The gaffer deserves win against Dnipro

MICHAEL STEWART today insisted qualifying for the lucrative group stage of the UEFA Cup would be a fitting testament to the astonishing revival Tony Mowbray has brought to Easter Road.

While many other SPL managers have had the advantage of being able to splash out in the transfer market, Hibs' insistence on keeping a tight grip on finances has left Mowbray working on a shoestring budget by comparison.

And yet, by working with the glittering array of young talent coming through the ranks, supplemented by shrewd free transfers, Mowbray has not only fashioned an entertaining side but one which finished third in the SPL last season, so ensuring European football this season.

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A goal-less draw in the first leg in Edinburgh may make Thursday night's opponents, Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk of the Ukraine, favourites to progress in their own intimidating Meteor Stadium. But today midfield ace Stewart declared victory for Mowbray's players was "achievable" with Hibs heading east on Wednesday morning, their confidence having been boosted by a well-deserved 3-1 win over Motherwell at Fir Park.

The importance of moving on to the next stage of the UEFA Cup wasn't lost on the 24-year-old who enjoyed a similar scenario with Capital rivals Hearts last season, both in terms of glory and finance. He said: "To get there means you have another four games to look forward to, to plan for, and it gets the fans excited.

"It gives everyone a great lift and it is something that is achievable.

"Last season Hearts were going through a lot of difficulties and playing in Europe was a pleasant distraction.

"But in terms of what is happening at Hibs at present, everything is geared to going forward, to taking things to the next level.

"It would be a great achievement to get to the group stages.

"It would give the young lads here an opportunity to show their skills on a wider stage and it would be terrific for their development, giving them the opportunity to pit their wits against some really good players. The important thing is to make sure we get through then sit back and see who comes out of the hat."

While the prospect of playing against some of Europe's best known sides would be the over-riding factor for players and fans alike, Stewart hasn't lost sight of the financial implications for Hibs and, hopefully, Mowbray. Although the figure of 2million which has been bandied about in some quarters seems somewhat fanciful, there's no doubt two more European games at home, with the chance of money-spinning television deals, would have a beneficial impact on Hibs accounts which are already showing rapid improvement thanks to the tough stance taken on issues such as wages by chairman Rod Petrie and his fellow directors.

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Stewart said: "If you sit down and analyse what the management team have done with the budget they have it's not frightening but a mark of the work they have done.

"The club is in a healthy state financially in terms of bringing the debt down but in terms of the size of budget they have they have brought a style of football which is good enough to get to the group stages.

"To do so would hopefully bring in some much-needed finance, whether they get to strengthen in January because of that we will have to wait and see."

Stewart insisted he is not at all envious of Hearts, the club he left during the summer after an ill-fated season at Tynecastle, even although George Burley's side are riding high at the top of the SPL table having won all eight of their opening matches.

And he believes the spotlight being shone on the big-spending Gorgie side has tended to leave what has been a good start to the season for Hibs in the shadows, Mowbray's players already four points better off than they were at the same stage last time around and in the exact same position as they finished that particular campaign.

The former Manchester United and Nottingham Forest star said: "Regardless of what Hearts are doing this year, there was a situation in which I was not going to be there so there's no point in me worrying about things in the past.

"I am enjoying my time here at Hibs. As I have said on many occasions, the management team in place here are a joy to work with. There's a lot of really good players, a style of football I enjoy playing.

"From a personal point-of-view, I'm glad to see Hearts doing well but whether it was Hibs, Hearts, Aberdeen or whoever, for the first time in a long time a lot of people are talking about the league. Hibs are going along slightly un-noticed because of what's happening across the city but I think the rest of the teams in the league are making it a lot more competitive and enjoyable for people to watch.

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"We are above Rangers and, apart from the derby game, Hibs have had a really good start to the season. The derby was a write-off from start to finish, it was a terrible performance and everyone knows that. But that apart, it has been an enjoyable season. We were all a bit disappointed not to get a point against Celtic from our second-half performance and I think that augurs well for the rest of the season."

Hibs' promising start to the season may have gone un-noticed by some, but to squeeze past Dnipro - a side which reached the final 32 of last season's UEFA Cup - would, surely, not be ignored throughout Europe.

And with the 4-5-1 formation adopted by Mowbray starting to click into place, Stewart believes Hibs have the perfect system to snatch a vital away goal in the Ukraine, as was proved against Motherwell as he notched his first goal for the Easter Road club.

Stewart, who scored the all-important second goal between strikes by Guillaume Beuzelin and Derek Riordan, said: "Fir Park, as has been shown not just this season but in previous years, is a hard place to visit. A lot of teams go there and slip up. A 1-0 scoreline is always precarious so to score a second was vitally important. Winning 3-1 was a great confidence booster to hopefully getting a very, very important result for the team and club.

"We scored three but could have had four or five.

"We created a lot of chances but we have to be more clinical and I'm sure that's something the manager will talk about. The pace of Ivan Sproule to get in behind teams is frightening, Garry O'Connor holds the ball up well, Derek Riordan can score some great goals - he took his one at Fir Park fantastically well - and we have lots of support coming from midfield.

"These can all be assets for us, especially away from home."

A LIST OF DO'S AND DON'TS FOR HIBS FANS TRAVELLING TO THE UKRAINE

THE vanguard of a near 1000-strong green-and-white army will leave Edinburgh Airport tonight headed for the Ukraine to cheer on Tony Mowbray's Hibs side in Thursday night's UEFA Cup clash with Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk.

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Tonight's flight will be followed by two more plus the team plane tomorrow and, on Thursday, an "away day" trip for a further 200 supporters.

Because of the numbers travelling the British Embassy in the Ukrainian capital Kiev are dispatching two senior members of staff to support Hibs officials who will be accompanied by officers from Lothian and Borders police and stewards from Rock Steady. To help fans, club director/secretary Garry O'Hagan and operations advisor Jim Pryde have drawn up a guide for supporters.

THE British Embassy in Kiev has confirmed that citizens of the European Union, which includes the UK, do not require a visa for visits up to 90 days. During the flight, or on arrival at Dnipro Airport, it is likely everyone will have to complete an immigration form requiring details of the individual, their passport, purpose of the visit, flight information and details of accommodation in the Ukraine. Passing through immigration is time consuming and those who do not complete the forms correctly can expect to be delayed further by the authorities. The number of English speaking locals is limited.

THE local currency is the Ukrainian Hryvna (UAH) (pronounced reevna). There are roughly nine UAH to the Pound. The local economy prefers to deal with US Dollars but Euros are accepted.

AS Dnipro is an industrial town the number of bars and clubs with late night opening are limited. Closing time for bars is generally 11pm but some local negotiation can be done. A pint of Stella is roughly 1 with local cigarettes costing four or five UAH for 20.

FC Dnipro's ground, the Meteor Stadium holds 24,300 but a crowd of 15,000 is expected. Alcohol is not permitted within the ground and supporters are likely to be searched (maybe twice). No fireworks or flares are allowed. Hibs fans will be held back for up to 20 minutes after the match and any announcements will be transmitted over the PA system in English. Policing tends to be more military based and less tolerant, leading to the police having been accused of being "heavy-handed." Penalties tend to be severe.

IT is strongly recommended that supporters carry with them a photocopy of their passport data page and keep it separate from their passport. In the event of a fan losing their passport this will speed up the replacement process which costs about 43.