Hibs must follow Hearts and Aberdeen transfer policies as only one new signing is an upgrade - Tam McManus

Managers live and die by their recruitment. Get more right than wrong and there shouldn’t be a problem.

But Hibs right now are getting way more wrong than right. And it IS a problem. I’m not for a second saying Lee Johnson is solely to blame as the record of questionable signings goes back long before he arrived. There needs to be real scrutiny on the recruitment department and the whole scouting network at Easter Road.

Where are they getting these players from? How are they compiling their lists of targets? It’s simply not been good enough. Ron Gordon is putting money in and they’re paying fees. But the remit seems to be buy young and hope for a gem to sell for big money. Elias Melkersen, Runar Hauge, Ellie Youan, Rocky Bushiri and Nohan Kenneh are prime examples. That would be okay if it wasn’t for the fact none of them look likely to do that.

It pains me to make comparisons with the noisy neighbours in the capital but look at Hearts ’ business. Robbie Neilson signed three guys in the last year - Lawrence Shankland, Barrie McKay and Alan Forrest - who are experienced players at this level that you know are going to produce the goods. They’ve all been excellent for Hearts.

Look at Aberdeen too. They were even worse than Hibs last season. So they identified and brought in players who would turn them round in an instant. Bojan Miovski is banging in the goals, Ylber Ramadani looks excellent and Anthony Stewart was brought in as skipper. They have had eight new signings in their starting line-up the last two weeks and won both games convincingly.

But Hibs? There were eight players in Saturday’s starting XI against St Mirren that were Jack Ross regulars a year ago - what does that tell you about the signings?

Clearly