Hungover Hibs need a reset - what David Gray may do to bring about change

Hibs picked a particularly painful method of torture for their fans on Saturday, conceding a stoppage-time winner to Hearts after holding their own at Tynecastle for 91 minutes. As three sides of the stadium went into scenes of pandemonium, there was stunned silence in the away end.

Head coach David Gray looked forlorn as he tried to address the media afterwards. After seven rounds of fixtures in the Premiership, Hibs sit seventh on eight points - 11 behind their Edinburgh rivals. Their last - and only - league win came on the opening day of the season, against Dundee on August 3.

Until last weekend, the rest of the games had ended in stalemates. Hibs have failed to get the better of Kilmarnock, St Mirren and Dundee United at home, and drawn with Falkirk and Celtic away. Only the latter of those results can be seen as positive for a team that finished third last season.

Hibs have issues to resolve. Gray admitted as much after the derby. Chief among them is how to stop conceding goals at the end of each half.

The stats are grim reading for Hibs: in 14 matches across all competitions this season, Hibs have shipped 13 goals either between 42 and 48 minutes or at the end of matches. It leads to the conclusion that there is a concentration problem within the team.

‘Hibsed it’ jibes are coming out once more

This isn’t a new phenomenon for Hibs under Gray. This time last season, when the Easter Road side were bottom of the league and really struggling under the then new head coach, they shot themselves in the foot with late goals. The term ‘Hibsed it’ really grates with their supporters but it is hard to argue against it when the stats are laid bare.

Gray managed to spectacularly turn around fortunes 12 months ago and his team rampaged to third in the league standings, overhauling Aberdeen and leaving Hearts trailing in their wake. And while the Dons are still four points worse off than Hibs, the Jambos have scooted off into the distance this time around.

“Inexcusable” was the word Gray used to describe Craig Halkett’s winner for Hearts as he strode in unmarked to net a Sabah Kerjota cross. What will frustrate him even more is that Hibs actually defended very well prior to that goal, marshalled by the impressive Scotland centre-half Grant Hanley. All that good work undone in a split second.

A team that gained a ton of plaudits for their European campaign, the failure to hold on to a lead against Legia Warsaw and miss out on Conference League football is clearly having an effect on Hibs. They were four minutes away from a famous play-off round triumph in Poland that would have secured league-phase football for the first time in the club’s history. They have not won a game since, and are clearly suffering a hangover from coming so close.

Losing to Hearts needs to be the reset for a team that remains hard to beat - but also remains short of wins. Gray and his coaching staff will now spend the best part of the next fortnight trying to work out solutions ahead of facing Livingston at home on October 18.

Gray is not helped by a number of players heading off on international duty: Hanley, Rocky Bushiri, Jordan Obita, Miguel Chaiwa, Rudi Molotnikov, Thibault Klidje, Kieron Bowie and Martin Boyle are all with countries for the next week. Those staying at East Mains will be worked hard.

What can Hibs change?

Improving concentration at key moments is not an easy task. That is down to mental fortitude as much as anything else. Key defender Warren O’Hora admitted after Hearts that there is an issue there to remedy.

Structurally, Hibs have stuck with a 3-5-2 formation since last winter. It is a system that has served Gray well, but will there be a inkling to change it? Given they have only lost three leagues games in 2025, it certainly makes them hard to beat. Gray has five centre-halves to choose from - Bushiri, Hanley, O’Hora, Jack Iredale and young Charlton loanee Alex Mitchell. Deciding who to play in the centre of a three-man defence is a toughie; last season’s star man Bushiri was left out for Hanley at Tynecastle, and given the Congolese’s level has dipped a little this season, that appeared to be the right call.

Getting Nicky Cadden and Obita into the same team down Hibs’ left is challenging. While Obita is more rounded wing-back, not having Cadden’s excellent deliveries harms them from an attacking sense. What does Gray also do with Josh Mulligan, who impressed in midfield early in the season but seems earmarked for right wing-back now. His power and energy is a plus in both areas of the pitch.

While Hibs don’t appear to have truly missed Nectar Triantis in the No 6 role due to the arrivals of Chaiwa and Middlesbrough loanee Dan Barlaser, the only veritable creative players in attacking midfield are Jamie McGrath and Junior Hoilett. As was shown by their direct approach at Hearts, Hibs do not have a wealth of flair players.

In attack, Bowie and Boyle have scored only two goals between them since mid-August, a miserly return from two strikers of repute. Hibs spend £1 million on Togolese striker Thibault Klidje but the ex-Luzern man is primarily used as a late substitute. At some point, he merits a proper opportunity - although dropping a Scotland striker or the club captain is a difficult call. Hibs tried to sign Scotland hitman Lyndon Dykes on deadline day and are still short of a different option in the final third.

Gray and Hibs have turned around difficult positions before. This one, coming off the back of a defeat by rampant Hearts, makes the current situation harder to swallow.

Just two points off third place, there should be no panic yet at Hibs. But improvement is required in many areas. The rest of October reads Livingston (h), Aberdeen (a) and Rangers (h). Hibs and Gray do not want to go into another November of peril.