David Gray is facing the biggest game of his career this weekend which is an incredible thing to say considering what he’s achieved with Hibs. But the pressure on the Easter Road boss to deliver a win at Dundee or at the very least to avoid another defeat is almost unimaginable.
Gray will always be a legend in Leith because of that heroic last minute Scottish Cup Final winner against Rangers in 2016. But that will count for nothing if results don’t turn in the next week with three huge games against Dundee, Aberdeen then Motherwell. As much it only takes one match to make a hero it also only takes one to finish off a managerial career and I fear losing in Tayside on Saturday might see his 10-year association with the club brought to an end.
David isn’t daft. He will realise this week is going to be defining for him. I desperately hope he gets the three points at Dens because as a young manager he deserves support and time.
He got the backing of the Hibs’ board last week. But it sounded like the dreaded vote of confidence. And we all know in football how that pans out when results don’t improve.
You can’t be bottom of the league going into Christmas. That’s the bottom line. It’s not just him under pressure it’s everyone inside the club. From the owners, chief executive Ben Kensell, sporting director Malky Mackay and the players.
And it’s the last of that group of under-fire Hibees who really need to step up to the plate at Dens. It’s a 5.45pm kick off and live on TV so there’s absolutely no hiding place for the guys who cross the line.
Listen, I have said since the start of the season that I think this is a really strong squad and I stand by that. There’s no way they should be anywhere near the bottom of the league. These guys have to go out and help the manager by winning the game. It’s his head and career on the block.
If they lose again then I fear it will be time up. Individual mistakes have been killing them and they simply have to stop. At quarter to six the manager will be praying his players go out and put a performance in for him.
That’s why I reckon David will make three or four changes to the line-up and go with guys he can trust to handle the pressure. I’d expect Mykola Kuharevich to come back in up front after suspension. Elie Youan never did enough last week to stay in the team.
It’ll be interesting to see who starts next to Marvin Ekpiteta in the centre of defence after Warren O’Hora was hooked at half time in the St Mirren defeat and replaced by Rocky Bushiri. Nicky Cadden did well when he came on so I’d be giving him a start out wide. Who would drop out? Martin Boyle has been away on international duty so maybe he could be rested. And Nectar Triantis has been poor. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Dylan Levitt come in for him in midfield.
It’s tense for players if you are bottom of the league and know the manager is under pressure. Hibs Training Centre can’t be the happiest of places on a daily basis right now. But footballers are selfish, they want to look after themselves. Some might just be concentrating on themselves – they need to realise they are under pressure too.
It can all change if they pick up seven points out of nine in the next week. David has to talk about these positives. These next three games really do offer a good chance to win points even if it feels like we’ve said that all season.
Dundee aren’t setting the heather on fire and have conceded 24 goals in 12 games. Aberdeen at home is clearly tough given the Dons’ form but what a chance to go and make a statement. Then Motherwell away is a game Hibs should always be looking to pick up points.
I was reading on the Record Sport website this week how there’s 11 first team players out of contract in the summer. What a chance for someone to go into the next season with a clean slate. David will be hoping it’s him.
For that to be the case results need to turn now. That’s why, come quarter to six on Saturday evening, He will sit in the away dug out at Dens knowing it’s the most important football match of his life.