A wee theory of mine...with let me add absolutely no evidence to back it up.
I think the takeover talks, talks which let's not forget started nearly a year ago, have unsettled everything at the club on and off the park and made us lose focus. Look at the collapse of the marketing strategy, loss of sponsor and failure to get a new one, ticketing problems which never seem to be resolved, major problems with basic things like fans entering the stadium, the HSL shares fiasco, rumours of Dempster and Mathie leaving, the recruitment which seems to have faltered etc...I could go on. All of this has led to the most important thing at the club, the team, suffering and as a a club we look at the moment like we are back to the train wreck early 2014 days. What a tragedy that so much good, progressive work over the last five years seems to be being chucked away. Standards have fallen big time both on and off the park from I and i'm sure most others can see.
In any organisation when there is an impending takeover looming it creates uncertainty and fear with people not sure of the future etc. I suspect this may have happened at Hibs. Most people within the club will have known about the talks taking place so will have been aware of things happening. Heckingbottom however said he only found out about the new owner the day before it was announced publically. That seems a very strange way to run any business. Why wasn't the manager kept up to date with things ?
For me , the sooner Mr Gordon comes out publically with his plans for Hibs we are going to continue stumbling along. The fans, and the employees of the club have a right to know as a matter of urgency what the future holds for them and the club.