'More goals!' - Hibs striker's blunt demand as Swansea loanee Myko targets Celtic Park scoring repeat

Deadly from point blank range, isn’t he? And that’s exactly what Hibs want to see from Mykola Kuharevich, a striker whose fourth goal of the season – a third in the league campaign – provided such vital breathing space in Saturday’s rare 3-0 win over Motherwell at Fir Park.

Ask the man himself, or invite Hibs boss David Gray for his thoughts, and both will attest to a gnawing sense of dissatisfaction with what the Swansea loanee has produced since returning to Easter Road for a second spell. Like all good centre forwards, Myko wants goals – loads of them – to show for his efforts. And Hibs need him to succeed in this ambition.

Kuharevich is the only fully fit and functioning centre forward available to Gray, right? Kieron Bowie is out for the long term. And Dwight Gayle is being used so sparingly from the bench that fans are entitled to wonder if the vastly experienced veteran will ever be ready to make just a second start for his new club.

As Hibs pursue the series of wins needed to climb further away from that automatic relegation place, then, they know upward motion won’t be possible without a major contribution from the No. 99, Gray declaring: “There's still a lot he needs to improve on. He knows that and he's the type that wants to improve, which is great. Obviously, I've worked with him previously before bringing him back to the club and there are still areas we are working at.

“He wants to add more goals to his game. I think he's still a threat in the box, especially even at set-pieces, he's got his head on a few things against Motherwell.

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“I think if you ask him, he'll still want his goal tally to keep improving because of the number of minutes he's getting, chances he's maybe getting in games as well. But he's a real good type who works really hard.”

What do the numbers behind the headlines tell us about Kuharevich as a goal threat? Well, starting with the obvious, the big man is clearly getting into dangerous areas.

True, his expected goals (xG) number might be skewed by taking – and missing – that penalty at Ibrox. But the fact that there are only FIVE players in the entire league who score higher on this metric tells you he’s doing something right.

The fact that the Ukrainian is also ranked 11th in what the experts at Fotmob call ‘Big Chances Missed’ would, to some, suggest a degree of profligacy. Again, that penalty saved by Jack Butland inflates that number slightly.

But he might feel better knowing that the two guys topping this particular chart, Kyogo Furuhashi and Daizen Maeda, are pretty decent footballers. The first demand any coach will place on forwards is to get themselves in a position to score; misses are merely an inevitable byproduct of turning up to take your shot as often as possible.

Beyond the numbers, though, a pretty clear picture of Myko can be assembled via the old-fashioned eyeball test. What does he bring to the team? Does his value change depending on the opposition, the guys around him or the score/time remaining in a game?

Against Motherwell on Saturday, the 23-year-old demonstrated his usefulness simply by engaging in rolling bouts of unarmed combat with the Motherwell back three. Taking them on one at a time, or inviting any two from the trio of Liam Gordon, Kofi Balmer and Dan Casey to have a go at slowing him down, Kuharevich was very good at holding the ball in and rolling it back to a supporting team-mate. And, of course, he buried his chance from about 18 inches …

As Hibs prepare for a daunting trip to Celtic Park this weekend, the list of weapons they’ll need in their armoury – defensive perfection, cast-iron discipline, heads on a 360-degree swivel to track runners – also includes a proper No. 9 capable of doing the grunt work. Keeping the home team’s central defenders honest. And making the most of limited opportunities.

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Asked what Kuharevich brings to his team, Gray doesn’t hesitate before saying: “Energy. He's always up for a fight with the centre-backs, he's always occupying centre-backs. I don't think anyone feels they have an easy game playing against him.

“He's desperate to get to the highest level he possibly can, and I think as a coach that's what you want in your dressing room. You want players that are hungry to succeed and try and progress. And he's still a young boy as well which is great.”

Previously loaned to Hibs for season 2022-23 by then-parent club Troyes, Kuharevich only found the net five times from ten starts and five substitute appearances during that campaign. So far, he’s already scored four in all competitions – including a brilliant header at Celtic Park in the League Cup. He’ll need to rise to the challenge again this weekend, if Hibs are to present the champions with a genuine test.