Hibernian head coach David Gray has responded to a defining moment with wins over Rangers and in Europe, but former player Tam McManus remains unconvinced by the team's performances.
Gray's Response to Pressure
Two weeks ago, McManus wrote that Gray faced a defining moment as Hibs manager after an embarrassing Conference League qualifying defeat away to Kosovan minnows FC Malisheva. Gray has since produced a response that sums up the man's resilience, according to McManus.
Hibs thumped Malisheva on home turf and secured further Euro progress by squeezing through against Shkendija, standing on the brink of an historic first ever group stage. In between, they recorded another victory over Rangers at Ibrox – a third in three successive seasons.
Performances Still a Concern
Yet McManus remains unconvinced, describing Hibs as "a hard watch" despite the results. He believes the performances need to be better and fans are not delighted with what they have seen.
Even in the win against Rangers, McManus thought Hibs were not great and got fortunate with the penalty kick, but he acknowledged you take it because of how rare wins at Ibrox are. He said Hibs will have to play a lot better over two legs to beat Gent if they are to grab the chance of writing their names in the history books.
Missing Spark and Upcoming Tests
McManus pointed to decent money spent on the squad and quality players, but said there is something missing – a cohesiveness, a style. He contrasted Hibs with Motherwell and Hearts, who show a clear pattern of playing and great attacking football.
He noted that grinding out results is fine, but average performances will eventually catch up. He recalled that Hibs underachieved last season, finishing fifth and making no dent in the cups.
Looking ahead to the League Cup tie against Partick Thistle in Leith, McManus called it huge, saying Thistle is a hard game and Mark Wilson has them playing good stuff. He also highlighted the added problem of Hibs flying back from North Macedonia in the last 24 hours after playing in a sweat box, with the effects still felt in the legs less than three days later.
McManus concluded that nothing other than progression will be acceptable for Hibs fans, and if Gray can get a cup run to Hampden and qualify for the main phase of the Conference League, he will be well on the way to answering the critics again.
