Managers enjoy 'thrill' of working without safety net - Hibs boss on Dons, board backing and need for results
Jimmy Thelin’s men still second bottom after losing six of first seven league games
Hibs boss David Gray has laid out the main threats posed by Jimmy Thelin’s Aberdeen. And Gray says he can definitely see similarities between Thelin being backed by the Pittodrie board, despite a brutal start to the season, and his own first year as gaffer at Easter Road.
The Dons bagged just their second league win of 2025-26 thanks to an injury-time goal against St Mirren in Paisley last weekend. But Thelin’s men suffered an embarrassing UEFA Conference League loss in Athens tonight - and are still second bottom of the Scottish Premiership.
The Aberdeen board have been firm in their support of Thelin, however, even as his team picked up just one point from their first seven league games. Gray, who went through a similar experience at the start of last season, sees plenty to admire in the team he’ll face at Pittodrie on Sunday.
“They’ve got a lot of key qualities, I think you can see that all over the pitch,” said the former Hibs skipper. “I think he's invested well this season as well.
Former Hibs favourite Kevin Nisbet just one of several threats
“He's got really creative players, pocket players that really can hurt you, but also pace. These teams are always very good on transition, you need to be aware of that all the time.
“Kevin Nisbet at centre forward, we know what he can bring, the threat he is at this level. So regardless of whatever 11 they put out on the pitch, it's going to be a strong team.
“He's had success since he's been here. First season in Scottish football, last year, he did well to win the Scottish Cup. As a result of that, he's been there a while now, he's got his style implemented.
“It's about making sure we've got a game plan ready to deal with that, knowing what we're going to expect, or at least trying to prepare the players as best you can. We're going there to try and win the game, that's for sure.”
Aberdeen blew blistering start to finish fifth last season
Pressed on whether Thelin’s team getting back-to-back league wins proved the wisdom of standing by a gaffer who had seen his side’s form collapse over the second half of last season, with Aberdeen blowing a blistering start to finish fifth in the table, Gray said: “I think as long as you're able to demonstrate why you believe it can change then you have a chance. The biggest thing for me, and I can only speak from my own personal experience within that, is that the players are the most important people at the club.
“They're the ones that I never felt any adversity with. I never felt like I'd lost the players at all.
“I didn't feel like they weren’t running for me or working for me. I think that was always the key indicator for me that kept me going, kept me being able to demonstrate to the board why I believed, given the time, it would change. And we've obviously got the benefits from that last season.
“It does take time. But the flip side to that, every manager takes the job nowadays knowing that it's all about results. It's all about making sure you win games of football.
“That's your job to do that. So you're well aware of what you're signing up to.
“Now, clearly, we'd all want more time because given more time, you've got an opportunity to change things. It isn't always plain sailing. It's difficult.
“There's all these factors that every manager goes through, whether that be injuries, whether it be just lack of form, whatever it might be. The more time you've got, the more chance you've got of actually putting something in place.
“But we all know what we're signing up to. And that's probably why we all enjoy the thrill of it as well.”
Hibs will travel to Aberdeen for Sunday’s game with virtually a fully fit squad, barring long-term injury absentee Joe Newell and midfielder Alasana Manneh.
“It probably feels now that all over the pitch, we're getting a lot stronger,” said Gray. “Just numbers, purely on numbers.”