Kyle Magennis insists the Hibs players are fully behind manager Lee Johnson.
The Easter Road boss has come under intense scrutiny in recent weeks after a dismal run of form.
The Edinburgh side have won just two of their last 11 games, with the rest of those matches ending in defeat. They sit eighth in the table on 23-points. While they are only three points away from fourth spot, on the flip side they are just four points off the relegation play-off position.
Johnson was scathing in his assessment of his Hibs players after their desperate performance in the 3-0 derby defeat to Hearts on Monday. He revealed that there could be a cull of up to ten players at Easter Road in the near future.
Magennis is one of the players Johnson is keen to work with moving forward. And the 24-year-old insists that the players support their gaffer no matter what their personal situation is.
“The gaffer has spoken to us. He’s told us he still believes in us and we’re still part of the team until such times someone moves on,” Magennis said speaking to promote the new 2022/23 SPFL Match Attax collection.
“The ones who are not part of his plans are still at Hibs, they’re still being paid by Hibs.
“If they’re not giving their all it’s not good enough from them. They are contracted to the club and they still need to give their all in training and for the team.
“All the boys are still behind the gaffer. We’re looking forward to Sunday. It’s a big game for all of us.
“He’s obviously already spoken to a few boys to let them know where they stand. That was done before the game or in the weeks before. He’s told these guys what position they’re in.
“It’s come out in the press and it looks as though he’s just telling random boys. But he’s already had that talk with them, everyone knows where they stand.
“Obviously, it’s good for me that he wants me to stay. I’m a Hibs player and I want to do well for the club.
“It’s good the gaffer is backing me and hopefully as a group we can turn it round for him.”
Magennis has been part of a Hibs squad that has witnessed two managers depart within the last 13-months.
With growing pressure from the stands, it’s par for the course that question marks over Johnson’s job have been raised.
Ex-St Mirren midfielder Magennis is determined to make sure the players step up to the mark for him.
He said: “It’s down to us. The gaffer and the staff can only do so much during the week but when we go out on a Saturday or whatever day it is and we don’t perform the way we should then ultimately it’s down to us.
“We’ve been trying the last few weeks to look for the answer. The gaffer has changed the team a few times but we’ve not seem to have found the answer yet.”
The manager revealed that he was a no show in the dressing room in the aftermath of the derby defeat.
While it may seem harsh from the outside, Magennis insists it can be beneficial for the players to have a more open and frank discussion.
He added: “He’s come out and said why he did it. Sometimes there’s a more honest conversation between the boys when the manager is not there.
“The boys did have a good conversation after the game. We know it’s not good enough.
“Sometimes it’s the assistants who come in and have a go at you. The boys all know it wasn’t good enough. There’s not much the gaffer could have said that we didn’t already know.
“The boys do it after games even when we win. We look at what we could do better and we have a debate between ourselves. It doesn’t mean anybody is falling out. That’s just what happens in changing rooms.”
Kyle Magennis helped launch the new 2022/23 SPFL Match Attax Collection, on sale now in Scottish retailers and via Topps.com.
