John Collins, the Hibernian manager, has decided to stay in charge at Easter Road despite some of his players criticising him behind his back to the club chairman, Rod Petrie.

John Collins, the Hibernian manager, has decided to stay in charge at Easter Road despite some of his players criticising him behind his back to the club chairman, Rod Petrie.

Yet while he will persevere in his role, Collins admitted he will have a "chat" with the players, both collectively and individually, at training this morning. The manager knows it is crucial to get the squad in the right frame of mind and fully focused on the Tennent's Scottish Cup semi-final against Dunfermline, which is only three days away.

Club sources have told The Herald that the ringleaders of the dressing room revolt will be severely reprimanded and there have been suggestions some will be moved on at the end of the season.

After he returned to Easter Road from a three-day scouting mission in France, Collins held a meeting with Petrie to discuss what had happened in his absence. He asked to be given details of the Monday evening talks between the chairman and the players, a get-together which Collins claimed he had known nothing about.

Despite the fact that at the meeting some players criticised aspects of his managerial skills to the chairman, the coach said it was "ridiculous" to think he would even contemplate leaving his job because of their comments.

"Anyone who knows me knows I am a focused person and that nothing will distract me," said Collins. "I'll have a chat with the players both collectively and individually tomorrow morning and, from my perspective, anything said will remain within the dressing room."

The manager added that it was disappointing when things which "should remain private were made public," and blamed the media for not focusing on the positives at Easter Road.

"We have a massive match and all that matters is the cup semi-final, reaching the final and making this a special season," he said. "It's important the players get all distractions out of their minds, to forget about the newspapers.

"We have a Scottish Cup semi-final against Dunfermline, and with a place in the final at stake they the players have an opportunity which they may never get in their lives again, to win two cups and become legends.

"They have already won one trophy through hard work and their talent and they produced a memorable performance on a big day which won't be forgotten by supporters for many years to come."

Collins said after 19 years as a player, the vagaries of the game no longer shocked him and that he would ride out the storm engulfing Easter Road.

"I cannot dictate what goes in papers, only how the players train when they are under my charge," said Collins. "Every week I am learning. Nothing surprises you in football and I had 19 years as a players so I have been through the course.

"You have to be thick-skinned, focused, determined, and know where you want to go. All that is ever important is Hibernian Football Club and giving the supporters everything, week in, week out."

Jackie McNamara Sr, a former Hibs player and a leading light in the Scottish Professional Footballers Association, urged the club's players to "grow up and quickly unite".

McNamara admitted he had been astonished at the claims of civil unrest emerging from Easter Road since Saturday's 1-0 defeat at relegation-threatened Dunfermline.

McNamara, who played for the club in 1970s, said : "It has been pretty disappointing this week. In fact, it beggars belief. I know footballers and they can blame everyone but themselves when things are going against them. It's sour grapes from some and I've been disappointed in their body language. With the nonsense in the back of their heads, that will ultimately have an impact on performance.

"The players are adults and if they don't like his Collins' methods or the way that he works, then move on and get another club. Either that or work harder and play for themselves, as well as the club and the fans.

"During my career, I never played for a manager. I played for my own self-respect, the people who paid my wages and the fans."