Hibs banking on Junior's old head to bring 'calming influence' to Granite City clash
Former Pittodrie favourite central to Gray’s master plan
A calming influence in a game of chaos. Yeah, that sounds like a pretty decent description of a player becoming increasingly central to what Hibs hope to achieve in this season making do and making amends.
It’s fair to assume that, when Junior Hoilett gets on the ball, David Gray’s heart rate drops a few beats per minute. Even from way up in the cheap seats, you can almost see the rookie gaffer’s shoulders relax just a little as he draws reassurance from the Canadian international’s involvement.
As the former Aberdeen fan favourite makes his return to Pittodrie today, he’ll do so as an integral figure in a squad of variable quality. Having tried him out wide and in behind a lone striker, Gray seems to have settled on deploying him in a hybrid midfield/No.10 role in a flexible 3-4-2-1 formation that suits the former winger-turned playmaker very well.
"I think he's just a really good football player,” said the first-year head coach, when asked if he was now getting the best out of Hoilett, the former captain adding: “He picks up the spaces, he knows how to affect games, he makes the right decisions.
“And he’s got a calmness to the way he plays as well, which calms people around about him. That composure he shows in certain moments is definitely infectious to players around about him.
"I think he's not the flying winger he once was, he'll know that. And that's not me saying he's getting on a bit!
“It's more just the fact that he’s now similar to Dwight Gayle, in terms of his knowledge, his experience, what he can bring to the group. Which is exactly why we were desperate to try and bring him in - and he's delivered on that front. Long may that continue.
“What set these guys apart is their decision making. I think you get to the very top - like these guys have - by making the right decisions more often than not, but also by the quality they show in these moments.
“So that’s being able to adapt to a game, but also just the ability on the ball and how it affects the game. Junior doesn't need to use his pace to go past people now, he uses his experience, his touch, his quality and also his awareness of what's happening around about him. He's still very much contributing, which is great."
The one contribution Hoilett won’t be able to make is offering up any great insight into Jimmy Thelin’s remodelled Aberdeen. The Dons have undergone a complete makeover since the former QPR, Blackburn and Cardiff star spent the second half of last season on loan at Pittodrie.
"Listen, we've played each other fairly recently, so I think both coaches will naturally look at how the game went, where we think we could improve and what caused us problems, what caused them problems,” said Gray. “And I think that naturally happens, especially in this league when you play each other so often as many times in a season. A lot of the learnings will come from that, so we're well prepared.
"There's always the players who know exactly what they're going into. But they should look forward to it because it's a real good place to go and play.”
Hibs head north to the Granite City looking a lot more dangerous in front of goal, with nine goals scored in their last four games. Including, of course, the dramatic 3-3 draw with Aberdeen at Easter Road late last month.
“I still think we can be miles better in certain moments,” said Gray, when asked about his team’s improved touch in front of goal. “Naturally, with a couple of positive results, the confidence comes up. So a lot of it is confidence with players.
"I've said loads of times I'd have much more concerns if we weren't creating the chances. We are still creating chances, but we can still be more clinical in moments.
"I think back to the Ross County game, we had moments to go and really kill the game off second half. After a poor start, we know that. But if we are clinical in a few moments then the end of the game looks a lot different.”
Locking his focus into today’s opponents and, specifically, the job done by by Thelin in his first full season of Scottish football, Gray said: "I think he's done incredibly well. You know, coming over, he started really well. I think it's like anything, momentum. I think we're starting to see a little bit more of that as well.
"We had the opposite in terms of everything feeling like it's going against you, even when at times you feel you're playing well or doing the right things. It could be individual errors, it could be anything that comes with that, but you get punished for these things. Whereas I think they've obviously been in a real good vein of form and getting momentum from that.
"And then that naturally comes with confidence as well. So for centre forwards, for example, the goal looks twice the size it would be if you're feeling like you're under pressure and you've not got that confidence. That's part of football, but at the same time, it never keeps going in one trajectory.
"You need to be able to deal with adversity when it comes. And I think if you ask him, his results aren’t where they are at the start of the season, but that’s very hard to maintain because his start was incredibly good."