IT was really only a matter of time before Terry Butcher's voice was ringing in the ears of his Hibernian players even if the cause of that has not been as predictable.

It is not an echo to a rebuke by their manager - which might have been warranted since Hibs have won only twice at home in the league this calender year - but is instead the result of team talks which have proven lasting, with some in the squad still able to recall much of what Butcher has said.

He has alighted on various themes and favours fables, historical stories and quotes from figures of the past to instil certain messages in his team. That they are able to be recalled to readily would seem particularly useful today since Butcher is banned from the dressing room before the home game with St Johnstone. The Hibs manager is serving a one-match touchline suspension which was upheld by the Scottish Football Association earlier this week.

If he has anything to say he had best say it now, then. Maurice Malpas will stand in ahead kick-off to rally the Easter Road side and Paul Hanlon is hopeful of receiving a team talk from the Hibs assistant manager this afternoon which is similarly out of the box.

"The manager goes completely away from football with his team talks," said the Hibs defender. "Before the Celtic game he was telling us the whole story of David and Goliath. The main theme was the smaller person overcoming the giant; that's what he wanted us to do last week. So we'll see what's in store for Saturday.

"It gets you thinking. Last week it got us believing we would go there and get a good result. He's got for things like that. Eventually he brings it back to football and it all falls into place. Lawrence of Arabia and George Washington have come up as well.

"I suppose it relaxes you. You're not thinking 'the game, the game, the game' all the time. You're interested in where he's going with his team talk. Every other manager I've had is just straight into the opposition; what they do, what we're going to do, and things like that."

It might seem appropriate to mention St Johnstone now, then. The Perth side remain among the top six of the SPFL Premiership - the club are four points ahead of Hibs - and are armed with Scotland Under-21 striker Stevie May. His form this season has acted to eclipse the threat of Nigel Hasselbaink but the Dutchman would seem willing to work quietly alongside May.

Or out on the wing, the forward having been unsure of his place at St Johnstone last season under former manager Steve Lomas. His position is not assured this term since Tommy Wright is eager to add another striker to his squad next month, although Hasselbaink has at least been convinced to stay put and fight it out for favour.

His preference is to partner May up front, although Hasselbaink has acknowledged that his last two starts there have ended in goalless displays against Inverness Caledonian Thistle and Aberdeen. He will not complain should he be restored to a place out wide, though.

"I've played the last couple of games through the middle alongside Stevie May but we didn't get the results we wanted, so I'm not sure what will happen," said Hasselbaink. "I like playing up front but I don't have a problem playing on the wing. Just as long as I play, I'm happy.

"But I do think Stevie and I can form a good partnership. When we have played together we have scored a lot of goals. We have a good relationship off the pitch as well and that helps, so if the boss is looking for a front pairing, maybe we can link up."