Hibernian midfielder Ian Murray is refusing to panic over the club's current plight and insists the team are firmly behind Mixu Paatelainen.The Edinburgh side are struggling following a poor pre-season campaign and an opening-day defeat at Kilmarnock in the SPL.

Hibs have now won just one of their last 11 matches and Paatelainen is thought to be under early pressure, despite only succeeding John Collins in January.

But Murray, speaking after the second-round draw for the Co-operative Insurance Cup, is unconcerned with the current situation and feels Hibs will soon turn the corner.

He said: "We were well beaten by Barcelona in pre-season and in the Intertoto Cup (by IF Elfsborg). There were another couple of results that were not great as well.

"But it's early days in the league and we have a decent run of games coming up, so hopefully we pick up a few points.

"We're all behind the gaffer. We've been getting stick as players and him too, but sometimes that brings you closer together.

"The manager is the type you want to play for. We don't always agree 100%, that's part of football, but everyone likes the way he works and goes about his business."

On a home draw with Morton, Murray added: "We're reasonably happy enough. It's a home game. It could have been better or worse."

Kilmarnock, meanwhile, who lost the 2007 final to Hibs, were handed a tricky test away to Second Division Brechin City.

The Rugby Park men endured a frustrating last campaign, dogged by injuries as they finished second-bottom only above now-defunct Gretna.

But assistant manager Billy Brown is convinced of a rosier season and said: "Everybody has tipped Dundee United and Motherwell to challenge, they might continue their good form, but who knows that? We have as much chance as anybody.

"Every club also has got ambitions to get to a cup final, but it's going to be difficult working out who are going to be the good teams this season.

"It's a hard game to start with for us. Brechin is not an easy place to go and we have been knocked out there before."

Cup specialists St Johnstone, meanwhile, travel to Livingston in one of two all-First Division ties.

The Perth men have reached three national cup semi-finals in the last two seasons and lifted the Challenge Cup back in November.

Captain Kevin James said: "It's a tricky tie. It's one of the juicier ties of the draw, but you have to beat good teams to get through these cups.

"We've beaten them 2-0 already this season, but they have brought the Italians in and I think it's going to be hard to gauge Livi for the next eight or nine games."

European entrants Celtic, Rangers, Motherwell and Queen of the South come in at the third-round stage, with the round two matches scheduled for August 26 and 27.

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