ALAN STUBBS, the Hibernian head coach, has vowed to "get it right" at Easter Road as he reflected on a disappointing opening quarter of the season.
The Edinburgh club find themselves fifth in the Championship, already 14 points adrift of their city neighbours Hearts and three behind Raith Rovers in the final play-off spot.
The underwhelming start to the campaign has led to supporter unrest, with chief executive Leeann Dempster describing the "constant criticism" of the club as "counter productive" and pleading for patience in an online statement.
However, Stubbs insists he is big enough to shoulder the burden of expectation in Leith and has promised that Hibs will be in the promotion shake-up come May.
"I know there are one or two fans frustrated behind me [at Easter Road] and I won't hide from that criticism," Stubbs said. "I want the team to be winning 4-0 every week too, but unfortunately it can't be like that all the time. However, I'll get it right. The bigger the challenge, the broader the shoulders - bring it on.
"Of course we would like to be at the top of the league all the way through the season, but the most important time to be anywhere in the league is May. That's what we need to keep striving towards and keep believing. I would like us to be further up the table than we are. I won't duck that issue. We are making small steps. There is frustration - I'm frustrated, the players are frustrated - but at this moment in time we need to accept where we are and start climbing."
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