motherwell at Fir Park on Saturday, warned it would not return as quickly as it seemingly departed.

"There is nothing to say that once you produce one result that it's going to continue," the former Nottingham Forest boss said.

"What we will see is a growing process in one or two. You don't want it in the short term but in the long term it will be a good education for one or two players."

Calderwood was contemplative rather than angry following the defeat, during which his side found Ayr goalkeeper David Crawford in excellent form.

He signalled the loss had not changed his overall impression of the steps needed to herald improvement, nor his plans for the January transfer window.

"It's the same job as it was at the start," he said. "We've been hampered really and that has been a problem.

"We've still got almost half of it to go. A lot of the business will be done further down the line and we hope we can conclude one or two deals."

...

المشاركات الشائعة