Hibernian are looking for a new manager following the departure of David Gray, and the question now facing the Easter Road board is which direction to take. John Potter will take charge of Saturday’s Scottish Premiership home match against Aberdeen, after which comes a lengthy international break. By the time Hibs next take the field, at Dundee United on 10 October, a permanent appointment may be in place.
Dismissing a manager is nothing new in Hibs’ recent past, but not being able to hand the job to Gray is. The spells of Jack Ross, Shaun Maloney and Lee Johnson were each followed by Gray taking interim charge, and when Nick Montgomery’s tenure ended he stepped in again — this time staying for two years. He steadied the club, delivering back-to-back top-five finishes and European football in consecutive campaigns. The problem was never so much the results as how they were achieved; the style of play, or the recent lack of one, is what makes this next appointment tricky.
Two rival models stand out. Motherwell identified Jens Berthel Askou and then, after a season of success, replaced him almost seamlessly with Alfred Johansson, with Askou’s side having pipped Hibs to fourth on the final day. Across the city, Hearts fell at the final hurdle in their title pursuit at Celtic Park, and their high-flying campaign — along with the start made by Wouter Vrancken at Tynecastle — is seen as having counted against Gray. That appears to be the appetite of the Easter Road faithful: a look abroad.
Gray’s former team-mate Scott Allan believes whoever comes in must be the right fit. “Naturally when your rivals are going for a league title, pressure comes,” he told BBC Scotland. “But how Hearts have transitioned to Vrancken’s style, they’ve been really consistent and look to be going in the right direction. With Jamestown, you always knew after Derek McInnes’ it’d be that type of manager – and attacking, aggressive style of play – given what they done at Union Saint-Gilloise and Brighton. Similar to Motherwell, their last two decisions have been spot on given how they want to play. From a Hibs perspective, they’re a bit different. They’ve kind of looked like they’re standing still, with Gray coming under pressure for how the team are performing. There has to be accountability upstairs.”
Those upstairs also face questions about whether the club is built for that kind of approach. Speaking on the BBC’s Scottish Football Podcast, the well-travelled former striker Cillian Sheridan said: “Motherwell have the structure in place to have everything. The manager isn’t the main focus, he’s a head coach brought in to improve players and play a system. I’m not quite sure if Hibs have that structure in place at the minute or if they know what their remit is or style of the club is. If you’re going down that route, someone else probably needs to be appointed above a manager before that happens. It depends what they want. Do they want someone who’s just known for winning or being successful? Or do they want someone to come in and develop players with a style of play? Are Hibs happy to finish in the same position Gray finished but with football where they might win every second and third game, but they’ll win it convincingly and in style? There’s are lot of questions.”
The decision rests with sporting director Malky Mackay, chairman Ian Gordon and chief executive Dan Barnett. Whether they opt for a known name on these shores or follow Hearts, and before them Motherwell, in moving for a man from abroad, Allan’s verdict is simple: whoever they appoint “has to be right”.