Hibs boss in Hearts admission and Celtic overtake scenario as Gray addresses 'four-way title race' claim
Easter Road boss looking to leapfrog reigning champions - and close in on city rivals
Even as he sets his sights on the short-term ambition of overtaking reigning champions Celtic, David Gray understands why so many of his fellow Hibs fans remain fixated on a target closer to home. The Easter Road gaffer has been around Edinburgh more than long enough to understand that Hearts leading the pack inevitably affects the judgement of supporters steeped in Hibernian traditions.
So, yes, he’s quick to volunteer the indisputable truth that victory in the next two games – away to Motherwell tomorrow night and then at home to Celtic on Sunday – would put Hibs clear in second place in the Scottish Premiership. Gray certainly doesn’t view such a scenario as some wild flight of fancy.
Capital rivalry affects campaign perspective
Ask him about Hibs flying under the radar despite rising to third place, however, and he is quick to acknowledge the maroon elephant in the room, pointing out: “I think the frustration comes from, and I understand it having been at this football club and grown up in Edinburgh, Hibs fans will look at their rivals straight away. Hearts are flying, Hearts haven’t lost; well they've lost their first game of the season there at the weekend.
“It naturally makes people feel that Hibs aren't doing as well because Hearts are doing really well. We have been going under the radar, but really concentrating on what we were doing.
“There's still a lot of games to be played. Within that, squads are going to be tested throughout the season, pick up injuries, suspensions, everything that comes with that. I think it's exciting because it's so tight.
“I expect it to be the same for a number of weeks still to come, being so tight that if you can get two or three results in a row, what it can do for you in a positive way. But the reverse side to that is if you can go three or four games without a result, how quickly you can fall out of it.”
Gray, asked if he felt his team could get “in the mix” at the top end of the table, said: “Definitely. We’re the only fixture tomorrow night, so it gives us the opportunity.
“It’s a difficult one, but if you can go and win the game tomorrow night, and then I know we don't play 'til Sunday, but off the back of that, you're playing against the team directly above you at the minute (Celtic). And we could play before we play them again.
“So it could be looking at potentially if you go and get six points, you could go above them. But the flip side to that is we'll be the only team having played 14 games. So if you don't take advantage of that …. there are different ways you can look at it.
Hibs can ‘stamp authority’ on Scottish Premiership
“We keep setting these small targets all the time because I did feel this round of fixtures now is an opportunity for this group of players to try and stamp their authority on the league. And we're certainly starting to go in the right direction.
“If we get three points tomorrow night with nobody else playing, it puts you in a very good position. But it is so tight. It's the difference of back-to-back wins, what that looks like in this league.
“I think that's something that will remain the same, especially because there are so many games in such a short period of time over the Christmas period. If you can go on a good run of form, in this round of fixtures, it does really set you up for the second half of the season.”
Addressing his team’s city rivals directly, Gray added: “Hearts are in front of us at the moment and we're trying to catch them. You always try and catch the team in front of you, it's something we've already spoken about.
“We've got a chance tomorrow night to take another three points closer to where we want to get to. And that's all we're thinking about.
“We don't need to be looking at what other teams are doing. Worrying about what else other people are doing at this stage.
“We've still got to play Hearts three times, Rangers three times, Celtic three times, potentially - as long as we go and make sure we finish at the right stage of the league. It is very much moving in the right direction for us, but we need to keep concentrating on what we're doing and keep worrying about getting better all the time.”
Former Scotland star Pat Nevin sees Hibs as contenders
Invited to comment on player-turned-pundit Pat Nevin’s recent assertion that Hibs are one of FOUR teams locked in a genuinely open title race, Gray said: “At this moment in time, I can see why people would ask the question. But at the same time, as I've already said, we've only played 13-14 games.
“There's a lot of football still to be played, a lot of twists and turns within that and it is purely about concentrating on what we're doing at the minute – winning. We have demonstrated that already and it's something internally that I really feel strong about.
“We're a good side. If we can play to our levels, we have to be at our best to beat anybody in this league. But if we can do that, we're a very good side that can take a lot of confidence going into games.”