Miguel Chaiwa believes Hibernian manager Marink Reedijk is building something "wonderful" at Easter Road, even as the club searches for its first win under the Dutchman.
Reedijk has overseen three games as head coach, the latest a 2-1 defeat to Celtic in Leith on Sunday. Chaiwa, however, insists the team is moving in the right direction ahead of a demanding week that could shape the club's near future.
Five days that could define the season
Hibs travel to Paisley to face St Mirren on Wednesday, hoping to move off the bottom of the Premiership. That is followed by Sunday's Premier Sports Cup semi-final against arch rivals Hearts at Hampden.
The five-day stretch could either propel Reedijk to success or leave him under severe early pressure. Chaiwa remains confident the manager is on the right track after Hibs pushed Celtic close at the weekend.
"I see some positives, good, really positives in looking at the way we are going as a team," the midfielder said. "We're trying to stick together each and every time and we just need to reflect on our mistakes and how they scored the two goals."
Positives to carry forward
Chaiwa praised the manager's approach, saying: "What he's trying to do to this team is a really, really wonderful thing. Being courageous, and always being in control of the ball. I really, really appreciate the fans for giving us that applause at the end."
There is little room for morale-boosting defeats, though. Hibs have gone eight league games without a win at Easter Road across two campaigns and cannot afford to lose to their fierce rivals at the National Stadium.
Chaiwa acknowledged the need for results over praise. "Yeah, quite right. We are looking forward to that one because Sunday is done and dusted," he said. "We just need to take the positives because we have a game against St Mirren so we just need to be fully focused, and not repeat our mistakes like what happened in Sunday's game."
Struggles remain under Reedijk
Despite the optimism, Hibs are still trying to form a cohesive unit under Reedijk. The system has not quite clicked, and the decision to push Grant Hanley up front for the final 10 minutes against Celtic raised eyebrows.
Chaiwa avoided discussing the Hanley move and instead pointed to areas of improvement that back his claim Hibs are on the rise. "It's about being more in control with the ball and knowing what we want to do with the ball," he said. "Looking at how the gaffer wants us to play, it's really happening on the pitch."
He added: "I might say being positive and believing in what we're doing right now at the moment. I know it has been really, really hard for this club. For us, coming toe to toe against Celtic, despite our own mistakes, we're looking forward to the next game."
