Hibernian captain Joe Newell insists his side aren't thinking about relegation - but conceded the league table doesn't lie, with David Gray's team bottom of the Scottish Premiership with just one win from 13 games following a 4-1 humbling at the hands of Dundee on Saturday evening.
Nicky Cadden's 2nd-minute goal got the visitors off to a flier at a misty Dens Park but a straight red for left-back Jordan Obita was quickly followed by an equaliser scored by Jordan McGhee. Nectar Triantis's own goal gave Tony Docherty's side the lead, and another clanger by Josef Bursik gifted Seb Palmer-Houlden a third for the hosts just before half-time.
The second half was largely uneventful save for substitute Curtis Main netting a fourth for Dundee late on.
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Speaking afterwards, a shell-shocked Newell didn't mince his words.
"My initial feelings are just gutted, angry, embarrassed. It's just groundhog day; here we are again. It's not the first time it's happened this season and it's just so far away from where we should be.
"It's just unacceptable, indefensible - whatever word you want to use. I can't really come out here and say anything positive."
"Well, we're a third of the way through the season now, 13 games played so, yeah, I'm not going to lie to you, we obviously are," he admitted.
"Things can change very quickly, is what I would say. If we win on Tuesday night [against Aberdeen] and win on Saturday [at Motherwell], you don't know where that puts you in the league, and then you know what a little run can do for you in this league.
"We won't be looking at it like that internally, obviously, because there's still a long way to go. But you can't deny where we are in the league."
City rivals Hearts are just a point ahead of Hibs in 11th, having played a game more, but there is already a four-point gap to Kilmarnock in tenth and five points to ninth-placed St Johnstone. Perhaps most concerning is the ten-point chasm between St Mirren, who are currently in sixth, and the Easter Road side.
Gray has tried multiple combinations in midfield and been hampered by suspensions and injuries to key players, including striker Kieron Bowie who was ruled out until 2025 back in September. Perhaps on a related note, they are currently the joint-lowest scorers in the Scottish top flight.
A habit of conceding game-changing late goals looked to have been eradicated only to be replaced by nearly a red card every game. With just 13 games played of the 2024/25 campaign, Hibs have already picked up four times as many red cards as they did in the entirety of last season,
Gray said it in his post-match debrief at Dens Park and Newell echoed his manager's comments - Hibs have been in this movie before.
"There seem to be little individual mistakes from different people every week, and here we are again. But the way we conceded the three goals in the half an hour wasn't acceptable, whether you've got ten men on the pitch, 11 men or nine men. One's a set-piece, one's a mistake. It's just not good enough."
Newell and his team-mates - most recently Chris Cadden, who spoke to the media ahead of the trip to Dundee - are backing Gray to the hilt
"I said it two weeks ago to the press. What can the manager do about this? We worked so hard in the international break. He set us up tactically to come into this game with a good plan, and we really felt it coming into it; the enthusiasm and the atmosphere were good. We've worked really hard to try to get out of this situation.
"Even in the warm-up, we felt really good. We started the game on fire, not just the goal, but we had several chances in the first ten minutes, and I thought, 'Right, here we are, let's go'. And then what happens happens."
The Hibs players were praised by Docherty for 'playing for their manager' while Gray added: "I know the players are still with me, 100 per cent. I know they've still got that desire to try and turn this around."
Newell believes Hibs' current predicament is down to the players, and the players only.
"We started really well, and I think that's evidence of the work we've been putting in, the tactics and the game plan that the gaffer is setting up for us. But again, like you said - what can the gaffer do about the situations we've put him in?
"Whether that be late goals early on in the season, red cards. All these things are coming against us and it's completely self-inflicted.
"I know you would expect me to, but I'll stand here in defence of the gaffer all day long, because he's not setting a team up or putting players out there who I think are not worthy of winning these games of football.
"If you want to play for Hibs, you have to deal with the pressure and the weight that comes with it. We've got two games coming up in six or seven days. It's still a massive opportunity to have a good week after, obviously, a shocking start to it on Saturday.
"We're doing things that are killing ourselves so as the captain, and as a group of players, I have to and we have to do so much more for the gaffer and for this football club than we're currently doing. It's as simple as that.'
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