You know when your manager is getting linked to big jobs in the English Championship then things must be going well.
Stories down south that Swansea City are keen on David Gray might only be speculation, but when was the last time a Hibs boss was being touted for a big move? It’s no wonder clubs are starting to take notice. Gray’s work over the last few months has been nothing short of sensational. HIbs have gone from cannon fodder to big guns in the race for third.
Sunday’s resounding derby win bookended a brilliant week that started with a win over Celtic and also saw Dundee United dumped on their own turf. They’re now up to third a few months after being rock bottom and have overturned a 25-point gap on Aberdeen in the process all the while going 13 league games unbeaten in the same top flight season for the first time since 1949 and ending a 16-year wait for back-to-back wins over Hearts.
Jeezo, there were more records being cast up and broken at the weekend than in a second hand vinyl store. To see Sunshine on Leith blasting round my old stomping ground for the second time in eight days was music to the ears and I was envious of every one of those players soaking it up.
Hibs must really fancy themselves heading to Parkhead on Sunday now. It’s the toughest Scottish Cup quarter final tie they could ever have wished for. But there’s a confidence bounding round the squad that suggests anything is possible.
Listen, if Hibs finish third and win the Scottish Cup this season the Gray would be Manager of the Year. It would be one of the biggest zero to hero stories ever seen in Scottish football after the start he endured in the dug out.
That’s why I reckon if the Swansea interest is serious then there’s no way the 36-year-old Leith legend would be tempted away. He’s only been a manager for six or seven months. He’s got unfinished business at Easter Road. Other clubs looking at your players or your manager is always a good thing. People think, ‘oh, don’t want to lose the manager’ but you’re only going to get speculation if you’re doing well.
But David will be looking to cement his position at Hibs right now. Sunday’s latest breaking of Hearts certainly helped. Two wins from the last two derbies and seven points ahead of the Jambos?
That’s the start of a shift in power across the city if you ask me. Fans deserve their moment to revel in it after years of pain.
I thought Hibs looked a bit nervy in the first half. The back three were like a bag of jaggies on the ball, launching it anywhere and they couldn’t get the midfielders and wide players into the game. But they settled after the break, got down the left-hand side a lot and Nicky Cadden gave Gerald Taylor a real torrid time.
They were getting two-on-ones down that side all the time and that’s where the winner came from. And what a winner from big Jack Iredale. Hibs looked fitter and stronger physically and that’s not always been the case in derbies. That must be a worry for Hearts.
What a brilliant signing Nicky Cadden has been. Honestly, I would love to have played with him. He’s not got a trick, he just gets a yard and puts the ball in the box. All the time.
As a striker, you know if he gets a yard then nine times out of 10, he puts it in. His delivery is superb. He’s a striker’s dream to play with. For Martin Boyle or Kieran Bowie or Dwight Gayle it’s so much easier for a striker to make a run.
I’ve played with guys that get a yard, chop back inside, beat a guy, try and beat him again. You’ve made four runs but the ball never comes in! Just like his twin on the other side, Cadden is pretty solid as well. He tracks back and works hard. That’s what you want. They’ll need those two at the top of their game if they’re to stand any chance of a famous win at Celtic on Sunday. Hibs will go there full of belief though.
Look at the last two performances against Celtic. The win in Leith a fortnight ago was superb but even the last time at Celtic Park that ended in a 3-0 defeat they created three or four golden chances. That score really flattered Celtic. You’ve got to respect Celtic’s firepower, they’ve scored 10 goals in the last two games! But they’ve also leaked five in the last three.
Hibs will have 7,000 fans there which I think is a massive boost. And it’s a one-off cup tie. I wouldn’t change anything. Everybody’s fit, firing and playing with confidence. Hibs will know that if there is a fragility then it’s in Celtic’s backline. They’ll go and have a go at them. It’s a big ask to go and beat Celtic at Parkhead but right now in this form, Hibs have a chance.