Celtic will face a rejuvenated Hibernian side in tomorrow’s clash at Parkhead, according to Hibs manager David Gray. The Easter Road boss insists his side has undergone a significant transformation since their back-to-back defeats to the champions earlier in the season.
Despite the stark contrast in league positions—Hibs sit ten places and 28 points behind Brendan Rodgers’ league leaders—Gray has urged his players to approach the game with ambition and confidence. His message is clear: “You can’t just sit back and wait to be beaten.”
Hibs endured a tough doubleheader against Celtic in August, losing 2-0 at Easter Road in the Premiership before a 3-1 defeat at Celtic Park in the League Cup.
However, Gray is adamant that his side is in a far better place now, with a new-look team showing significant improvement heading into the busy December fixture list.
“There are players who have joined the group since then, there were players who had just joined the football club and hadn’t played many games and were also working with me for the first time,” Gray explained.
“I know there are players like Joe Newell who have been here for a while but there are players who had just joined the club and my message, and the way we want to work was new to them.
“So naturally they’ll be a lot more understanding of what I expect from the players and the way we want to play.
“The players have got fitter and stronger as the weeks have gone on. I think the biggest thing was we went into both games against Celtic after a heavy defeat in our first league game (3-0 away to St Mirren).
“To have to play them back-to-back, Celtic Park is a difficult place to go and they’re a difficult team to play anyway, never mind back-to-back.
“So it was a real challenge for the players, particularly so for those just starting their Hibs career. But I believe we’ve progressed a lot since then, even just the players individually.
“We’re in a much better place now than we were then because it was such a new squad. The players have now had four or five months to work together.”
Gray believes his side must strike the right balance between defensive discipline and offensive intent if they are to pose a genuine challenge at Celtic Park.
Having watched Celtic’s narrow win over Aberdeen in midweek, the Hibs boss emphasised the importance of taking chances and staying resolute under pressure.
“The message is always that you need to be on your guard for 90-odd minutes because if you’re not quite there, that level of opposition will punish you straight away,” he said.
“That’s something they’ve felt now in the two games against them this season, that any little mistake is punished because of the level of opposition.
“But then you also think about the moments in the game where we actually got success and caused them problems. We need to be mindful of that but at the same time, be very resolute in what we’re trying to do.
“And you need to be able to take your chances when they do come. You don’t get as many chances especially away from home against Celtic, so you need to be ready to do that.
“You need to carry a threat. You can’t just go there and sit in and hope for a result or wait to be beaten.
“We need to be on the front foot as much as we can in certain areas of the football pitch without being gung-ho. We need to be tactically right – but also we need the players to play the best they can.”
Gray’s optimism is rooted in the progress his side has made over the past few months, with a more cohesive and confident squad ready to face the league leaders.
Whether that will be enough to dent Celtic’s title charge remains to be seen, but Hibs are determined to make their presence felt in Glasgow.
