"Don't ruin season" pleads Hibs manager Jack Ross as he addresses Covid concerns

Hibs boss Jack Ross has had his say on the current coronavirus situation

The Hibs manager takes his side to Rugby Park this afternoon at the start of the second quarter of the league campaign. A resounding away win would be a perfect way to prepare for next weekend’s Scottish Cup semi-final against Hearts.

However, he is adamant he would hate to see Kilmarnock have a 3-0 defeat imposed on them without playing as clubs continue to deal with the associated problems of playing football through a pandemic.

This remains a possibility. The fact not all Premiership teams – Kilmarnock included – have taken part in 11 league games is an indicator of the obstacles faced to date amid a pandemic. The Rugby Park’s side clash with Motherwell earlier this month was called off when an outbreak within the club meant the whole squad was forced to self-isolate.

Kilmarnock have now been charged with an alleged breach of Covid-19 protocol. A hearing will now be held before a sub-committee of the board of the SPFL, chaired by an independent chair. If Kilmarnock are found guilty, one possible punishment is forfeiting the Motherwell game – with a 3-0 defeat ‘awarded’. Clubs have been asked to consider this measure in a questionnaire sent out by the SPFL board earlier this week. St Mirren could face the same fate after today’s game with Hamilton Accies was called off when they were left with just 11 fit players following a Covid-19 outbreak.

‘Dangerous’ path to go down

Ross is not in favour of such extreme sanctions. Always a thoughtful, fair man, he wants football matters to be decided on the pitch if at all possible. Even though Kilmarnock will likely be one of Hibs’ rivals as they bid to finish at least fourth in the league, Ross has urged the authorities to take a less punitive stance.

“It would be a dangerous path to go down,” he said. “This season is challenging for so many reasons. We really run the risk of ruining a season if we do that, because there are circumstances that will take that outwith clubs’ controls. There’s a paranoia that surrounds the lack of fixture dates and I know [SPFL secretary] Iain [Blair] has a difficult job at the SPFL. But, ultimately, if we have to play four games in a week or another club has to do it, then so be it.

“Clubs have had to do it in the past. It’s happened through times of really poor weather or the time Rangers got to the UEFA Cup final. It’s not as if it’s unprecedented and if that’s the outcome then, personally, I think that’s much preferable to clubs being given 3-0 defeats in games. The consequences of that 3-0 defeat could obviously be huge for teams at both ends of the table.

Sometimes it’s our culture where we look to apportion blame rather than take a step back and assess the situation,” he added. “Our profession is different to the wider population and probably incidents that happened earlier in the season maybe skewed people’s opinions on it.“There was probably a situation where there was a bit of irresponsible behaviour but certainly in recent times that doesn’t seem to have been the case. You can’t be with players 24/7 but certainly I don’t think we should be in a rush to blame and hand out punishments. The truth is we are living in strange times and we’ve got the football season up and running and want it to continue.”

‘More clarity, the better’

Ross hopes the clubs can come to an agreement about what to do in the event of another incomplete season, something recent events suggest is a distinct possibility. The SPFL board want to formulate a strategy for titles, promotions and relegations and have asked clubs to again consider handing them this this authority. A ballot will take place if there is agreement.

“There are anomalies in we have a profession run by an organisation that doesn’t have power at times,” said Ross. “That in itself can be confusing.“The greater clarity we have in all aspects helps because we want the season to finish. I understand the need to prepare for the very worst case but hopefully we never get to that. But I think the more clarity we have on that the better.”

Doidge’s drought

Meanwhile, Christian Doidge is conscious of being on his second-worst run in terms of goals since joined the club two summers ago. The Welsh striker has been a revelation at Easter Road, albeit it took a while for to get up and running. He scored just twice in his 15 appearances and once went nine games without a goal.

He is currently on a six-game drought and he is desperate to find his touch again before next weekend’s trip to Hampden, starting against Kilmarnock this afternoon. Doidge has described himself in the past as a striker who scores in fits and starts. After last season’s long run of being unable to find the net, he scored seven goals in the next five games, including a hat-trick against St Johnstone in the first game after manager Paul Heckingbottom’s sacking.

“I don’t know why that is,” he said. “Hopefully I can get one on the weekend and go on a run. But as long as we’re playing well and winning it’s not something I think about too much. As a striker you want to score in every game you play but as long as the team wins that’s the most important thing.”

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