| Scottish League Cup: Kilmarnock v Hibernian |
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| Venue: Rugby Park Date: Wednesday, 25 September Kick-off: 19:45 BST |
| Coverage: Updates on BBC Radio Scotland 810MW/DAB and the BBC Sport website & app |
Trainspotting author Irvine Welsh fears his beloved Hibernian are “favourites” for relegation from the Scottish Premiership this season.
Paul Heckingbottom’s side are second bottom of the table, with four points from six games, following Sunday’s Edinburgh derby defeat by Hearts.
“A lot of people won’t be back until there’s an improvement in the side,” said Welsh on BBC Radio Scotland.
“I can’t really see how it’s going to happen under the current regime.”
Speaking on Sportsound, he added: “There seems to be no fight in the team at all.
“I didn’t go [on Sunday]. I kind of had no intention of going. I’ve been to some of the games this season. I went to the St Mirren game at home and I went to the Motherwell game away, and I’ve kind of not been impressed with what I’ve been seeing.
“I’ve been arguing with Hearts-supporter friends about who the worst team in Scotland is right now, and I think I’ve been proven right that Hibs are actually the worst team in Scotland at the moment.”
Hibs came under the ownership of United States-based businessman Ronald Gordon in July and Welsh has urged the chairman to “get involved”.
“He’s been the kind of silent guy in the States,” he added. “He has to get involved or I think [chief executive] Leeann Dempster has to be more pro-active about what’s happening here, because you’re not going to sell any season tickets next year with this kind of regime – and then the club’s finances get hit and it goes into a spiral of decline again.
“I think they need to make some decisions. The season can still be salvaged if you get somebody that can motivate these players and make them perform at a higher level.
“I really think that Hibs are favourites for relegation.”
‘Too early for crisis talk’ – analysis
Former Hibernian striker Kenny Miller on Sportsound
It’s too early, way too early to start getting talk of crisis. I like Paul Heckingbottom, I like the way his team played when he came into Hibs last year. One win and you jump up the table.
The transfer window is three months away. Results need to improve now, it’s as simple as that.
Former Hibernian midfielder Michael Stewart on Sportsound
Hibs can’t be sitting second bottom of the table. Inevitably you’re going to get pressure from that.
If they were able to get the core of the team, i.e. those two midfielders and a centre-half, all of a sudden those other players would be able to come to the fore because they’d have that foundation.
