Hibs go from hunters to hunted in race for prime Euro place - and must adapt to psychology of new challenge

From hunters to hunted, nothing-to-lose pursuers to a team trying to protect their place in the pecking order, Hibs have undergone quite the transformation in recent weeks. As they seek to salvage a third-placed finish from a season that started in such calamitous fashion, then, players who once made a virtue of their underdog status must adjust to a new reality.

David Gray, glancing at a Scottish Premiership table showing his team just one point clear of Aberdeen in fourth and two ahead of fifth-placed Dundee United, has been working hard on the psychology of these much improved circumstances. If closing the 16-point gap on second-placed Rangers is a virtual impossibility, there is a position – and a prize – to defend.

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The head coach, two thirds of the way into his first season as a manager in his own right, explained: “This week, I’m probably thinking more about the mindset of the group, the mentality, and what we're going to do now. Because my message to the players, and the narrative has been for a number of weeks now, has all been about catching the team in front. The attention now shifts to, yes, you'd obviously like to try and catch Rangers, but looking at the points difference realistic targets, we need to change our thinking.

“Because now we're the team being chased. And you know that everybody, given how tight the league is, will still be looking to try and cement that top six. Everything can change there. But now we then set a target of can we get as many points as we can before the split?

Scottish Premiership split points target set

“So we'll give them a target of what we need to get in the next four games. And that's our mindset that way, focusing on the total number of points we can try and accumulate, put us in the best possible position come the split, if we can get to that as early as we can.”

In terms of tangible rewards, finishing third – allied to Celtic winning the Scottish Cup – would bring guaranteed Europa Conference League football for the team good enough to be declared ‘best of the rest’ behind the Old Firm. Beyond that, of course, there’s the natural desire to bounce back from a rare defeat.

A 15-game undefeated run in all competitions may have been ended by Celtic in Sunday’s Cup quarter-final at Celtic Park, the visitors going down 2-0 without much to show for their afternoon’s efforts. But Gray’s men are still 13 games undefeated in the league heading to Rugby Park to play Kilmarnock this week.

“Keeping the league run going is also important for the pride and confidence,” he said. “And that’s something we’ll try to get the players feeling, as well.

“On Sunday, we felt defeat for the first time in a number of weeks. And what I said to them was not to dwell on that defeat.

“It's a feeling we've not had for a long time, not a nice feeling, but as I said to them before the game, Celtic at Celtic Park is the toughest test in Scottish football. We can't be too down, can't dwell on it, because the league form's still there.

“So we're still undefeated in the league. Can we keep that going? Can we finish this round of fixtures undefeated?

“It's a challenge to the players to try and do things like that, in order to try and make sure the focus is there, because all we can do now is concentrate on the league. And we've given ourselves a brilliant opportunity from where we were to where we are now to finish the season as strongly as possible and gave ourselves a real chance to be really successful.”

Asked about his team’s chances of going without loss between now and the end of the season, Gray said: “Nine games unbeaten? No, I’m only thinking up to the split. Of course, I think up to the split is what you're looking at. But we're never looking more than ... Kilmarnock's a real tough test again.

“So as I talk about Celtic being the toughest test, but Kilmarnock is a tough venue. History tells you it's really difficult, the surface, everything that goes with it. It's not an excuse, because players know it before they go.

Five years since last win over Kilmarnock at Rugby Park

“Is it 2020 since we won there? Well there you. That shows you how tough a test it is. I’ll use that in my meeting at the weekend!

“It’s a tight pitch and a team who need to win for their ambition of making the top six. That’s not completely out of their reach – but they’ll need to start winning games. So we’re aware of that.

“Between and the split that all these games are going to be so important. And everything, every single team at the minute has got something to play for.

“As I say, from third all the way down, it's as tight as I've ever seen it. Because everyone's still got something. There's nobody really floating about going: ‘Where are we going to go here? There's nothing to play for …’”

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