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FORMER Hibs keeper Ben Williams insists Terry Butcher’s biggest mistake at Easter Road was telling players they would go in the summer – then asking them for help to avoid relegation.

The ex-Hibees shot-stopper was one of the players kicked out by Butcher following the drop to the Championship.

And Williams reckons his old gaffer undermined his own authority by his actions.

The 31-year-old Englishman said: “The manager told some players they would not figure or play much under him and even informed others in January that they should find a new club.

“Terry then had to turn round to those same players when results weren’t going well and say ‘I may have been a bit hasty here as I need you to do a job for me’.

“In that situation, some players might respond and do a job for you, some others might not.

“It puts you in a difficult position with regards to respect and authority.”

(Image: Craig Brough/Action Images)

Butcher left his post at Inverness to take over the Easter Road reins from Pat Fenlon last November when the Edinburgh men were sitting safely in seventh place in the Premiership.

But the Englishman endured a disastrous end to the campaign as the Leith outfit registered just one win in 19 league games.

They finished second from bottom and were relegated after losing a penalty shoot-out to

play-off opponents Hamilton.

The former Rangers skipper was relieved of his duties yesterday when new chief executive Leeann Dempster and non-executive chairman Rod Petrie decided to wield the axe after 48 hours of discussions.

Williams also believes Butcher was wrong to try to replicate his success in the Highlands by applying the same football model in the capital and that he was too honest with the media.

The Mancunian said: “If we knew exactly what went wrong under Terry then we would have identified it a lot sooner and tried to rectify it.

“We put the Hibs fans through so much and embarked on a bad run of results that ultimately left us relegated.

“Terry possibly came in with pre-conceived ideas of the Hibs team and the squad he had inherited.

“People looked at the relative success Terry had at Inverness and thought he would simply replicate it at Hibs.

“But you can’t always apply the same football model to each club you manage.

“The demands and expectations at Hibs and Inverness were completely different for a start.

“Terry guided Inverness to the League Cup Final at Celtic Park and the club took 8000 supporters to the game for their big day.

“A crowd of 8000 is roughly Hibs’ average home gate.

“Terry also courted the press and dealt with the media well. He kept them close and was always happy to speak to them.

“However, sometimes things should be kept in-house at a football club.

“The club could maybe have addressed things a bit differently in January with regards to their signing targets but Hibs should not have been in the situation they ended up in.”

Back in April, Williams branded Butcher’s men “soft and spoiled” in the wake of a 2-0 loss to

St Mirren, who scored after just 12 seconds and played the last hour with 10 men.

He stands by his comments and is adamant Hibs should not be playing in the Championship next season alongside city rivals Hearts and Rangers.

He feels they should have been capable of challenging at the top end of the Premiership with the talent at their disposal but collectively there was a mentality problem.

Williams said: “I don’t regret my comments after the St Mirren match. Any squad at Hibs is spoiled because of the club’s facilities.

“You have every chance to improve yourself as a player at Hibs. There were times when I thought the squad lacked the mental toughness to impose ourselves on games.

“If you’re asking me whether Hibs were good enough to stay in the Premiership then my answer would be yes.

“This was a very talented squad of players that should have been challenging for the top six.

“Something wasn’t right and everybody will have an opinion on that.

“What has happened can’t be undone. Hibs were relegated but it didn’t need to happen.”

Williams – who is still on the lookout for a new club – was taken aback to hear Butcher had been given the axe.

He said: “I’m surprised the club have chosen to sack the manager now.

“I thought that might have been done when all the players left the club after relegation had been confirmed but two or three weeks down the line Hibs now have to search for a new manager. It has been a long, drawn out process.

“The new chief executive has clearly decided the club has to move forward and her plan does not include the management team. She must feel she’s acting in the best interests of the club.

“It is a fresh beginning for Hibs and a new direction. Everyone at the club will have a clean slate and a new Hibs will be built.

“It is a little bit disappointing for guys like me because who’s to say the new management team coming in would not have kept some of the players who were released.”