Exclusive:Hibs in 'successful' season claim as stalwart sets sights on 50-year first for Easter Road side
Targets missed, Motherwell pursuit - and what everyone gets wrong about ‘defensive’ wingback
Hibs bagging a history-busting second consecutive crack at European football – by any route – must be considered a “successful” campaign, according to Easter Road stalwart Jordan Obita. But the experienced defender insists his team are still going all-out to guarantee their place in UEFA competition by overtaking Motherwell in a dramatic sprint to the finish line.
David Gray is looking to become the first Hibs gaffer to guide the club into back-to-back European campaigns, excluding the semi-invitational InterToto Cup adventures of the early 2000s, in 50 years. Leap-frogging the Steelmen to finish fourth in the Scottish Premiership would send them straight into the UEFA Conference League second qualifying round in late July.
But the team finishing fifth will also enter European competition at the same stage – if Celtic beat Dunfermline in the Scottish Cup Final. So, although Gray and his players accept that failure to back up last season’s third-place finish with a similar charge at the top end of the table, represents a disappointment, Obita stresses the need to see the bigger picture.
Rangers at Ibrox up next as Hibs seek repeat of last season’s win
The wingback, who provided an assist and a goal as Hibs beat Falkirk 3-1 on Saturday, said: “I mean, of course the attraction of European football is huge for everyone at the club. I think the club hasn’t done that in back-to-back seasons for 50 years now, you know?
“That’s crazy. And that will be another target for us. The gaffer sets us target every year.
“Last year we achieved a lot of them. This year, not so many. But we have that.
“I think if you get back-to-back European football, that's successful. Obviously you’d like to get third or fourth, especially as we finished third last year.
“But as long as you've got in that European slot, yeah. I think for next season we've got something good to look forward to. That’s our aim.
“It was really important to beat Falkirk because they were two points behind us for the game and now they're going to be five points behind us with two games to go. So that's good for us – but we really want to try and catch Motherwell, so that's another target for us for the next two games.
“And it’s good that we go into the final two games after a 3-1 win, having done so well in the first half at Falkirk, especially. We’re still a bit disappointed that we didn’t get the clean sheet. But we got the win, which is the main thing.”
Hibs head to Ibrox on Wednesday night knowing they could be run out of fourth place by events elsewhere, with Motherwell – who host Celtic in a game with massive ramifications in the title race - four points clear of the Edinburgh side. Off the back of yesterday’s Old Firm loss at Celtic Park, Danny Rohl’s side can now finish no higher than third.
Obita, who set up Martin Boyle for a stunning goal as Hibs beat Rangers 2-0 in Govan just over a year ago, said: “Yeah, obviously it's an unbelievable stadium to play at. Obviously, I know they're a bit off it right now, with what’s going on above them.
“But whatever the situation, we’re going into that game with confidence, knowing that we got a win there last year. We’re fighting to the final game of the season, when we play Motherwell at home – and hopefully we have a chance to jump ahead of them on that final day.
“Ibrox is tough, obviously, because the fans usually get right behind them. They certainly demand so much from their team.
“You’ve just got to be really switched on when you’re playing the top teams in this league. When we won there last season, it was about being really organised and taking our chances. When that chance comes, you have to take it.”
First goal since 2024 for Obita
Reflecting on his first goal in over two years, meanwhile, the versatile Obita admitted he’s been working hard to remind everyone that he’s more than just a defensive stop-gap deployed to prevent the opposition from getting at Hibs.
“It has been a while, to be fair!” he said of his thumping strike. “It reminded me of my old self, back when I was younger and would pop up scoring goals more regularly …
“But no, it’s good. It’s always good to get on the score sheet, a nice assist as well – and we got the win to top it off.
“You know, most time when I get to play at wingback, everyone probably thinks I'm there to be more defensive. But recently I've been trying to get more forward to try and get some individual stuff myself, so a goal and assist. I was happy to get both against Falkirk – and hopefully I can continue that in the next two games.
“I'm quite versatile; I can play pretty much everywhere. I think my whole career I've played every single position apart from the keeper.
“Bu no, at this stage of my career, I'm also mature enough to play into the centre back role. I also do that with Uganda, so I sort of know the role – in a back four as well. It’s good that the manager trusts me to play, whether it’s fullback, wingback or centre-back.”