Lee Johnson expects there’ll be loose cannons going off in Edinburgh before the 1 o’clock booms out on Saturday - and they’ll be concentrated mainly in the Tynecaste technical areas.
The Hibs boss is under no illusions as he prepares for another explosive derby day battle in enemy territory with more at stake than any of the previous four this season. Fourth place for the winner, a nailed-on European spot and ultimate bragging rights for the summer. Or as Johnson puts it, “the cherry on the cake of Hibs’ comeback” as they look to shoot down their arch rivals in fourth spot.
It promises to be a fiery battle not least on the touchline where Johnson’s counterpart Steven Naismith has already made his mark with his combative and animated style. But Johnson insists no quarter will be given as Hibs head across the city armed with a powerful dose of confidence after dumping champions Celtic in Leith.
Johnson said: “I don’t mind, I’m fine with that! My bookings and disciplinary record would suggest that.
“I’ll be honest with you, that technical area is wild. We’re all loose cannons at that point. Everybody wants to win. It’s strange, isn’t it? A man being stood in a little cage and if he steps out of a white line another man drags you back in or books you.
“It is what it is. Obviously both benches will be competitive and I don’t think anybody will stand down in a game like this.
"We know what we've got to do, that's the key. Fifth doesn't mean anything until Celtic win the Scottish Cup.
"There's a lot at stake: a little more prize money, local bragging rights, there's setting a marker down, there's the European place, but we've been playing catch-up.”
After losing the last visit to Tynecastle 3-0 on January 2 Johnson laid into his underperforming side and vowed to clear out the deadwood saying he was “sick to death of mediocrity”. At that point Hibs sat eighth, eight points off Hearts having played a game more.
The turnaround since has been stark. Johnson said: “Sometimes as a manager you have to show your teeth. You can’t mollycoddle and be nice and not put demands on people.
“Respect is obviously key but sometimes you have to say: ‘Look, the club has fallen short’ And really the players were falling short, not so much in training with their effort and their professionalism.
“But in terms of taking that across the line, part of it was psychological, part of it was culture, the fact we had some big injuries. But obviously now we are in a much better place than we were then and everybody is committed to that, including the players.
“When we let 14 players go in January that was part of the malaise around the building I talked about. Now that’s not there, this a vibrant culture. It will be a nice feeling for Hibs fans to finish on a real high. We bought a bit of credit with the Celtic win but there's no question that the derby, and this derby, is the most important game for the fans.
"It's the most important game for us because a it's the next one and b it's the one with the biggest prize on it. It's very important to a club like us to be consistently competing in those realms and this is our opportunity to do it.
"There's bonuses for the players, you go straight into Europe, recruiting players. You've got a lot better chance of getting players when you're in Europe and you can sell that opportunity as well. It's very important to a club like us to be consistently competing in those realms and this is our opportunity to do it.
"I hope we do because I know the work that everyone has put in."
A Hibs win would spectacularly change the narrative both in Edinburgh football circles and for Johnson himself after back-to-back derby defeats in January left him in the firing line. Top five and already sitting six points better off than last year’s eighth place finish means the proof is already in the pudding of progression.
However Johnson said “This would be the cherry on the top of the cake of what I would call the comeback, or turnaround, or whatever you want to call it. We’re not timid, we want to be successful, we want to win, we want to celebrate with our fans.
“We want them to be proud, to have the bragging rights across the city. All those factors are a big part of football and that’s why we love it. It’s a game but it’s more than that, isn’t it? To all of us.”
Hibs know nothing short of three points will suffice if they’re to leapfrog the Jambos. And after a midweek card where the permutations at the top and bottom of the table jumped about like a bag of frogs Johnson is relishing the winner takes all showdown.
He said: “It’s very pure Saturday, isn’t it? Wednesday night against Celtic wasn’t quite as pure.
“We wanted to win the game and we started to win the game but at half-time it was a different story because St Mirren were losing 2-0 and we were 1-0 down. At that point, we needed a goal. Therefore, the dynamic changes because if we scored a goal then fifth place was pretty much guaranteed in terms of goal difference.
“That gave us the platform to go and be bold. Obviously the win has put us in a good place. It will have killed a few coupons that result, that’s for sure.
“But that’s the spirit of the club and we’ve got to bring that spirit more and more. As the day comes and the game comes, it’s always a factor in an away performance, to silence the crowd.
“But sometimes you can’t silence the crowd. Maybe with a two-goal lead or a three-goal lead, but it’s obviously not easy to get to that point. It will be a really good game and I’m really looking forward to it. It’s great when you’re on the winning end of these games and it’s very difficult if you lose the game.
“It’s tough to take, we’ve all got our heart in the right place. But, at the same time, whatever happens, I’ll still believe it’s been a successful season, as long as we get into the European places.”
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