Hibs: Jimmy Nicholl not expecting stay under Terry Butcher

Hibernian caretaker boss Jimmy Nicholl expects Terry Butcher to take over as manager and does not expect to remain at Easter Road if he does.

Nicholl played with Butcher at Rangers and had him on his coaching staff while managing Raith Rovers.

"It looks like he is strong favourite to come in, possibly Monday," he said.

"I don't expect that I'll be staying. You want to work with people you've been working with for a long time and that's understandable."

Butcher is expected to bring assistant manager Maurice Malpas with him to Easter Road and was in the stand as his present side defeated Hibs 2-0.

It is believed that the Englishman has agreed terms with Hibs but that compensation between the clubs has yet to be agreed.

"He's taking on a big job at a big club, so good luck to him if that's the way it goes," Nicholl told BBC Scotland after Hibs' fourth straight defeat.

"It wasn't that long ago that these lads were up and bubbly and here we go.

"It's going to need someone to come in to give them a wee lift.

"They have been alright and they are a good group. It is just that, over the last few weeks, they've lost a wee bit.

"You've got to make things happen and have a bit of belief in the final third and take your opportunities when they come."

Nicholl said that early goals by Nick Ross and Billy McKay had sapped his side's confidence.

Former Northern Ireland defender Nicholl insists that he does not know for certain that Butcher will be appointed.

"Not officially, so you just get on with it and see what the weekend brings, but everybody expects it to happen," said the 56-year-old.

"I don't know which way it is going to fathom out and whether the chairman's been talking to other people.

"It was only yesterday that we turned round and said, that's it, it looks like it's done now and I'm still going to be in the position to choose the team."

Nicholl, who joined Hibs as assistant to Pat Fenlon in the summer, said he had enjoyed his time at Easter Road.

Asked if he would like to stay with the Edinburgh club, he said: "You never wish your life away. I'll just wait and see what happens once it officially happens and somebody talks to you officially."

Nicholl thought his players had missed a chance to prove their worth to the new manager and suggested that Butcher "won't suffer tippy-tappy" players.

"It was always going to be difficult, because they are a good team, Inverness, they are a determined bunch of players," he said.

"Confidence is a wee bit low anyway and the last thing we needed was to be 2-0 down."