All change again at Hibs as Hughes exits

Hibernian's struggle to re-establish themselves as the best of the rest in the SPL since the departure of Tony Mowbray in 2006 has claimed another casualty as John Hughes became their third manager post-Mowbray to fall by the wayside in the four years since.

As was the case for his predecessors John Collins and Mixu Paatelainen, lifelong Hibs fan Hughes' spell in charge featured a flirtation with the heights soared twice this century, first by Alex McLeish and then Mowbray, only for things to eventually unravel in spectacular fashion.

The first half of last season was a spectacular success, with the Edinburgh club spending Christmas Day third in the table, a point shy of Celtic and just five off Rangers while playing some lovely football, but despite eventually finishing fourth, they really fell away, winning three of their final 16.

A victory at Motherwell on the opening weekend of this campaign offered hope that there would be no hangover to that flat finish, however it was followed by a run of two points from six games, which in addition to instant exits from the Europa League and League Cup meant that Saturday's loss at St Johnstone was the final straw.

The former Falkirk boss may reflect that he should have followed head over heart in January when Owen Coyle reportedly recommended Yogi as his ideal replacement at Burnley. Instead, Hughes responded to speculation by stating that he had no intention to walk out on his Hibees.

There has been fanciful talk of Mowbray returning to fill the post, with Jimmy Calderwood's name also discussed in the media. Whoever comes in will struggle to close the eight-point gap between Hibs and third-placed Motherwell, yet they are offered at [7.2] to be the best outside the Old Firm.

Who do Hibernian fans want to replace Hughes? Throw a name in the mix below...

Published: 4 Oct 2010

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