Hibs boss Shaun Maloney on the two big changes he must make for next season

It will take two things. Sound recruitment is obvious one. A change of “culture” in the camp is the second.

Fans have described it as ‘lack of effort’. Maloney himself describes it as “desire and intensity”. He reckons his players showed that against Hearts at Hampden on Saturday but recognises that there hasn’t been enough of it in other games.

“We have to bring the same performance level and intensity into every single game,” he said. “That has to be the culture that we set and are trying to set.

“Part of the problem this season is that not every performance level and desire and intensity has been at this level. So no matter what team we play in the next five games and next season, we have to bring the same level of performance. If we do and we add the right level of player, we will be a lot stronger next season.”

He says he has known since very early in his tenure that he needs better quality players in “certain areas”. For “certain areas”, read forwards.

The January sale of Martin Boyle and long-term injuries to Christian Doidge and Kevin Nisbet, depriving Hibs of the potent front three they had last season, would be difficult for any club to cope with.

Of those still fit and available going into the last five games, wing back Chris Cadden, is top scorer with three goals. Creating and scoring goals is a problem.

Maloney’s decision on Saturday to put Ewan Henderson in a No10 role and start James Scott for the first time since September wasn’t just a tactical ploy to add physicality at the top end of the pitch. It was an acknowledgement that other combinations haven’t worked.

The Boyle transfer money is there to bring in replacements good enough to go straight into the team and score goals. But there is no margin for