Reunified Hibs not getting carried away but fans can start to dream as season comes full circle

Nobody within the Hibs camp will say it outright - they are to rightly too professional - but the most upwardly mobile team in the Scottish Premiership should now have genuine aspirations of finishing third.

This feels like an astonishing statement to make given that at close of play on Tuesday, November 26 last year, Hibs had nine points and were bottom of the table. Three months later, David Gray’s men have 40 points and are in fourth place, a solitary point behind Aberdeen ahead of them.

In the period between Rocky Bushiri’s stoppage-time leveller to draw 3-3 with the Dons on that night back in November - the widely-acclaimed watershed moment this term for Hibs - they have only lost one game in 16, and that was away at Celtic. Hibs are currently 14 unbeaten across all competitions in a run that has seen them host both sides of the Old Firm and win away at Pittodrie and Tynecastle.

Hibs players celebrate after Junior Hoilett scored to make it 3-1 over Dundee United at Tannadice. (Photo by Ross Parker / SNS Group) | SNS Group

In the wake of Hibs’ latest win against Dundee United on Wednesday night, Gray was quick to point out that a couple of bad results could have them sweating over their top-six credentials once more. The league is tight, so such an observation has merit. But this Hibs team now has so much fortitude and momentum, they can start to dream about finishing best of the rest.

Granted, improvement on the performance in 3-1 win at Tannadice is required. This was probably one of their poorer displays in the 14-game invincible sequence. They creaked under the direct approach from the hosts and were on the right end of a long VAR check to disallow Sam Dalby’s 62nd-minute goal that would have put United 2-1 up.

This Hibs team does not buckle, though. That is one of their biggest strengths. They are well-organised, physical, robust and can take pressure. The back three of Warren O’Hora, Rocky Bushiri and Jack Iredale are hard to penetrate and confidence has swollen during the run of form. Once a team that conceded late goals and made basic individual errors, they are now netting late at the other end. Hibs fans must have revelled in exorcising the demons of last September on Wednesday when they conceded two goals in stoppage time to lose 3-2 on their last visit to United. When Kieron Bowie and Junior Hoilett netted right at the end, it felt like Hibs’ season had come full circle.

Hibs head coach David Gray applauds the travelling fans during the 3-1 win over Dundee United at Tannadice. (Photo by Ross Parker / SNS Group) | SNS Group

“It will give us that opportunity,” Gray said after beating Dundee United when he was asked if the goal was to finish best of the rest. “I think the short-term goal at the moment was always to make sure we cement that top six. That was the minimum for this football club.

“We say it every year. But from where we've been to where we are now, we've given ourselves a real good opportunity. But I don't want to come away from the fact that a couple of results, you know how tight it is, how quickly things can change.

“We just want to keep catching that team in front of us. Until you can't catch anyone else, that's the mindset we're going with. One game at a time because that's what we've had to do all season, and the players have responded incredibly well to that. And we keep moving forward. And I think that's the best way to do it rather than getting too carried away to where we are, because like I say, tonight we weren't at our best.

“We know we need to be miles better than that to keep continuing with this run. There are loads of big games to come before the split. Every game is going to be that feeling because everyone's got so much to play for still. So there's definitely going to be no easy games between now and the split. And then from there on, once you get into that top six, it's about then how high can you finish.”

Right now, Gray can do no wrong. At the club’s agm on Tuesday, he was referred to by shareholders as “Sir David” on more than one occasion. The financial side of Hibs is not as pretty given they made a £7.2 million loss last year, but owner Ian Gordon has written that off, donating the whole amount so that the club isn’t saddled with debt. Once extremely unpopular with the fanbase, we do not hear calls to sack the Hibs board any more. Amazing what a good run of form can do.

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Everyone at Hibs deserves credit because turning around a sinking ship is not easy. Easter Road is a much happier place. Behind-the-scenes has been restructured and the unpopular figure of Ben Kensell exited last month as chief executive. Hibs now have the gait of a united club, which has not often been the case under the Gordons.

Unification could well be completed on Sunday. Hibs take on the one team outside the Old Firm that can match them for form and momentum. Hearts, who are sixth and four points behind their capital rivals, cross Edinburgh for a tantalising derby. Should Hibs win that one, we will surely witness another rendition of Sunshine on Leith at Easter Road.

It won’t be easy. Hearts have only lost once - to Rangers - since Hibs stormed Tynecastle on Boxing Day. They are purring along nicely under the watch of head coach Neil Critchley. However, this Hibs team doesn’t look likely to be spooked by such a high-stakes occasion.

The run will end soon, of course it will. If not against Hearts, then maybe the weekend after away at Celtic in the Scottish Cup. But Gray and his players have put themselves in such a strong position. Ahead of the split, they face the Jambos, St Johnstone and Dundee at home, with trips to Rangers and Kilmarnock. They are the team nobody wants to play right now.

Now Hibs have given themselves a right good shot of landing third place. Gray is rightly keeping his feet on the ground as he already knows the fickleness of football but for the Hibbies that have been through the mill already this season, they can dare to dream of what could be achieved this season.