Hibs planning for Euro progress with fixture switch - but can they cope with 'really hostile' Belgrade test?
Falkirk contest had already been moved for Premier Sports live coverage
Hibs will take advantage of a new SPFL policy to postpone their Scottish Premiership clash with Falkirk later this month – IF David Gray’s team have progressed to the Europa Conference League play-off round. And the Easter Road gaffer admits his players will have to be braced for a “really hostile” experience in Belgrade this week, as they look to compete in the first leg of their third qualifying round tie against Partizan.
The SPFL board voted last season to allow clubs involved in UEFA play-off matches to postpone a fixture if it helps them reach the group stages of European football. Hibs, who have never made it to the group/league phase of any UEFA club competition, have been successful in their request to have the August 23 trip to the Falkirk Stadium – already picked for live broadcast by Premier Sports, with a 5.45 pm KO – set aside.
That will only happen, though, if the Falkirk games falls between two legs of a play-off against the losers of the Larnaca v Legia Warsaw Europa League third qualifying round tie. And that means Gray leading his team to victdory over Partizan.
Gray’s players have been made aware that they won’t be experiencing a repeat of their Europa League experienced against talented but mild-mannered Midtjylland, with the gaffer warning: “It's something the players will need to make sure they're ready for. A real hostile environment, very intense when you see their games, their support and everything that goes with that.
“So I think it's a different challenge and one the players should relish and look forward to. A lot of them won't have experienced that before.
"Myself, I've not experienced that as a coach, certainly. So I think that's something different. We need to prepare the players for it and make sure they are ready for it.
"But it's also a really good opportunity to go over there again and test yourself against a top-level opposition. And the level of opposition and the level of performance required is going to have to be similar to the Midtjylland games.”
Easter Road side ran European regulars Midtjylland close
Despite their 2-1 aggregate loss to the Danes with the impressive European pedigree, the fact that Midtjylland needed a spectacular goal in the dying embers of injury time at Easter Road to get the job done is testament to the work done by Gray. He feels his team are ready for this challenge.
"You need to take loads of confidence from that,” he insisted. “I think I said that you always need to believe you can go and get a result.
“We're a very good side. And we've demonstrated that already. And then obviously going into this game off the back of a real positive first league win of the season away from home, which is never an easy place to go, shows we're in a real good place at the moment.
“I think the history with Partizan Belgrade and everything that comes with that, going over there will be a real difficult test. We know that.
“Whether we're favourites or underdogs, I'm not really too fussed to be honest. It's about concentrating on what we can do and making sure the players are ready for it, ready for the challenge, the game plan is in place.
"But we go into every single game trying to win the game. We're not going over there to not try and do that. It doesn't matter who we're playing. That is the mindset. I don't think you can go into a game not trying to win it. So that doesn't change.
"It's just a different environment that we're going into. You obviously have to factor in the quick turnaround, you factor in the travel, everything else. But this is why you do it.
“This is what the players are all prepared for. And you should really look forward to the opportunity and the challenge.”
Nicky Cadden is unlikely to recover from a hamstring strain in time to take part against Partizan, while club captain Joe Newell and fellow long-term injury victim Rudi Molotnikov are both still out – but making steady progress. Gray knows he’ll need a big squad to cope with challenges on two fronts, if they’re to repeat last season’s achievement of finishing third in the Scottish Premiership.
Tony Bloom’s Hearts boasts not a concern for Gray
Asked outright about Tony Bloom’s investment at Hearts and how his public challenge to the Old Firm might impact Hibernian’s chances of being top dogs in Edinburgh, Gray said: "I think all you can do is worry about yourself. I said it even last season.
“I think where we finished in the league last year, we fully deserved it for what we achieved last season. But this is a new season. There's still progression to come from this group.
"You need to keep working hard. You always need to improve. You talked about Hearts there. Aberdeen have invested. There's a lot of new managers in the league as well that have got different ways of playing. So I think the league itself is always a challenge.
"It's always difficult week in, week out. And I don't expect it to be any easier this season, that's for sure. And the players know that.
“The players know the expectation will have risen from what we achieved last year. But it's about making sure that you keep working hard and you keep improving as a group. And if we keep improving, I know we're on the right side.”