It’s been a far from arduous task to find reasons to poke fun at Hibernian over recent years. In truth, they’ve made themselves an easy target.
Since earning promotion back to the top flight in 2018 following a three-year stint in the Championship, the club have spent much of their time lurching from one failure to another.
The criticism — for the most part anyway — has been warranted. And the Hibs hierarchy have taken the brunt of it.
From a run of disastrous managerial appointments to a shambolic player recruitment strategy, it’s fair to say they’ve got far more wrong than right. Until now, that is.
At long last, there is a wave of positivity in and around Easter Road, and the much-maligned board shouldn’t be shy in giving themselves a firm pat on the back for their role in the turnaround.
With the club sitting rock-bottom of the pile in late November having celebrated just the one league victory all season, it would have been perfectly understandable had they opted to get shot of manager David Gray and hit the reset button. Again.
Hibernian’s decision to stick with manager David Gray after early season struggles has paid off
There is unity between the fans and the players following a recent upturn in results
Gray’s side now sit fourth in the Premiership following Wednesday’s late win at Dundee United
With each passing week, the Scottish Cup-winning captain looked to be nudging a little closer to the exit door. It seemed like a question of when rather than if he would be given his marching orders.
A wretched home defeat to St Mirren prior to the international break looked to have sealed his fate. The timing seemed perfect, but the board refused to budge.
A 4-1 thumping away at Dundee in the next fixture was a new low. Again, somehow, Gray remained at the helm.
But three months on, Hibs’ decision to stick with their man has proved to be a masterstroke. And for that, the club deserves immense credit.
Now up to fourth and just one point off Aberdeen, Gray’s side are absolutely flying, with legitimate relegation fears now replaced by dreams of European qualification.
Going in to Sunday’s Edinburgh derby, they have lost just once in 15 Premiership fixtures. And even then, their performance in a 3-0 loss at Celtic Park was impressive. They were even better in last week’s win over the champions.
No one will be getting carried away just yet, least of all Gray, but this is a club who now finally appear to be on an upward trajectory.
There is an unmistakable harmony at the moment between the board, the manager, the players, and the long-suffering fans.
Those of a maroon persuasion across the city may push back on the notion, but make no mistake, that can only be a good thing for the league.
Patience is a virtue all-too rarely seen in football these days. But for Hibs, it’s paying off big time.
Maeda becoming a man in demand
The way things are going, you get the feeling that Daizen Maeda could partner Cameron Carter-Vickers in central defence for Celtic in Paisley this evening and still find a way to terrorise St Mirren’s back line.
The Japanese attacker is the best player in Scotland, bar none. Who could have seen that coming this time last year?
His double against Aberdeen in midweek took his goal tally in all competitions to 25 for the campaign. For a guy who’s finishing has been questionable to say the least during his time in Scotland, it’s a stunning return.
When Brendan Rodgers replaced Ange Postecoglou as manager in the summer of 2023, many wondered if Celtic’s trio of Japanese stars would be able to keep hitting the heights which had seen them become key figures under the Australian.
Kyogo Furuhashi’s continued to bang in the goals, but there was always a nagging sense that he wasn’t quite suited to Rodgers’ style. A January departure to Rennes seemed to suit both parties.
Reo Hatate has been regularly linked with a big-money move away, but has struggled to find consistency this season. His list of potential suitors has surely lost a few names as a result.
Daizen Maeda netted a double against Aberdeen midweek to take his tally to 25 for the season
Of the three, it’s Maeda who has taken his game to a new level under Rodgers, and he is very much becoming a man in demand.
Until this season, losing the 27-year-old would have represented a blow for Celtic supporters. Yet hardly a fatal one by any means.
But now? Maeda is a bona fide cult hero. The fans should enjoy him while he’s here. If he can maintain this kind of form, that may not be the case for much longer.
Dundee doomed unless Docherty sorts out leaky defence
Dundee’s 2-1 defeat at Motherwell on Wednesday evening encapsulated everything which has been going wrong of late for Tony Docherty’s men.
Five Premiership losses on the bounce have put them in all sorts of bother, and they only have themselves to blame.
Dundee manager Tony Docherty needs to find a solution to his side’s defensive woes
Their steadfast commitment to shooting themselves in the foot has seen them slide to 11th in the table, with St Johnstone now within three points ahead of today’s showdown at Dens Park.
Dundee have shown they can play some terrific football at times, and in Simon Murray, they have someone who can regularly stick the ball in the back of the net.
The glaring issue — as it has been all season — is at the other end. One clean sheet from 28 league games is frankly unacceptable.
Docherty must find a way to inject some aggression into his squad. Some nastiness, even. Fail to do that, and the Championship beckons.
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