D uring his first weeks in Edinburgh, Pat Fenlon spent most of the time on the telephone.

He was speaking to fellow managers, former colleagues, anybody who might offer some insight into the players he had just inherited at Easter Road, but also about the inner workings of Hibernian and Scottish football. He is meticulous by nature, and there was relish in the way he sought to immerse himself completely in the demands of his new job.

As the ninth manager of the club in 10 years, Fenlon might have been alarmed by some of the opinions he received. Decline has set in since John Collins led Hibs to their triumph in the 2007 League Cup, and even 18 months ago John Hughes could put out a side that contained Sol Bamba, Liam Miller, Derek Riordan, Anthony Stokes and Colin Nish. The current squad is more modest and the background information Fenlon accumulated would have offered little reason for optimism.

The team had won only four of 18 games before Fenlon was appointed as successor to Colin Calderwood, and the Irishman must have shifted uncomfortably in his seat in the stand as he then watched Hibs, under the command of caretaker Billy Brown, lose 3-1 to St Johnstone. Since that game in November, Fenlon has presided over one draw and four defeats, including the 3-1 loss at home to Hearts on Monday.

He is known to prefer a painstaking approach to management, as if every consideration has to be pored over. In seeking to become fully informed about the extent of the task he faces, Fenlon admitted it might be helpful that his wife and children remain at home in Dublin, and will not join him in Edinburgh until the kids have finished their schooling. He found the time to move from a hotel to a flat in the city, but otherwise the rest of his hours were spent gathering information and pondering how best to use it.

Fenlon appears a studious figure, with his narrow features, glasses and air of intensity. Players who have worked with him talk of his detachment at training, but only as a warning; Fenlon is not directly involved because he prefers to be observant, keeping a sharp-eyed vigilance as a form of constant judgment. He is demanding, of himself and of his players, and there is little leeway for individuals who do not match his expectations. He is unsparing in his assessments, but shrewd enough to maximise the efforts of those players who respond to his approach.

"He keeps things very close to his chest," says Owen Heary, who played under Fenlon at Shelbourne and Bohemians. "He will man-manage players and motivate them but, if players aren't pulling in the direction he wants, he has no problem getting them out. He knows what he wants, and he gets it. If he gets beaten, he'll feel it for the next couple of days; he doesn't like it and he lets the fellas know that, there will be no laughing or joking. If the fellas aren't preparing right, he'll not be slow in telling them. He's serious when it comes to the football."

Fenlon's work at Easter Road has been comprehensive, but it is just a pre-amble. He has already told Junior Agogo and Matt Thornhill to find new clubs, while signing striker Eoin Doyle from Sligo Rovers. The rest of the transfer window is likely to be chaotic as Fenlon seeks to impose his own values on the squad. He has already questioned the players' fitness levels, although he was moved to defend their performance in the derby defeat by Hearts, even if in private he might have conceded that the result was a reflection of the team's woes.

The sense is of a manager who would like to be radical, but has to work within the financial constraints of Easter Road. Fenlon has been linked with James McPake, the former Livingston defender, among other targets, and it is certain that some new faces will arrive shortly. Fenlon's appeal was generated by the trophies he accumulated in Ireland – five league titles and three cups – but his worth to Hibs is as a manager who refuses to accept lowered standards. Last season, Bohemians were financially crippled and three days before the league started Fenlon had only three registered players, but he still guided the team to a comfortable sixth-place finish.

"He'll turn things around in the next couple of weeks," insists Heary. "I know some of the players being mentioned and they're very good, they'll add something to Hibs. It will be a different team in two weeks, I can guarantee that.

"Before last season, he was dealing with quality players who knew what they were doing and what they were about. Last year, he had a lot of young lads starting their career, and most people thought we would be fighting relegation, but we finished just outside the top five. I don't think people should judge him yet, because he's not had the chance to get players in, but you'll soon see a different side to Hibs. And next year, they'll be a different team again, he'll be going after Europe with them."

Fenlon brings with him a reputation for being stringent as well as successful. The task of reviving Hibs demands a rigorous approach.