His players will be looking to respond from a defeat to Celtic earlier in the week when they go to Tynecastle, and there's no better fixture than this to put it right as they take on their local rivals.
When speaking to Hibs TV ahead of the game on Monday 2 January, Johnson gave his thoughts.
“Going into a New Year it gives us a massive chance and opportunity to start 2023 in a really positive way. With the fans behind us it’ll hopefully be an amazing day and that’s what we want to achieve.
“I feel like we can go there and be super positive. We think we can go and infiltrate what is a good Hearts side.
“You’ve got to be careful not to play the occasion. You have to win your individual battles, you’ve got to be physical and bring out your best when it matters most, and in derbies it matters most, so it’s as simple as that.”
As expected, the away end is sold out and Johnson wants his side to put in a performance they can be proud of.
“We’re fighting for the fans. At times we’ve been disappointing and at times we’ve been excellent. I understand people’s love of the club and where we need to be. We do need to be there, and we will get there.
“This is an opportunity for us to show that all the hard work can come together. It’ll be a real lift if we can win this game, not just for the players, but for the green half of the city.”
