Craig: Time To Show Bottle

Jan 6 2008 By Gavin Berry

CARETAKER Hibs gaffer Tommy Craig has told his players it's time to stand up and be counted after yet another defeat.

The Easter Road men have won just once in their last 12 games as they continue their slide down the SPL table.

And Craig said: "One or two of the players are going back into their shells.

"It takes great courage and doggedness to get out of these kind of bad runs. The only way to do it is to stand up and be counted."

Craig is surely now out of the running for the permanent position as former Preston and Carlisle boss Paul Simpson emerged as a leading contender.

Ex-Hibees striker Mixu Paatelainen is also among the favourites and the Finn was in Scotland yesterday to watch Falkirk take on Aberdeen. But Paatelainen insists Hibs haven't approached him.

Mixu, now boss at TPS Turku in his homeland after a spell at Cowdenbeath, said: "If there was anything in it I would have heard by now.

"I'm enjoying my time with TPS and looking forward to taking them into Europe next season. It would be unfair to rule myself out or in."