Hibs' cup upset concerns voiced as Jamie McGrath as reluctance to shoot question addressed
Easter Road side just one win from last four - but struggling for form
Hibs know their Highland showdown with Ross County has “all the makings of a cup upset”, according to Easter Road ace Jamie McGrath. And the Irishman believes David Gray’s men owe fans a Premier Sports Cup semi-final outing at Hampden after putting punters through the wringer in recent weeks.
Currently on a run of three losses in their past four games, Hibs did manage to bounce back from their dramatic late UEFA Conference League play-off exit by beating Dundee at Dens Park. But they’ve just lost dropped six points out of six, falling to a third consecutive Edinburgh derby defeat at Easter Road last Thursday night before losing 2-1 against St Johnstone in Perth on Sunday.
Hibs chasing first semi-final since 2023-24 League Cup
With a place in the last four of the much-rebranded League Cup up for grabs in Dingwall against League One opposition on Saturday, there is at least a tantalising prize on the horizon. But McGrath insists improvement is needed if Hibs are to make their first semi-final since season 2023-24.
“We will work hard this week, although a few bodies might need a bit of a rest for a few days,” said McGrath, the former Aberdeen and St Mirren star adding: “We hopefully can come in fresh ahead of very difficult venue to go and play.
“It has all the makings of a cup upset, so we can’t afford to let that happen. We have to be on it and that has to start at training.
“We have to try and be positive. We have a game to bounce back.
“We’re only one game from Hampden. We want to give the travelling fans something to shout about because against St Johnstone we obviously didn’t. That’s our sole focus now.”
‘More clinical’ demand from midfielder
Hibs struggled at both ends of the park against St Johnstone, who leapfrogged ahead of their visitors into seventh place in the Scottish Premiership. On a day when Grant Hanley had to be helped off the pitch with a hip injury, positives were thin on the ground.
“We have to be more clinical in front of goal,” said McGrath. “In saying that, we probably didn’t create as many clear-cut chances as we wanted. I suppose the positives are we were a lot better in the second half. But we can’t start games the way we have the last two games. At this level, you get punished for starting sloppy. As players, that’s something we need to address. We are giving ourselves a mountain to climb.
“It’s the old cliche of you can’t get too high or too low. It’s very disappointing to lose two on the spin, considering we were in a decent place after last week. The beauty of football you have the next game. We have a full week to work hard, come together as a group and see how we can get better.
“We have had a busy schedule, the squad is a bit thin at the minute. We hope Granty is okay. The defence has probably taken a bit of a battering at the minute. Hopefully the boys will be alright, Granty took a big bang so hopefully it’s nothing too serious and it’s just a few days and he can get himself right.
“It’s up to use as players to put on a better performance, especially in the first half. And be more clinical in the second half. We had a few half chances, myself included. Hit targets, find corners. At the minute, it’s not falling for us but we have to keep working hard. That’s all you can do.
“I tried to hit the target, make the keeper work. We’ve had a few half chances, balls not quite falling the right way. To be fair to them, they defended their box really well and made it hard for us to get any clear cut chances. We found a bit of rhythm but just couldn’t get the ball in the net.”
Asked if there was a reluctance to shoot, with a lack of confidence possibly to blame, attacking midfielder McGrath said: “I’m not too sure, to be honest. Yeah, maybe. We work on it in training a lot. And I’m delighted for Nathan (Lowe) scoring, he’s working his socks off. He got his rewards and he deserves that; it’s a positive for him. But it’s up to all of us to chip in and ultimately create more chances. So I’ll be looking at myself as well.
“We’ve had a good start at times, put in some really good performances so far. But it’s just about finding that consistency.
“The first half, as players, we were off it for whatever reason. I don’t know if it’s a lull after Thursday night but that can’t be an excuse. We need to start games properly and if we’re not playing properly then we need to play in their half - or do things quicker.
“I thought in the second half we were a bit better, on the front foot, controlling the game in their half a bit more. But ultimately, we lacked a bit more in the final third.”