Exclusive:Hibs identify quality that must become 'like breathing' to build on Hampden Hearts victory
Bottom of Scottish Premiership table - but no limit on ambitions
Marink Reedijk has identified the crucial quality he must see repeated as “second nature” if Hibs are to achieve lasting success. And he’s putting no limit on the ambitions of a team sitting bottom of the Scottish Premiership table.
Sunday’s stunning derby win over Hearts saw Reedijk become the first Hibs manager ever to mastermind a victory over their closest rivals at Hampden. The Dutch coach is eager that the targeted aggression his players showed in that Premier Sports Cup semi-final becomes the norm.
Consistency will come for Hibs
Reedijk, who takes his team north to face Aberdeen on league business this weekend, told The Evening News: “Whether your win or if you lose, this needs to be our second nature, that this intensity stays on the pitch, will always be there in our games. There will be moments in the season when it will not be like this, I also realise, but it should be our second nature - that it is just like breathing, like it's something which is happening automatically.
“I always believe that if you do these basics, you always have a good fundament to fall back on. And for me, it's now about consistency in performance - and then I believe that also the consistency in result will come.”
‘Win every match’ target
Knocked back to the foot of the table, albeit with a game in hand, because of their involvement at Hampden, Hibs remain a long way short of the stated ambitions of the Easter Road board. Asked if the goal of qualifying for European football can still be considered realistic for a team with just two wins from 11 league games, Reedijk stressed: “I don't know, because I cannot see the future. It is for me this Saturday, Aberdeen. And then we look from Aberdeen onwards to the next game. And that's for me the focus.
“Don't get me wrong, I want to aim for the highest possible. So what is the highest possible? I don't know.
“But that we want to win every match. And if you win every match, you know where you can end. So let's see.”