Nick Montgomery on his battle to win over Hibs fans as boss gets honest over top six failure
Pressure is growing on the Englishman after the Hibees failed to finish in the top six of the Premiership for the second time in the last three seasons.
Underfire Hibs boss Nick Montgomery admits he has a lot of work to do to convince fans at Easter Road that he is still the right man for the job.
The Leith side suffered heartbreak on the final day of the regular season, when they conceded a last gasp equaliser against Motherwell that saw them drop out of the top six. It is the second time in the last three seasons that the Hibs have failed to secure a top half finish, with club officials branding the feet as "simply unacceptable."
Although large sections of the club's fanbase have now turned on him, Montgomery still has the belief that he can turn things around and remain in the dugout beyond the summer. Speaking to the media ahead of the clash with St Johnstone in Perth on Saturday, he said: “I fully believe in what I’m doing. A lot of the fans and people at the club when I came in believed.
“Results sometimes bring doubt, and that’s normal. Internally and collectively I need to bring that belief back because there have been a lot of challenges this season, a lot of things going on, a lot of talk around investment and changes at the club, a lot of players contracted to the club that have not contributed anything this season to Hibs, and some who may never contribute.
“We have to do a lot of work in finding new homes for some of those players. Recruitment moving forward has to be about quality over quantity. We need to be sure we have a proper summer window where we bring in some quality players who can really impact the club moving forward.”
The former Sheffield United manager says he understands the backlash having missed out on a top six spot. He added: “Look, it’s a big club with big expectations. I understood the pressure when I came here. I had played under pressure and you are under pressure as a manager.
“But I’ve never wavered in my belief over where I can take this team. The stats, the metrics, everything around the season, there are a lot of positives. Ultimately, people will always reflect on the negative – and that was us missing the top six.
“I understand the fans’ frustration. I love the fans here, love their passion. We all want to win every game, so we’re on the same page. I apologise to the fans and the players apologise for not making the top six, but we now have to move forward.”
Montgomery does however feel that his position is under no immediate danger despite Hibs' recent strong-worded statement. He stated: “Not really. You can look at a statement and read it in different ways.
“I think it was emotional from the club, everyone was disappointed, and they wanted to apologise to the fans because we, as a club, didn’t meet their expectation and get into the top six. But it’s easy for people to criticise when they don’t know exactly what is going on internally, don’t know the full picture. You have to accept that.
“But there are a lot of positives moving forward. It’s just about sticking with the belief and having the patience. I’ve got no doubt that I’m the man to lead this club forward. I’m really excited for the future, even while I’m hurting and disappointed now.”