Rocky Bushiri says he's fed up seeing the blame for all Hibs' woes being laid at the door of successive managers.
A desperately poor season at Easter Road hit a new low on Sunday as Aberdeen struck four times without reply to heap immense pressure on Nick Montgomery. The atmosphere turned toxic at full-time, with the manager and players roundly booed as they completed their regular post-match lap of the pitch.
The brunt of the anger has been directed at Montgomery who - since 2021 - would follow Jack Ross, Shaun Maloney, and Lee Johnson through the exit door if Hibs decide to pull the trigger on his leadership. But Bushiri declared himself tired of the relentless focus on the man in the dugout, and is adamant that this season's failures should be viewed as a collective shortcoming.
Hibs have failed to reach the top six at the expense of clubs with more modest resources, and have won only nine Premiership matches all season, with Sunday's drubbing pushing them down into a lowly ninth place.
"We are all heartbroken as we have let so many people down now," said the centre-back. "Especially after not making top six, there's a feeling like we deserve to be up there. But when you perform like that you know it is not good enough. Everybody should reflect on themselves, look themselves in the mirror. Have I done everything to be at my best?"
READ MORE: Every word from Rocky Bushiri as Hibs star pulls no punches
"I have been here two seasons and all the time it's 'manager, manager, manager'. The responsibility is shared. It's also on us, it is on everybody. Everybody included in the club. I hate finger pointing. That's not up to me to speak about the manager. Let me focus on me and the boys, the team.
"I can't say that [we let the manager down]. I don't like those kind of questions as we are there as a group. When I see how the week goes, everybody is there. We give everything in training. When things are going against you, it's just trying to make it click. Wednesday, last game at home, do it for your family, the fans, for Paul and Stevo, find a purpose. You play for Hibs, do it for Hibs and go from there. Then there is next season. There are going to be changes and different things."
Hibs' alarming collapse after conceding via a Leighton Clarkson opener has raised inevitable questions on whether the players are still giving their all for Montgomery. But Bushiri insists there is no lack of effort in the Hibs ranks, and believes he sees a team still giving everything throughout the week.
"It's like I said, we train hard," he said. "Everyone is on the same page. It's not about 'are the players behind the manager' because you can't say every time they lose 'ah they've let the manager down'. No. You run until the end, you look at yourself, go in front of the mirror. Did I give everything? I am a professional player. I play for Hibs, I have responsibilities. Have I done enough? It's not about manager this, that. I've had enough of this, to be honest. Can't change managers, do this, this, that. I've said it in difficult moments when it's on me, I hold my hands up - 'guys, I've made a mistake'.
"I don't blame the fans. They are there all of the time. They have travelled last week, we've not performed. I understand their anger. You need to give them something and they will give it back to you. I want to apologise, but I also feel apologising is... we've tried, we've not given. But of course, we need to apologise because they were there."
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