Hibs boss in 'writing on the wall' dressing room factions revelation amid Danny Ings free agent signing update
Former Liverpool, Aston Villa and West Ham frontman on Easter Road radar
David Gray has revealed the one sign that would prove the “writing is on the wall” for any manager. And the Hibs boss insists he’s seen no indication of this fatal flaw developing within his squad.
Gray, who provided an update on the club’s pursuit of free agent striker Danny Ings, says he’s been encouraged by the collective reaction of players to losing three out of their last four games. Hibs head to Dingwall to face Ross County in a Premier Sports Cup quarter-final tomorrow knowing that only a victory will ease pressure on the manager.
The former club captain, who has faced criticism early in his third season at the helm, explained: “During these periods, sticking together is the biggest and most important thing -and not breaking off into little groups. Because that's what you see.
“You see it happen all the time. Once you get to that point, you've got massive cracks and fractures within it.
“The writing's on the wall at that point. But I've certainly, in my whole time at this football club, in this role, I've certainly never had that.”
Hibs short of experienced leaders after O’Hora departure
With Warren O’Hora sold on Deadline Day, Grant Hanley officially “struggling” to make tomorrow’s game because of a hip injury and Joe Newell no longer a regular in the first team, Hibs could be short of leadership. On paper, at least.
But Gray insists he’s seen even youngsters stepping up to take personal responsibility – a key element in keeping the group bonded.
“Not everybody's a screamer and a shouter,” he said, adding: “You don't have to be 30-year-old to be a leader just because you're more experienced, definitely not.
“The biggest part of it for me was taking responsibility, individually and collectively. So the collective side is my responsibility for results 100% and educating the players and trying to improve the players.
“But internally, are you doing enough? Individually, are you doing enough? And taking responsibility for some of the situations.
“And I think the quicker you own up to things and you take responsibility, that's leading as well.
“It was a real refreshing meeting early part of this week when you reviewed the last game. To look at, was that how we expect our team to play or a representation of how we expect to play?
“You're not going to play well every week, but from the way we want to play and the basics of football, of a Hibernian side and what we expect - we felt we were below the levels, individually and collectively.
“So that's something that, from a leadership point of view, you don't have to be a certain age to be that. I think it's about taking responsibility for your own performance and then from there, growing into the game as a collective.
“Granty and Joe Newell, that do lead every day, even Rocky Bushiri, he's injured, but he's around the boys all the time. Don’t feel like you can't speak just because you've not played. It's very much a collective group.
“And I know I've not got what you would classify there as as many 30-plus-year-old experienced players. But within that, I've got a lot of youthful exuberance and players that are really good, that can play at the level.”
Players taking responsibility a positive sign
Insisting he’d seen players take the right approach to back-to-back defeats to Hearts and St Johnstone, Gray said: “When you review the game, it's very easy just to be negative about things.
“That doesn't help anybody. Everybody knows that. If you pause it, it's really simple to look and say: ‘You should have done this.’
“Is it coming through that the players take responsibility for it? Did I get the reaction in training? Yeah.
“They've all reacted really well in training, as you'd expect. After a result like that, or two results that we've had, nobody's messing about. You don't get that.
“It's not just waiting till the weekend and hoping that we turn up at the weekend. It's doing absolutely everything, day one, back in the building, to ensure you give yourself the best chance to do that.
“Don't leave anything down to chance. Don't hope. Hoping is waiting for somebody else to do it for you, in my opinion. It's making sure you take responsibility yourself.
“I've seen that in training. Now the challenge is, can you go and take that into your game? Because doing it in training is one thing. We get paid to do that on the pitch.”
Hibs have been linked with a move for former Liverpool, Aston Villa and West Ham striker Ings, who is seen as delivering the same kind of boost that made veteran frontman Dwight Gayle such an important figure during his time at Easter Road and East Mains.
Gray said: “He is unattached at the moment as are quite a few other ones at the minute. So there are still conversations, but I'm not going to speculate or mention any individuals about what we're doing right now.
“I think players like that can definitely add that. I think we definitely benefited from what Dwight Gayle brought. On the pitch, he was still very capable, played at a really high level for a reason.
“But how he was every single day around the young boys, especially when you look at a group who are quite young, especially in forward areas. You think about Nathan Lowe, Owen Elding as well.
“Just seeing how these players that have played at the highest level train and prepare every day, it doesn't happen by accident that they play at the level they have for as long as they have.
“Junior Hoilett was another brilliant example of it when he came in, someone who played in the Premier League and still hungry and desperate to still play every single week. But knowing when they're not playing how good they are every day around the group. So if you can get that, it's certainly something that's really worthwhile.”