Martin Boyle was a key man in the last Hibs side to finish the season sitting pretty in third.
And he says the most important part of that success under Jack Ross was knowing how to win games UGLY. Grinding out 1-0 victories, shutting up shop when the opposition came battering at the door and having a nasty streak were crucial components of the side Ross built. And never will those characteristics be more vital than in a basement battle Edinburgh Derby like Sunday’s in Leith.
Boyle is convinced David Gray will drag the Hibees out the rut that has seen them plummet to the foot of the table on the back of three successive defeats. But the winger also knows it’s down to the players more than anyone to stop the rot. That means toughening up, wising up and cutting out the individual errors that have cost them dearly in the last two games – starting in the biggest game of them all against Hearts.
He said: “I’ve been in this movie a fair few times and it’s never nice. I am certainly confident, and there’s a group of people in there that we are confident that we can turn this around, first and foremost.
“The individual errors and things that we’re doing at the moment, we’re getting punished for. We are playing nice football, but I think we need to switch and get back to being a nasty team and maybe winning games ugly.
“When we finished third, I don’t think the performances were eye-shattering. But we managed to dig out the results. We were winning 1-0 and we were getting across the line the hard way.
“Now I feel like we are playing really good football, but we’re just giving silly mistakes away and we’re not doing that nasty side better. So I think going that way could help us. We need to be more ruthless and we need to be keeping clean sheets.
Hibs led 2-1 in injury time at Dundee United last Saturday but conceded in the 93rd and 99th minutes after having Joe Newell red carded. They’ve lost seven points by losing goals after the 88th minute in the last six games.
And Boyle said: “A lot of people can see the trend near the end of the game. We’re giving away points. Everyone in this league is fighting for points. We are making the same mistakes that are costing us games. If we can nip that in the bud, then I’ve no doubt in my mind that we can go on and be successful.”
Nothing can lift morale quicker than a derby victory in front of your own fans. Especially when it would see the Hibees leapfrog Hearts and send Hearts back to the bottom of the Premiership pile. Boyle reckons it’s the biggest clash of the capital big guns in years. He said: “It’s quite hard to believe, isn’t it? Two top teams. But the table doesn’t lie. It is what it is.
“That’s where we are. We have to take it on the chin. Only we as a group of players can get out of that situation. We’ve put in hard work. Hopefully we can get a positive result and get the fans back on side.
“Show them how much this club means to us. There’s no better game than the Edinburgh Derby. It’s a massive one, probably the biggest one in years. It should be a tasty one.
“A win would change the mood, 100 per cent. We’ll be off the bottom of the table. Things will be looking up. Then there’s another opportunity on Wednesday. It could turn quick this week. We have to earn the right. We have to win the game Sunday.
“It’s the perfect game to be playing in. If you can’t get excited for an Edinburgh derby, then what’s the point?
“I hope everyone else is excited. There’s a lot of boys who haven’t played in a derby before. But I’m sure when they hear that atmosphere, the adrenaline levels will rise. They’ll realise what a magic game it is.”