Hibs director's Monty verdict - and winning mindset promise

Veteran coach drawing on past experience to help gaffer

First team manager Montgomery and director of football McDermott at Hibernian Training Centre.

Hibs director of football Brian McDermott says he has the “utmost faith” in gaffer Nick Montgomery’s ability to get his team back up the Scottish Premiership table. And veteran coach McDermott, eight months into the new role in Edinburgh, insists he’s working to a proven blueprint as he looks to build a winning culture at East Mains and Easter Road.

McDermott, who famously led Reading into the Premier League, said he still draws on lessons learned during his long association as a scout, coach and then manager of the Royals. And he told BBC Radio Berkshire that he’s looking to repeat the same process in Scotland.

“We used to speak about the Reading way, back in the day,” he said, adding: “What is the Reading way? It was having good people in the building, having solid, strong, good characters who wanted to play for the football club. Not doing crazy deals and making sure we stayed, as much as we could, in the black. And working together as a group.

“It’s not rocket science. And that’s what we’re trying to create up here, really. And that’s what we’re doing. On the pitch, the only show in town is trying to win the next game. That’s what we do up here.

“I’ve got the utmost faith in the manager. He’s a really good young manager coming through.”

Explaining how he always had someone else to deal with contract negotiations and money matters when he was manager, McDermott said he was trying to provide the same sort of protection for Monty, the 62-year-old explaining: “All I say to Nick is: ‘Look, do the best you can to work with the players you have. Get us a result on the Saturday, the best result you can – and then we’ll move on to the next game.’

“I watch what he does. His training his really good. It’s methodical. The detail is absolutely incredible, what these guys do. So my role is probably what most clubs need, an older figure or experienced figure who can keep the other stuff away from the coach and manager, deal with the stuff the manager doesn’t need to deal with.

“I’m still enjoying the opportunity to work at this level. I enjoy trying to be part of a really good environment and really good culture. That’s what we had at Reading from 2000 to around 2012-ish, when we got into the Premier League. A good culture. That’s what I enjoy, bringing people together and trying to be part of a team. I love that.”