Tam McManus doesn't shirk voicing damning Hibs view that 'won't be popular among fans'

Tam McManus knows it's an unpopular opinion that won't sit well with Hibs fans. But the former striker insists the Easter Road hotseat is no longer attractive for top managers.

The Hibees yesterday declared a vote of confidence in struggling boss David Gray despite a dismal start to the season. The Edinburgh outfit have just one victory in 12 league games and are rock bottom of the Premiership. Some pundits and fans speculated that the weekend's damaging 2-1 home defeat to St Mirren could have been the end of Gray's short tenure in charge. But club chiefs decided to buck the trend of hiring and sacking bosses by throwing their support behind the Scottish Cup-winning idol.

Like many, McManus believes the club's woes lie deeper than the manager's doorstep with the bungling hierarchy overseeing years of mediocrity and failure. And as Hibs stare at the possibility of a relegation dogfight, McManus claims no manager worth their salt would take over the reins, if Gray were to depart.

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He told the Daily Record: "David Gray could have been fired at half-time in that St Mirren shambles. I actually felt sure the trigger would be pulled on him once Saturday's game was finished. But it wasn't. Hibs chiefs last night went public to declare it wouldn't be following talks.

"And, do you know what, it shouldn't be. Why? Because this Hibs mess should not be laid at the door of a young manager. Not when the entire club is in a horrendous state.

"Fans chanted Gray's name at the end of the game and that might seem crazy to some. But the Hibs faithful see this situation for what it is - a club with deep-rooted problems that start right at the very top.

"What is the point in sacking Gray when you won't be able to get an experienced manager worth his salt to go into that mess? Why on earth would a Derek McInnes or a Stephen Robinson even think twice about going to Hibs at the moment?

"This opinion isn't going to be popular among fans but right now it's not an attractive job for an experienced boss. The ownership of the club has proven over the past two years that they really don't know what they are doing. That's the whole point. I don't think Gray is the problem. The problems go far deeper.

"The supporters are clear on that and you can tell it by the fact they backed him after the match because that's unusual for any manager in his position at the bottom of the league. Mind you, they sang Franck Sauzee's name the last game before he got the sack so I don't think that goes for much. But that backing for Gray tells you what the punters think.

"They believe the problems are up the stairs at the club and not in the technical area. I'm not going to argue with that. The problems are with the owner Ian Gordon and with CEO Ben Kensell. I'm loath to add Malky Mackay's name to that list because he's only just in the door. It feels unfair. He's also being targeted by fans and many didn't want him in the door in the first place.

"But he has only just arrived and it's pretty harsh to bundle the sporting director in with the constant mistakes of the past two years, even if he was part of the Gray appointment. The fans are entitled to be raging. They're bottom of the league and it's been two years of utter garbage. New manager, sign players, sack him, new manager, same again. Honestly, it's a never-ending circle of junk."