Hibernian

Image source, SNS

Hibs full-back Chris Cadden says he still dreams of playing for Scotland, but insists he is only thinking about the end of the club season.

Scotland manager Steve Clarke looks likely to be without both Nathan Patterson and Aaron Hickey for this summer's Euros, and looks short of options at right-back.

Cadden won two Scotland caps in 2018, and says it is undoubtedly the highlight of his career to date.

"I was brought up that Scotland is the pinnacle of your career," he said.

"That's where you want to be. I will always have aspirations to play for Scotland, that's something that will never leave me.

"I've not heard anything, I'm coming back from injury and I've got things to focus on.

“It doesn’t give me an extra edge or anything like that – I think that would be disrespectful to Hibs, my manager and my teammates.

"I'm going to go out there and try as hard as I can for Hibs, Euros or not. That's just in my make-up, and I'll see where it takes me."

A scrap to finish seventh was not in the summer plans of Hibernian or Aberdeen yet that's what it has come to for this season's most glaring underachievers.

Both clubs have registered a mere 10 wins from 35 league matches, while three teams with significantly less money to spend are mixing it in the top six.

The ire from the Pittodrie stands has been placated with new manager Jimmy Thelin on the way and the stand-in steering the team away from the wrong end of the table.

Things are not nearly as settled at Easter Road.

Failure to reach the top half brought a rather vague statement from the board saying such an outcome was "unacceptable" and promising a "full review of the club's football structure".

The post-split fixtures began with an impressive dismantling of St Johnstone but that was immediately followed by defeat at Ross County, with the concession of yet another late goal.

The future of Montgomery is uncertain and the sight of the head coach applauding fans at full-time in Dingwall and receiving an angry earful in return made for extremely awkward viewing.

Hibs are unbeaten in their last five league meetings with Aberdeen and have not lost at home to Sunday's opponents since August 2020.

Will extending that record be enough to earn Montgomery more time or will the Edinburgh side soon be seeking a fifth manager since December 2021?

Read all the weekend's Premiership picks

Hibernian boss Nick Montgomery confirms veteran striker Adam Le Fondre will depart in the summer as he prepares for "tough conversations" with some of the 18 players currently out on loan. (Edinburgh Evening News), external

Read the rest of Friday's Scottish gossip.

Scotland defender Ryan Porteous tells Jonathan Sutherland about his relationship with referees on BBC's Scottish Football Podcast.

Listen to the full episode here.

Brian McLauchlin
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

Image source, SNS

Nick Montgomery says he still has "belief" that he can lead Hibs to success despite growing frustration from the home support.

The Easter Road club have three fixtures remaining in the bottom six of the Scottish Premiership, with the English manager admitting he's looking ahead to "change" in the summer.

"When I was brought in after the season had started, it was a case of getting through this season, trying to reach the targets of progressing in the cups and getting to the top six," Motgomery said.

"Unfortunately we missed out on that on the last day of the season. Nothing's changed in my belief of where I can take this club.

"You want to have a [transfer] window where you can make a couple of changes. I've been talking about quality over quantity because that's what we need."

Video footage emerged of Montgomery, along with the Hibs squad, going over to an unhappy travelling support following their defeat at Ross County last weekend.

However, the Englishman insists no cross words where shared and he will continue to ensure players show their appreciation to the fans.

"People seem to make a big deal out of nothing," he said.

"We should have won, fans are going to vent their frustrations when you make a mistake at the end of the game.

"I went over to clap the fans as I always do - win, lose or draw. There wasn't actually any conversation. I didn't hear anything.

"I knew before coming to the club that there were a lot of times players would go down the tunnel and wouldn't clap the fans. For me, that goes without saying.

"You take the applause when you deserve it and you also stand big, get your chest out and take the criticism when it comes because that's the right thing to do."

Brian McLauchlin
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

Image source, SNS

Hibs manager Nick Montgomery has been facing the media ahead of his side's meeting with Aberdeen on Sunday.

Here are the key points:

• Insists there were no conversations with fans following Saturday's loss at Ross County after videos showed Montgomery and players going over to the support at full-time.

• The decision for stalwarts Paul Hanlon and Lewis Stevenson to leave was made jointly between players and club. Montgomery adds Hibs will lose "ultimate professionals" but "change is good".

• Appreciates the frustration from support at how the season has unfolded at Easter Road.

• Aiming to pick up maximum points from remaining fixtures, starting this weekend.

• Recruitment for next season is ongoing and he aims to have the squad together "as early as possible".

• David Marshall is back in contention, but Will Fish is unlikely to make the squad and Lewis Miller remains out.

• Hibs are unbeaten in five league meetings with Aberdeen (W3 D2), keeping four clean sheets while scoring 12 goals themselves in this stretch.

• Aberdeen have lost five of their last six league visits to Hibs (D1), including their last three in a row.

• After a six-game unbeaten run in the league from February to March (W3 D3), Hibs have since lost three of their last five (W1 D1), including a 2-1 defeat to Ross County last time out.

• Aberdeen are unbeaten in six league games (W4 D2), winning their last two. They have also kept a clean sheet in their last four league fixtures, their longest such run since April 2023 (5).

• Bojan Miovski has 15 league goals this season, one shy of his tally last term (16). He is the first player to score 15+ league goals in two successive seasons for Aberdeen since Adam Rooney in 2014-15 (18) and 2015-16 (20).

Brian McLauchlin
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

The Easter Road faithful are longing for the season to end after another campaign that offered so much but has delivered so little.

It all looked so rosy 10 months ago. A European campaign on the horizon and what looked like quality players arriving in Leith.

Striker Dylan Vente arrived for around £700,000 but after a decent start with five goals scored before the end of September he has found the net only three times since. Value for money? I don’t think so.

Dylan Levitt was another who cost a six-figure fee and there was great anticipation about the Wales international and what he could achieve at the club.

However, the 23-year-old missed the whole of September with injury and his performances have not set the heather on fire this campaign.

Same goes for most of the squad. A change of manager - Nick Montgomery replacing the sacked Lee Johnson - initially brought an upturn in Hibs' form, but since the turn of the year results have been disappointing to say the least.

Montgomery's record at the moment is 12 wins, 12 draws and 12 defeats. For some clubs this would be acceptable. But not Hibs.

The defeat last weekend at Ross County after more abject defending sums up this season for the club.

Some supporters may have had enough of Montgomery. But is that fair given he has just had one transfer window?

Hibs' failings aren’t just from this season. The defence has been screaming out for change for some time.

Two great stalwarts, Lewis Stevenson and Paul Hanlon, can leave the club with their heads held high at the end of the season. Other players may well exit too, with few fans feeling anything other than relief they have gone.

A big summer awaits and whatever happens the fans deserve better looking to the new season.

Image source, SNS

Joe Newell says "no one will come close" to the legacy left behind by Hibs stalwarts Paul Hanlon and Lewis Stevenson.

The Easter Road club announced the long-serving duo will depart at the end of the season, having racked up more than 1,100 appearances between them.

Midfielder Newell has played alongside the veterans since arriving in Leith in 2019, and believes their names will be synonymous with Hibs going forward.

"Words can’t describe the admiration and love I have for these two boys," he wrote on X, external.

"Nothing and no one will ever come close to them and what they have been to the football club ever again.

"Wrote themselves in history and have a legacy that will last generations. Good luck boys."

Scotland defender Ryan Porteous talks to BBC Scotland about the prospect of starting against Germany at this summer's Euros.

Former Scotland striker Lee Miller and Jordan Campbell of The Athletic reflect on the Hibs careers of Paul Hanlon and Lewis Stevenson after it was announced the pair will leave at the end of the season.

Listen and subscribe to the Scottish football podcast on BBC Sounds

Hibernian are in need of a morale-boosting win and welcome Aberdeen on Sunday with the hope of achieving that.

Who should Nick Montgomery hand starts to? Choose your XI here.

Image source, SNS

The names of Paul Hanlon and Lewis Stevenson will “forever be written in the club’s history”, say Hibernian owners the Gordon family.

It has been announced the pair will depart Easter Road this summer after amassing almost 1,100 games between them.

Hanlon and fellow defender Stevenson were part of the unforgettable Scottish Cup success in 2016 as Hibs ended a 114-year wait to lift the trophy.

Stevenson, 36, also won the League Cup with Hibs in 2007 and is the club’s fourth highest appearance maker on 599, with 34-year-old Hanlon close behind in fifth on 562.

The Gordon family’s statement said: “We’d like to begin by thanking Paul and Lewis for everything they have done at Hibernian FC.

“What they have achieved at the club is absolutely magnificent and their names will forever be written in the club’s history.

“They will always be considered among the greats at Hibernian FC, which is down to the tremendous roles they’ve played both on and off the pitch. They will always be friends of the club.

“Our final home game against Motherwell will give us a chance to bid an emotional farewell to both Paul and Lewis, and give them the send-off they deserve.”

Matty Fairnie
Fan writer

After the respite last weekend’s win brought, it was back to reality with a bump as Hibs reverted to type on Saturday.

Another late goal at Ross County did the damage in a game that sums up Hibs’ season. Some brief optimism as we started well, taking the lead through the excellent Myziane Maolida, before an awful mistake from Rocky Bushiri let Simon Murray equalise.

After that, Hibs huffed and puffed but we were just frustratingly poor all over the pitch as Jordan White got a late winner.

There’s a reason there's so much discontent amongst the fans - as seen at the end of Saturday’s match when Nick Montgomery faced up to an irate travelling support - and you have to take your hat off to the Hibees that made the long trip to the Highlands only to witness such an abject display.

It looks like Hibs are determined to limp over the line as a hugely disappointing season draws to a close.

Aberdeen are up next, they’ve managed to be even worse than us this season, so Sunday probably won’t be one for the purists.

Matty Fairnie can be found on the Longbangers podcast., external

Image source, SNS

Hibernian's big weakness is their defence, how soft they are, how easily they concede goals, and it was exposed again against Ross County.

It’s been their Achilles heel for a number of years now and I’m amazed it hasn’t been resolved by a number of managers.

They are always exciting going forward, and always have a goal threat, but if you’re going to consistently concede soft goals you’re never going to be high up the league.

There will be instructions coming from the manager, but you become predictable playing from the back sometimes, and it can cause you problems, which it has for Hibs. Sometimes as a player you need to take responsibility and play the odd long ball.

They are also very weak with balls into the box and they have to rectify that.

There needs to be a huge recruitment drive on the defence. It’s going to be an interesting summer at Easter Road.

Former Scotland goalkeeper Cammy Bell was talking to BBC Sport Scotland's George O'Neill.

Hibernian defender Jordan Obita admits he "probably didn't realise just how big a club it was until I got here". (Edinburgh Evening News - subscription), external

Read Monday's Scottish Gossip