What Hibs star hears all the time about Easter Road club as he answers on whether players are behind boss

Rocky Bushiri

The Hibs defender has discussed candidly a disappointing day for the club.

Rocky Bushiri won’t stand for finger pointing as he insists blame is collective for Hibs’ poor season.

The defender was part of the side that lost 4-0 to Aberdeen on Sunday in a dismal defeat for boss Nick Montgomery. It has prompted questioning on his Easter Road future, with two bottom six games still to go against Motherwell and Livingston before the Premiership season is out.

After an initially bright start against the Dons, the team were second best after Leighton Clarkson’s opener. Dante Polvara, Bojan Miovski and Fletcher Boyd goals compounded the misery but Bushiri refuses to lay all the blame at the door of the manager.

He has heard the noise surround managers in his two years-and-a-half years in Leith, and won’t have one person carrying the can. Bushiri said: "I have been here two seasons and all the time it's manager, manager, manager. The responsibility is shared.

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“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.

“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 (Hanlon) and Stevo (Lewis Stevenson), 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.”

When asked if players are behind Montgomery, he responded: "It's like I said, we train hard. 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'.”

Fans who remained inside Easter Road at full-time booed the team off the park. Bushiri is fully understanding of their frustrations, as he fronted up a torrid day on the pitch. He said: "Bad, embarrassing. Losing 4-0 at home, there are no other words. It's not good at all.

"It's difficult to say straight after the game. I feel we started quite well, sharp and on the front foot. We were winning corners but when you concede two goals so quick after each other, it's like you need to run after the score. Then it's all about who is mentally strong enough to continue because it is still a long way to go.

“We are all heartbroken as we have let so many people down now. 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?

"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.”

Having qualified for Europe last season and finding themselves in the bottom six this campaign, Bushiri knows it is a step backwards. But he also takes a bigger picture view.

He added: "If you've made Europe last season and you didn't this season, of course you went backwards. But how do you analyse the game? There's also a question, how does the club analyse the game? How do we want to progress?

“Because now we've gone on a project. It's about performance, of course, but there is a new style of play, there are lots of new things. Do you accept moments like this? It's also about the style of play.

"It's hard, after a 4-0 game, that's not the first thing I think about, you know. I want to go home, watch my game, let it hurt me one more time and then like I told you, I play for Hibs. The season is not done yet. I have two games to play.”