Hibs know they can play at this level - now to end all arguments with a UEFA Conference League win in Warsaw
Free weekend gave Easter Road players time to relax and recover ahead of historic tie
David Gray believes his Hibs players have already shown that they belong on the European stage after going toe-to-toe with elite teams in five games so far. And he’s desperate for his squad to claim the honour of becoming the first Hibs side in history to reach the league/group stages of continental competition – by overturning a one-goal deficit in Warsaw on Thursday night.
Hibs, who finished third in the Scottish Premiership last season only to see the fast-track route into Europe snatched away by Aberdeen’s shock Scottish Cup win over Celtic, pushed mighty Midtjylland all the way to extra time at Easter Road before falling out of the Europa League in the second qualifying round. They then ousted Partizan Belgrade from the UEFA Conference League after another extra 30 minutes on home soil, having shocked everyone by winning 2-0 in the Serbian capital.
Losing 2-1 at home to Legia Warsaw last Thursday night puts the Edinburgh side in a difficult position as they head to Poland. But Gray, who took advantage of SPFL rules on fixture postponement to delay the weekend trip to Falkirk, instead giving his players a couple of days off to recover from their adventures, is confident that Hibs have the firepower and the confidence to get the job done.
Asked if his players feel like they’ve earned the right to be just one step from the UEFA Conference League proper, Gray said: “I think they've demonstrated they do. The level of performance, the teams we've played against.
"We've had a tough draw when you look at the coefficient of the teams we've played against, but that's what the players want. You want to test yourself against the best players. That's why you want to qualify and play in Europe against different styles of play, different atmospheres, and this will certainly be another hostile one.
Hibs silenced 25,000 Partizan fans in Belgrade
"Big crowd, atmosphere – same as Partizan was, which was a different experience as well, which some of the players haven't faced before. It is all part of learning as a player. Can you go and play at the next level?
"And I think they've demonstrated that they can play at this level. When you look at the teams we've played against, the level of performances and how tight the games have been, I think we fully deserve to still be in this title with our level of performance in the first leg."
Explaining his decision to give players the weekend off, in part hoping to get them to unwind mentally and avoid getting too hyped about such a huge game, Gray said: "You want to try to freshen it up, give them a bit of a rest, there are no distractions in between. We spoke a lot about the fixture being postponed over the weekend and I think that's been a good thing, coming back in, players are a bit fresher mentally as well because of the way the game went the other night and the emotions that come with that as well.
"We've actually had a bit of time on the grass, which is something we've not had for a while as well, so the players who haven't played as many minutes, we've had more time with them on the grass. And then the ones who have just been playing and recovering and playing and recovering and have been doing a little bit more out there as well.
Manager eyeing goal to change everything
"It has been a bit more of a structured week with no distractions, all geared up towards another huge game on Thursday night. I think that's part of it; you just want to go and play again don't you, instead of waiting and counting down the days until Thursday.
"From a coaching point of view, and sports science and everything else, you want to try to give the players as much rest as you can so they're as fresh as they can. As a coach you're looking back on how we played in the last game, what went well, what can we improve on, what do we need to do to give you the best chance to go over there and get into the next round and get into that group stage football, which is something that we spoke a lot about.
"A lot's been made about it and the challenge is still a huge one that's in front of us. But we're only one goal down with 90 minutes of football to go. I still feel the same way, having watched it back and the feeling I get from the players, which is everything to play for still and a lot of football still to be played
“I'm probably more excited about this leg than I was the first leg, just because I know there's still a lot of football to be played. It is now a one-off game. Would I like the score line to be different before the game starts? Yes.
"But as I just said, football's a funny game. Goals change games. I thought there was a lot of real positive stuff in the first leg, and we need to take the confidence from that. There are areas for us to improve and I'm sure they'll be doing exactly the same thing.
"They'll be looking at how the game went, how they can improve in the second leg. That's the challenge a coach has all the time. But it's a brilliant place to be in, as a football club.
"One game away, 90 minutes away, knowing that if we win the game, we will be in the next round. Group stage football, which hasn't been done before. That should be all the motivation the players need."