With 10 per cent of Hibs shares now in supporters hands while season ticket sales are up by the same margin Alan Stubbs has accepted that it is now down to players and management to play their part in bringing a new sense of confidence to Easter Road.

 

This is a club that has been something of a basket case in modern times, repeatedly going to pieces when the pressure comes on at the business end of the season, resulting in all sorts of disharmony between those running it and those backing it.

The anger generated after their play-off capitulation last year consequently might easily have been rekindled when they failed to live up to their billing as favourites going into the Scottish Cup semi-final, yet those sale figures indicate that faith in the current regime is growing.

"It's slowly but surely starting to really turn," said Alan Stubbs, the manager who took over following their relegation to the Championship.

"At this moment in time I think the fans have really bought into what we're trying to do. There's still room for improvement as in I still think we can sell more and we have our part to play in that as well, myself and my staff and the players.

"We can't expect fans to dig deep into their pockets if they don't see a team worthy of that on the pitch and I do get the general sense that they are happy with the way things are going, with the players that we've brought in, the style of play... we just need to try to finish the season off now and reward ourselves by trying to get promoted."

Increased season ticket sales seem particularly relevant in this regard as Stubbs noted.

"When I came in it was a low point as in what had happened, but then I picked up on (the fact) that the team couldn't play at home, so I think they've addressed that because I think our home record is decent," he observed.

"I think they only won two (home) games in the whole of 2014 so we've certainly done a lot better than that in 2015 and even from August onwards."

As to whether they will continue to lose their nerve come the crunch, Stubbs has repeatedly acknowledged that the question will arise until they prove they can do otherwise.

"People will always aim that argument, but as one of my players said during the week that argument wasn't aimed at them when we were one defeat in 27, so they just need to do what they've been doing," he noted.

"The performance in the semi-final was very good. Sometimes, it's like everything, not just in football but in life, you just need a little slice of luck, so hopefully what we didn't get then may be in front of us.

"As long as they keep performing that'll come. I'd rather the team's performing than not performing. I'd rather the team's making chances than not making chances and if we do that then we've got a chance of winning games."

Given the spat which followed the semi-final defeat with Falkirk manager Peter Houston claiming that Stubbs had failed to give them credit after any of their encounters in a season that has so far seen Hibs fail to beat the Bairns it is football's way that they should meet once again in today's match which can decide whether Hibs or Rangers finish as Championship runners-up, so avoiding the first round of play-offs.

Falkirk's chance of reaching the play-offs having ended when Queen of the South won last weekend they might have gone into this match with little incentive had it not been for that bit of feeling having been generated so recently which perhaps explains why Stubbs is keen to make it clear that the matter has been resolved.

"I've seen him already and I've shaken his hand so that takes that one out of the equation," he said.

"I've got no problem. I never have had a problem. I don't see a problem when the comments that you give are honest. There's been a lot made of it. It's helped fill in a few gaps in the broadsheets but I've got every respect for Peter. I've said that all along. I'm not saying anything different. It won't change on Saturday.

"It's not about me and Peter, far from it. It's about the players, not me and Peter.

"I shook his hand at the under-20 game during the week so there's no problem. I went straight over and shook his hand."

In saying so he made a valid point about the expectations of managers who are often criticised when they refuse to address issues, but are then attacked when they do say what they think.

"I think people should respect that we're both emotional and honest guys," he said.

"There would be nothing worse if we came in after the game and said boring things.You want personalities in football. You want people who wear their heart on their sleeves. I'm a very honest guy. The day you take that out of me you might as well take me away from it all."

Stubbs is, however, hoping that today and through the play-offs, he, his players and his club's supporters will be able to honestly expressing very different emotions to those experienced at Hampden a fortnight ago.