Joe Newell demands Hibs stars do so much more for David Gray as skipper doesn't hold back

Joe Newell insists the Hibs players are short-changing embattled boss David Gray and has demanded improvement as they look to climb off the Premiership basement.

The Leith side are looking for only their second league win of the campaign when St Mirren visit Easter Road today. Red cards and the concession of late goals have been Hibs’ Achilles heel so far and Newell knows that needs to stop. Club legend Gray – the hero from the 2016 Scottish Cup triumph – has refused to make excuses for their woeful form and Newell knows it is up to the players to dig their gaffer out of a hole.

The Hibs skipper said: “He knew exactly what he was getting into, coming into management – it’s not easy. It’s his first job and he’ll never not take all the responsibility himself. That’s the kind of man he is. He’s not going to pass the blame on to anyone else. He would have every right to, in my opinion, at the minute.

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“But as the captain and as a group of players, I think we have to do so much more for him. He deserves so much more than what he’s getting in terms of results.

“The staff, the manager, have worked so hard. I feel that we’ve got a group of players that should be a lot better than where we are and we’re not doing enough for him at the minute. It’s as simple as that.”

Hibs have conceded nine goals in the final 15 minutes across their 11 league games so far, including the late penalty in last weekend’s draw with Dundee United when Mykola Kuharevich picked up a second yellow card for pulling Emmanuel Adegboyega’s jersey. Newell himself was sent off as Hibs collapsed in injury-time in last month’s defeat at Tannadice and he knows they must stop presenting gifts to the opposition.

He added: “I think in the last game, for example, it was a really good performance, tactically really good. We were just not clinical in the final third. But that shows that as a manager, he’s setting his team up the right way, he knows what he’s doing.

“Bar a late call, we should have had three points. There are other instances throughout the season, red cards – he can’t do anything about me lunging in with five minutes to go.

“Nectar’s (Triantis) red card, last-minute penalties. These are all things out of his control. I feel for him, and we all do. We’re all desperate to turn it round for him.

“I’ve been in dressing rooms where you can see players have just checked out. That’s not this group at all. That’s another reason why I’m firmly confident that we’ll improve from where we are.

“With the chances we’re creating we’re not scoring enough goals. If I was not seeing any improvement or areas to be positive about, I’d be worried. I’ve not got that at all.”