Lee Johnson believes Hibs making the top six wood represent progression for the Leith club, but success is finishing fifth or higher.
The Hibees know three points away to St Johnstone at the weekend will confirm a top half finish at the expense of either Livingston or St Mirren, depending on their results. However, a draw or a defeat coupled with a Livingston victory at tannadice would see the capital club facing a bottom six finish for the second season in succession.
Johnson of course wants to avoid that, but insists only a European berth, which fifth could be enough for depending on who wins the Scottish Cup, would allow him to call his first season in Edinburgh a successful one after replacing Shaun Maloney last summer. He said: "It would demonstrate progression if we were to get into the top six. It would demonstrate that players have now settled into the division after a big turnaround.
"We're not the finished article by any stretch of the imagination. That consistency has to be there, a lot of teams have struggled with it this year. But we believe we can build on the positives we've got."
Asked if making the top six would represent a success for Hibs in his first season, Johnson said he would prefer to go a step further and secure a European spot. He said: "Top five, I feel, would be a success.
"I want to win things. I'm disappointed we got knocked out of both cups as early as we did. That won't happen next year, there's no doubt about that, because we know a lot more about it.
"There are signs there now, I can smell it. I understand what a successful club feels like, looks like, smells like and I see a lot of those positive signs here. Moving forward we've just got to keep making good and better decisions all the time, and results will come to us."
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