Hibs boss highlights glaring failing after Dundee collapse - with defence back in spotlight

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Hibs boss David Gray admits his team’s defensive frailties are clear for all to see. And he believes things must change if they’re to dig themselves out of their current predicament near the foot of the Scottish Premiership table.

Hardly in the mood to celebrate a first league point after Simon Murray’s late equaliser saw Dundee rescue a 2-2 draw from their trip to Easter Road, Gray was asked about the former Hibs striker’s ability to ghost in on the blind side of Warren O’Hora at the decisive moment.

And the rookie head coach confessed: “Listen, I think it’s clear for everyone to see the areas we need to improve. It’s very clear. One thing we can’t keep doing is having to score three, four, five goals to win a game of football.

“I’m not shying away from that at all. It’s a collective responsibility, it’s not an individual. It’s something we all need to be better at.

“Simon was a constant threat. It was nothing new and nothing we didn’t expect from him.

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“The areas where we need to improve are clear to see. We need to be better defensively.”

Dundee’s momentum-stopping second came soon after Gray had thrown Rocky Bushiri on as an extra defender, although the manager bristled at suggestions connecting the two events, saying: “The response after half-time was great, we’re on the front foot and I made the triple sub around the 60 minute mark to try and go to win the game. I felt it was there to be done.

“We go from a goal down to 2-1 up, and I feel the subs impacted the game in a positive way. I don’t think we dealt with Simon Murray’s physical presence throughout the game. He was a constant threat.

“They went nothing to lose, bringing on Curtis Main and we had to deal with that physical presence again. That was the rationale behind making the change late on in the game.

“Myko (Kuharevich) had run his race at centre-forward, so the mindset behind the change was to get more pressure on the ball, go almost man for man so that you can get that pressure on the ball. On reflection, when you lose a goal late in the game it’s very easy to say it’s to do with that, but it’s not directly to do with anything other than it’s a poor goal we lose again.

“It’s our first point so it’s much better than it has been. We were 1-0 down and went 2-1 up, so that was a great reaction.

“We earned that lead. We were much more positive in the second half and that was more like us. That’s why I have mixed emotions but it’s clear where we have to improve - and the hard work on that continues.”

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Asked if he was worried that last season’s biggest failing – losing late goals – was creeping back into play, Gray said: “We are losing early AND late goals - but last season is the past. It’s a new squad and a new way of working.

“We are losing too many goals in general, and we have to address that very quickly. We can’t have to score that many goals to win a game and the responsibility for that falls on myself, first and foremost, to get a reaction.”