BY IAIN COLLIN – @CCP_sport
Darren McGregor has confessed that complacency has put paid to Hibernian’s title challenge.
The Easter Road side missed the chance to cut the gap on Rangers to five points when they lost their game in hand against Morton last Wednesday.
And they subsequently slipped a massive 11 points behind the runaway league leaders when they succumbed to a 3-2 defeat to part-timers Dumbarton at the weekend.
McGregor insists the capital men are desperate to ensure a ‘blip’ does not become a crisis when they travel to face Queen of the South tonight.
But the former St Mirren defender has admitted Hibs have only themselves to blame for not hanging on to the coattails of old club Rangers.
He said: “Maybe there is an element of complacency going into games and maybe not doing things how we did them in the past – and expecting to turn up to games and win.
“But we all know in football if you turn up to a game expecting to win, with an element of complacency, then you can be hurt.
“And I think that’s been proven in the last couple of games.
“It’s just about getting back to winning ways.
“Nothing’s changed, the objective’s still the same.
“For us, at the start of the season, it was to go up. Going up as winners would obviously be great, but if it’s the play-off route then so be it.”
Confidence
McGregor blamed individual errors for the defeats that have cost Hibs a stab at the title and given Falkirk hope of leapfrogging them into second.
He has also confessed that the collective confidence of the squad has been dented by the setbacks.
However, with a Scottish Cup quarter-final against Inverness Caley Thistle on Saturday and the League Cup final against Ross County eight days later, the 30-year-old knows they cannot afford to feel sorry for themselves.
Admitting Hibs now have no chance in the league if Rangers maintain their current form, he added: “It’s been a bad week, that’s all it is. It’s two games we wanted to win and we haven’t won but there’s no point in dwelling on it.
“There are massive games to come and still a big portion of the season to go as well.
“You put it to bed, you dust yourself down and then you go again,
“It’s about getting that momentum back and I believe we have the players to do that.”
McGregor was speaking as Hibs launched an initiative in partnership with health and wellbeing website ‘Living it Up’ to encourage supporters to collectively walk ‘500 miles’. For more see www.livingitup.org.uk/500miles
