David, I guess the assessment of the game depends on whether you think it was a penalty or not... What was your view on it? 

"I think if the first one [Mykola Kukharevych on Emmanuel Adegboyega] is a penalty, the second one [Sam Dalby on Warren O'Hora] is a penalty. If I'm being really honest, I don't think either of them are penalties. I think the thing that's toughest to take here is probably the inconsistency, for a start. We were told at the start of the season what would be given, what's acceptable, what's not. Clearly, you always run the risk when you grab a jersey, so I'd never condone it anyway. It's stupid, it's unprofessional, it's lazy defending. But we were told that the player has to be able to affect the ball, [or] you'd give a penalty every single corner that comes in. I don't think the player can affect the ball at all in the first one. The referee doesn't give it, then he's advised to go to the screen, so VAR intervenes. And then he doesn't do it for the second one, where O'Hora can actually head the ball. You can clearly see that the centre-forward's got his jersey, pulls it up over his back. And he doesn't give the foul. So I'm a bit confused as to what is and what isn't. And why he wasn't asked even just to go and give it over to the monitor. Because if you're talking about consistency, he should have at least been asked to go and see it."

Will you be seeking an explanation then?

"I don't think it really matters. Because it can't change anything now. We were given an explanation of what would be given and what wouldn't be given at the start of the season. I'm just a bit confused."

Do you feel a bit cursed though, David? Because you are in winning positions, can't kill teams off, and then inevitably there's that sense within the stadium that there's an equaliser coming... 

"I didn't feel that today. I thought the players deserved [to win]. They'd done enough to go and win the game. When you're down there, do they create enough chances to go and win the game and kill the game off? That's the message to the players. Of course it is. Need to be more clinical. But I also feel they've done enough to go and earn another clean sheet today, and win the game. I didn't feel that Dundee United were on top at all. I thought naturally they started to throw things at us. But as I say, I think it's a decision that's cost us the game rather than an anxiousness around the place."

How difficult is it for you to try and turn this around when the pressure is increasing week by week and you're at the foot of the table? 

"The pressure comes and it's always been here. It's something that I knew the challenge of when I took it on. Where we find ourselves on the table at the moment as an acceptable football club, we know that. But today makes it harder to take because of the situation and the manner in which the game went. But we've got an opportunity again next week to try and change that against the team at home. So we need to quickly change that. One positive I would take from it, off the back of that, you talked about the anxiousness and being nervous. We are human beings. We are feeling the pressure as players. I get that. But when it goes 1-1 and we go down to 10 men, the reaction from the players will be brilliant. If anything, I thought we were the team that was then going to go on and score big chances towards the end.

"In terms of pushing forward with 10 men, I thought Dundee United had settled for a point. So that's credit to the players because 13 days ago, we went down to 10 men and lost the game from a winning position. So I think that's something we can take. I think another frustration from my point of view is I've now got a centre-forward who's suspended next week because he can't appeal a second yellow. So hugely disappointing, hugely frustrating and I don't believe the players deserve that today."

Are you aware that there are, at the end of the game, boos and some people showing their frustration towards board members now? 

"That doesn't go away. We find ourselves in a position in the league where that will always be there. It's not from a lack of effort or people working hard and trying to do the right things. Everyone's trying their absolute best to make sure we turn this around as quickly as we can. As I say, how quickly the narrative can change. If we've got three points today, that changes very quickly. I know we keep saying 'if', but I firmly believe in the squad. I believe in what we're doing. I know how hard we're working. If we keep putting in performances, we can improve and if we can be that little bit more clinical and have a bit more confidence and belief in front of goal,  I know this will turn around and I know it will turn around quickly."

What was your conversation with the referee like at the end of the game? Did you get any explanation? 

"No, I think when you're in the middle of the pitch, it's never the right time or the right place to do that. Not just because, for any other reason other than he gave the first one and he wasn't advised to go and see the second one. So he can't comment, if I'm being honest. So I'm sure I might get an explanation in due course, but to be honest, it's irrelevant now because the game's gone."

How is Lewis Miller's injury? 

"I think he hurt his ankle a little bit when he rocked it or rolled it a little bit. We'll just see how that goes. He's had a bit of an ongoing ankle issue that he's been playing with, that he's been managing. I'm not so sure if he got a kick on it, I just rolled it slightly, but he felt it needed to come off. Hopefully it's nothing too serious, but we'll find that out in the coming days."

Your full-backs effectively created that goal today. It must be difficult for you when you're looking towards people other than strikers to try and either save or win a game for you...

"No, I think that's just the quality Jordan's got and the way we play. It's good that the cross comes from one full-back and the other full-backs in the box the way we wanted to play. It's always difficult against a back five. Dundee United were a back five in that situation, so the one centre-forward against them. You need your midfielders to get up into the game as well and try and play the game with a wee bit more attacking intent That was the message today, trying to create more chances, trying to get more bodies into the box when the crosses are coming in.

"Because of the quality you just touched on there with Jordan, it does come in very regularly. If I go back to the Hearts game, the centre-forward got three very good chances in the middle of the box as well. We are creating the chances, we know we need to be more clinical, but I do believe the players have done enough to win the game today."

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What would your message be to Hibs supporters who, week by week, are becoming more frustrated and more vociferous in their displeasure? 

"I fully understand it. There's nobody more frustrated than me, I can assure you. I'll do everything I possibly can to keep working on it, to keep sticking together with the group and working with the group.

"Because as I've already said, I do honestly believe in the group and I know we will turn it around. But I also know it needs to be sooner rather than later because they will be finding themselves in the situation we're in."

How likely is Dwight Gayle to be fit for next week? 

Well, we hope so. He's been back on the grass and Chris Cadden, there are boys coming back, getting closer. But obviously, it's a long time between now and next week to see how we can get them through it. And we'll obviously just see how the rest of the group recovers from the game today and then we'll go from there."