All at Hibs facing up to pivotal moment as fan ire grows amid demand for raucous Easter Road
Obita laments quality and squad prepare for a huge week ahead
Hibs know that the margin for error is now wafer-thin. The weekend will have been spent lamenting one of their worst performances in recent times after losing 2-0 to Malisheva in the second qualifying round of the Conference League.
From back to front, Hibs were off it. In fact, not just off it - miles off it. The Kosovan outfit outstripped them in every department and the travelling fans who had made the journey to Pristina let the players and management team know just how angered they were by the performance.
The fall-out has been predictably volatile. Online fan message boards have alive with debate over the calibre of player, the summer signings, long-term progress and even the future of head coach David Gray. With emotions raw, it is all understandable. This was one of the most embarrassing results in Hibs’ European history, even if Malisheva shouldn’t be bracketed into the “minnow” category given Kosovan football is on an upward trajectory.
The good news for Hibs that is only half-time in the tie. The second leg takes place at Easter Road on Thursday evening, where Gray and his players will get a shot at redemption.
It will be tricky. Certainly, Malisheva should be a more palatable proposition away from the Kosovan heat and the slippy Fadil Vokrri Stadium pitch. Hibs will want a raucous Easter Road to help them over the line. After coming within a whisker of reaching the Conference League last season when losing in the play-off round to Legia Warsaw, elimination at this stage would be a clear failure.
“It’s not a great start, we know we can be much better on the ball than we were in the first leg,” said defender Jordan Obita, who didn’t hold back when analysing the performance in Pristina. “It wasn’t like us, I don’t think anyone has seen us be so sloppy on the ball.
“It was just down to quality, everyone was trying. There was nobody not working hard enough. Even when someone made a bad pass, everyone was telling them ‘come on’ but it wasn’t just one bad pass. It was two, three, four, five in a row. The goals we conceded were not good.
“Next week we need to be on fire from the very beginning. We have to come out of the blocks firing from the get-go because if we get a goal early anything can happen.
“On Thursday we have to make sure our quality is there and we’re on it. We showed last year we can play against top teams and we do it in our league against Celtic and Rangers. We just need to show our quality and I know for a fact we can turn it around. I just want us to get into the next round and I know when we put on a performance we’re a very good team.
“The good thing is we’re at home in front of our fans. We need the fans’ backing, we’re two goals down so we need them behind us. If we do our part they will be doing theirs too, we always know that at home or away they make the difference.”
Hibs fans won’t tolerate regression
The flipside isn’t worth thinking about. There were murmurs of discontent among the Hibs faithful last season but a fifth-placed Premiership finish ensured a return to continental competition in Gray’s second season in charge. For many, it was stagnation rather than progression - and regression simply won’t be tolerated by swathes of the support who crave Hibs competing at the sharp end of Scottish football.
Hibs had their chances against Malisheva. Owen Elding saw an early header cleared off the line, while Miguel Chaiwa tumbled at the vital moment when presented with a opportunity inside the penalty box.
However, the two best moments fell to Nathan Lowe, the 20-year-old loanee from Stoke City. The striker netted twice last weekend in a friendly against Brondby but his shooting boots deserted him against Malisheva, hitting the post with his first one-on-one and then slashing wide with his second. It was a competitive debut to forget.
It should not fall totally upon Lowe, a hulking man for his age, to ripple the rigging. Hibs also have experienced forward Martin Boyle, record signing Thibault Klidje and Elding to call upon. Ante Suto missed the first leg through injury, but may be available for Thursday. Whoever is selected needs to find their shooting boots. And there needs to be a steady stream of service from a team that missed the guile of Jamie McGrath and the devilish crossing of Nicky Cadden.
“We have a different variety of strikers,” said Obita. “We have Nathan, a big guy who can hold the ball up and win headers. We have Thibault who can run in behind with pace, we have Boyler with pace. Owen Elding can play a nine or a ten, so there’s different variety there. We just have to get opportunities to get forward and put the ball into the box - and make the most of it.
“Nathan scored two goals last week but unfortunately on Thursday he missed - that’s football. He’s a very good player. Big strikers sometimes miss in big games, the only thing you can’t do is dwell on it. What we have to make sure is next week we get goals because otherwise we’re out. We need everything to click every time next week.”
The reward is alluring. Bravo of Slovenia or Shkendija of Macedonia would be the next opposition. These are not European middleweights, let alone heavyweights. Hibs should be targeting a play-off berth once more. It is the desire of the board, the head coach, the players and the fans. It is why next week is pivotal.