Two games in, no points gathered and a chorus of boos greeting him at full-time at Easter Road... The honeymoon is well and truly over for Marink Reedijk. Defeat in the new Hibs manager's opening two fixtures means the men from Leith have slumped to the bottom of the Scottish Premiership table.
It's left the Dutchman with what he described as "a strange feeling" in his stomach. So that begs the question: is his gut telling him his new side is now in a fight to avoid the drop? With Halloween still a fortnight away, it may seem premature to drop the dreaded 'relegation' word into the Hibs conversation.
But the fact the green half of Edinburgh is now looking up at the rest of the league a quarter of the way into the season is nonetheless cause for concern. "I hate it," Reedijk told BBC Scotland after Saturday's 2-1 home defeat by Falkirk when asked about his side's place in the division. "It's something I don't want.
"I also think that based on today, we don't deserve it. But it's a fact and it's up to us to continue what we do, unpack the things we need to really work on, make sure these little mistakes don't happen and that we create momentum in our matches." Hibs bottom after Falkirk mete out seventh home league defeat in row Latest Hibs news, analysis and fan views Get Hibs news notifications in the BBC Sport app The 35-year-old took former club Beveren into the Belgian top flight on the back of an undefeated season last term. But his new side have won none of their last six in the league.
It's now over six months since Hibs celebrated a Premiership win in front of their own fans. Supporter patience, usually as rare as hens' teeth in football anyway, is in especially short supply around Easter Road these days. "We need to work hard, stick to the things we do, develop the things we do, make sure that we make fewer and fewer mistakes and make sure that we take our chances," Reedijk said.
"I leave very disappointed with a strange feeling in my stomach because I think the guys worked their guts out. I think we deserved more, however we didn't get more. I'm therefore positive but with a sick feeling in my stomach." That sick feeling may take a while to dislodge.
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