David Grey, the head coach of Hibs, claims he always thought his squad could reach the pinnacles of a thrilling 3-1 victory away at Aberdeen, which puts them five points above the bottom of the standings.
Elie Youan, Nicky Cadden, and Martin Boyle’s goals negated Topi Keskinen’s first goal, and the Easter Road club put in their strongest Premiership showing of the season, becoming just the second team to win at Pittodrie. The victory puts them in seventh position and builds on their much-needed victory over Ross County last weekend.
“Within the group, we have been quietly confident,” Grey added. It’s fantastic that the effort we’ve been putting in every day is now beginning to show. We always say that you have to believe in what you’re doing and you have to stick together.
It has been challenging at times; we have faced hardship. The league’s position, the season’s sluggish start, and the players’ character and mindset have all been questioned, but they are undoubtedly responding to those questions today.
“We’ve always thought that the group’s margins were so slim, and if we can put together all of our performances, we know we’ll be a really strong side and things can change quickly.” Today, in my opinion, was also a good illustration of it. The strategy worked flawlessly, which is fantastic, and the defence was outstanding.
The players deserve praise for putting that into practice and for having faith in it. Today, we were also far more clinical. The moments when you consider Boyle’s opportunity to enter and end the game or put us ahead by two goals were significant.
We may have missed out on opportunities in recent weeks. Overall, I’m thrilled for everyone.
Grey then pushed Hibs to continue this trend against Tynecastle, who are currently at the bottom of the league, in the Boxing Day derby against Hearts on Sunday before they play St Johnstone. “It helps you get into the best possible mindset before the game, but a derby is a derby—form is completely irrelevant,” Grey remarked. “I know that sounds a little cliche, but these are games that every player should look forward to. It’s all about the team that settles the best, the team that performs the best on the day.”
We must also avoid becoming complacent. Nothing changes; we continue to work on the areas that require improvement and to move the club forward because, from where we are today, we must reach even greater heights and continue to make as much progress as we can.
However, Hibs have two injury concerns before they leave the city as captain Joe Newell and defender Warren O’Hora were substituted out due to injuries in the second half. “If you recall, Warren had a minor ankle injury against Ross County. It stiffened up a little at halftime, and as a result, he had some difficulty running it off,” Grey said. He deserves praise for the manner he risked his life, but we’ll simply have to wait and see if he gets better. Let’s wait and see whether he gets better.
Joe, it’s too soon to tell, but he just felt a slight knock, so we’ll see whether he leaves. To be honest, that will be crucial for the entire team. With so many upcoming contests, it’s important to take as much time as possible to rest and recuperate.
Boyle was making his first start since November 9 and Grey was full of praise for him. The head coach went on, “He’s been out of the team for a while this season, but he’s responded exactly how you’d want anyone to respond.” particularly a veteran player, given the quantity of games he has participated in and the significance he has had for his football team throughout the years. He has always had that quality, but he has also had to be patient and keep up his hard work. I believe that at this level, he has consistently had an impact on games with his speed, directness, and quality.
“As much as he’s been his fluent best, he’s had to keep working hard and be patient to get the result he’s got, which he delivered again today, his goal involvement for the season.” However, it also shows the team and the battle for spots that no one is assured a spot.
Jimmy Thelin, the manager of Aberdeen, is going through his first slump at Pittodrie. Rangers’ 1-0 victory over Dundee moved the Dons into third place, and they have lost their last six games.
“I talked about it with the players and staff after the game about how we have to stay close to each other on the pitch,” Thelin added. “Mistakes will occur during the game, but we must not allow them to cause us such pain, as that indicates that we lack sufficient balance. We don’t adequately cover one another.
“To address that, my team and I must continue to collaborate with the players. It’s how we balance each other as a team as well as within the game. The only way out is if we stick together, continue to practise on the training pitch and improve.”
