Hibs should boast strongest midfield in Scotland - but will new season bring change of shape?
Starting XI for Easter Road side likely to change as summer transfer slips into gear
The strongest midfield trio in Scotland’s top flight. A shape that has served Hibs well … up to a point. And the potential to shake things up with new recruits.
David Gray will hope to increase his options ahead of season 2026-27. Despite limping over the line to finish fifth last year, he’ll also feel that he has a decent base to build on – injuries and other absences permitting.
Any team capable of lining up with a fully fit Josh Mulligan, Miguel Chaiwa and Jamie McGrath in the middle of the park will surely fancy their chances of dominating most opponents. Holding onto that entire contingent must be a priority regardless of transfer interest in Chaiwa and Mulligan, especially.
There are areas in need of reinforcement, of course. Without knowing how long Rocky Bushiri is going to be out injury, there is still a need for another centre-half to come in and provide competition.
Up front, well, the decision by Martin Boyle to sign on for another year is not the sort of gift horse Hibs were ever going to greet with a shrug of indifference. But the Socceroos veteran missing out on World Cup selection could go a couple of different ways … and there aren’t many footballers who improve after the age of 33.
Starting XI right now
With Gray in the market for another striker, Thibault Klidje reporting back for duty and Ante Suto eager to get more game time, that could be the most interesting area of the pitch. And then there’s the potential for a change of shape.
As things stand, assuming only Bushiri is missing out through injury, Photo 1 shows how you would expect Hibs to line up should the new campaign kick off tomorrow. All very familiar, with the usual threats.
Dan Barlaser may return but, to be honest, could you see anyone forcing their way into that midfield three? Not likely.
New faces change everything
Assuming a relatively productive summer of targeted transfer activity, you could see changes (Photo 2) in a couple of key areas. Maybe Suto starts. Perhaps he’s joined by Elding.
Beyond that, there is always a chance that Gray decides to dip into his big box of tactics and changes the shape. He’s not one to follow trends, but the fact that so many coaches absolutely love the 4-2-3-1 (Photo 3) points to its versatility.
Tweak the formation
If you’ve got the right front four, with a strong centre forward, a No. 10 who will get beyond the striker and wingers up to speed with the need to roam all over the attacking front line in search of weaknesses, it can be hugely effective. The fact that you can then drop into a 4-5-1 without the ball adds a degree of security, too.
The unwanted bonus of Boyle and Suto missing out on Socceroos selection, of course, is that Gray will have virtually a full squad – barring Grant Hanley – available for the start of pre-season training on Monday week. Given his experience, Hanley’s absence is probably only a problem if Scotland go deep into the World Cup.
Which means Hibs have a chance, at East Mains and then Ireland and Portugal, to work on the fine details that go beyond shape and selection. And, with a bit of quick footwork in the summer window opening in just a few days’ time, integrate a couple of crackerjack new recruits into a side built to improve on last year’s stop-start efforts.