Hibs striker Myko promises fans 'better times and good emotions' once new signings click

Kuharevich flies through the air to score against Celtic, giving his team brief hope of a fightback. | SNS Group

On-loan Hibs striker Mykola Kuharevich believes it’s only a matter of time before the recent influx of new talent delivers a revival of fortunes at Easter Road. But he admits the team are being held back by costly individual mistakes – and insists it’s up to players, not the coaching staff, to eradicate those errors.

Kuharevich, who scored at Celtic Park to give Hibs brief hope in yesterday’s 3-1 Premier Sports Cup loss to the Scottish champions, looked to have improved in his second start since rejoining Hibs – he had a previous loan spell with the club in season 2022-23 – earlier this month. With Nicky Cadden and Kieron Bowie both coming on as subs, and Junior Hoilett battling to get fit, head coach David Gray can see massive potential for improvement in a squad with nine new faces - and more signings to come.

And Kuharevich, asked if fans should be worried about Hibs losing their first two league games as well as being knocked out of the League Cup, said: “I think it’s not too big a worry at the moment. Because we’re still building our game. We’re still improving as a team, bringing in new players.

“Even me, I’ve only been here a couple of weeks. It will take time for us to get settled into the team and understand what is needed.

“Then we had a difficult start, especially running into Celtic. But now we have to start getting points. No doubt.

“I still believe there are better times ahead for Hibs. I just want to play, keep scoring goals, do everything I can to help this team – and have a good time here.

“I’m still improving. I still have to take a little bit of time to be 100 per cent. But give me a few weeks and I think I will be fine. Better.

“The next two games are so important, 100 per cent. We know we need to get points on the board, we have to start getting points and improve our confidence – and give some good emotions to our fans, who deserve it.”

With Gray citing individual errors as key to defeats, not least yesterday’s loss in Glasgow, Kuharevich admitted: “It’s always hard when you lose goals at the very start of the game. But I thought we might have equalised after my goal, because we were playing better.

“It’s disappointing when we were back in the game, to lose a goal. We’re losing poor goals, especially the third goal. Again.

“But we have to take our lessons from losing those goals. And not do the same thing again.

“Obviously it was always going to be hard, playing the best team in the league two games in a row. No-one would find it easy against Celtic.

“But we have to look at ourselves. Or focus has to be on improving as a team, becoming better and more effective, and start building something.

“It’s not the gaffer who is making these mistakes. We have to change it ourselves, stop making mistakes in the next games.  I think we will take our lessons from this. And we will keep going.”