Hibernian

Nick McPheat
BBC Sport Scotland

Hibs forward Kieron Bowie is emerging as one of the stories of the season with four goals already, including an absolute wonder strike at home to Partizan Belgrade in Conference League qualifying.

The 22-year-old was sensational for David Gray's men that evening after leading the line superbly in the away leg.

He did likewise at Legia Warsaw before suffering heartache along with the rest of his team-mates in a gut-wrenching extra-time aggregate defeat, ending their Conference League dream.

Those impressive European efforts demonstrated what Hibs and their young striker are capable of against high-calibre opposition, but they have also played a part in the team's stuttering Premiership start.

Former Easter Road midfielder Scott Allan says Bowie is now the "focal point of the team" with what his all-round game offers.

He managed to score six goals in just five league starts in an injury-hit campaign last term and already looks integral to Hibs' hopes this season.

A fragile Rangers defence will not be looking forward to facing the centre-forward at what could be a toxic Ibrox on Saturday in the Premier Sports Cup quarter-final.

It was Gray's late header against the Govan side that sealed a sensational Scottish Cup triumph in 2016.

With the Easter Road icon now in the dugout, edging closer to the club's first silverware since that famous day with a last-eight win in Glasgow would be a notable - and realistic - next step for this exciting team.

Read more: What's the next step for Gray's Hibs?

Image source, SNS

The draw for the Premier Sports Cup semi-finals will take place on Sunday after Partick Thistle v Celtic (15:30 BST) concludes.

The semis will be played on the weekend of 1-2 November with the final scheduled for Sunday, 14 December.

St Mirren's trip to Kilmarnock on Friday night (19:45) gets the quarter-finals under way before Aberdeen host Motherwell (15:00) on Saturday followed by Rangers v Hibs (17:45).

Image source, PA Media

Rangers supporters' group The Union Bears intend to stage a protest against head coach Russell Martin and chief executive Patrick Stewart before Saturday's Premier Sports Cup quarter-final.

The group are encouraging fans to gather outside the main entrance to Ibrox Stadium at 16:30 BST prior to the 17:45 kick-off against Hibs.

Without victory in five matches in all competitions, Rangers have not won a Scottish Premiership game this season and are nine points below leaders Celtic and Hearts after five fixtures.

The Union Bears had warned earlier this week of protests against Martin and Stewart as they called for the pair's "immediate removal".

The group's statement added that Martin has "shown beyond doubt he is not capable of leading Rangers", while the head coach's appointment "lies entirely" with Stewart, whose position was described as "untenable".

Brian McLauchlin
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

No fan, either home or away, turning up at Easter Road this season can say they haven't had value for money.

Saturday's six-goal thriller against Dundee United was another game where the outcome was in doubt until the final whistle.

David Gray's team have been a joy to watch this campaign, but they are far from perfect defensively, and there is no doubt this is an area that requires work.

Rocky Bushiri has become a cult hero for the fans and is a real threat whenever he makes his way into the opposition box.

That said, Gray would love to see a clean sheet. In 11 games this season, Hibs have only had two shutouts - something that must be rectified if cup success or European qualification ambitions are to be realised.

This Saturday brings a trip to Ibrox, where the pressure is firmly on Rangers head coach Russell Martin to deliver a result.

But this can play to Hibs' advantage. The players will know an early goal at Ibrox could turn the atmosphere toxic, with the Rangers team feeling the heat.

A place in the League Cup semi-finals is the prize, but any kind of win - with a clean sheet into the bargain - would set Hibs up perfectly for the challenging Premiership fixtures ahead.

Hibernian have held talks with Steven Fletcher with a view to taking the 38-year-old former Scotland striker back to Easter Road after his release by Wrexham. (Record), external

Hibs are definitely still in the market for a free agent striker to bolster their forward options, but a dream Easter Road return for former favourite Fletcher is not on the cards, according to senior figures at the Edinburgh club. (Edinburgh Evening News - subscription required), external

Read Wednesday's Scottish gossip

Matty Fairnie
Fan writer

A 3-3 draw is probably great for the neutral but I came away from Easter Road with an overriding feeling of frustration at a performance that genuinely went from the sublime to the ridiculous.

David Gray has tweaked the system from the one that was so effective last season, moving from a 3-5-2 to more of a 3-4-3, and it's yet to pay dividends.

Josh Mulligan, Dylan Levitt and Jamie McGrath were wholly ineffective on Saturday, since we didn't play through them enough and they were being run through with alarming frequency when United attacked.

The defence lacks the support that Nectar Triantis offered from midfield last season, and neither of the Cadden brothers have hit the levels they played at.

It is resulting in disjointed performances where no one area of the team is at its best. We're far from terrible, but we're not great either.

It's a dilemma Gray will have to sort out. The system should bring out the best in players and at the moment it doesn't look like anyone's really shining. The feeling is the squad is better than the performances are showing.

Big shoutout to the marketing team at Hibs for the anniversary kit launch. The top looked great with the surprise reveal against a backdrop of a brilliant tifo display in the stands.

As good as it was, I look forward to seeing Hibs back in the green top and white sleeves.

You can find Matty Fairnie at Longbangers podcast, external

The Sportscene panel discuss Vicko Sevelj's red card and the decision to award a late penalty to Hibs that helped them snatch a 3-3 draw against Dundee United.

Another goal at the weekend for Kieron Bowie, who continues to be a big presence up front for Hibs.

He has all the attributes combined with an intelligent football brain and plays with that bit of swagger and streetwise nous.

Exciting to think he will only get better and better.

Watch all the highlights from Hibs' dramatic 3-3 draw against Dundee United in the Scottish Premiership.

We asked for your views on Hibernian's 3-3 draw with Dundee United.

Here's what some of you said...

Martin: We like to make things difficult for ourselves. That's not the starting XI I like to see and hopefully David Gray recognises one or two shouldn't be starting. United are decent and will take points off others. At least we got the draw in the end. Both keepers made some brilliant saves.

Scott: Tremendous game of football, both teams due a lot of credit. Too much tinkering with the Hibs team in my opinion. Play your best XI every game - Miguel Chaiwa starts as we're a different team with him in midfield.

Alan: The manager picked the wrong team. The back three looked a bit flat, midfield disjointed and Martin Boyle was a mile off it.

Sandy: Brilliant match and great advert for the Scottish Premier League. However Hibs had an off day defending and the midfield struggled. But Hibs attacking are a force. 3-3 is fair enough. Still unbeaten in the league, sitting in third with a game in hand. I am confident this team has much more to give.

Kenny: We are always going to lose goals at the back. We seem to give the opposition to much room and we can't close forwards down. There needs to be a boss at the back and I'll say it again, Rocky Bushiri is not good enough. He's too slow.

Bobby: Our back three were largely the reason we had a great run last season but it's not the same so far this season, time for a change and Grant Hanley. With 60 odd Scotland caps, he should be playing every week.

Hibernian were without influential midfielder Miguel Chaiwa against Dundee United on Saturday after the summer signing returned late from international duty with Zambia. (Scotland On Sunday), external

Read Sunday's Scottish Gossip in full.

Hibernian and 10-man Dundee United played out a pulsating and incident-packed Scottish Premiership draw at Easter Road in a breathless 97 minutes.

What did you make of the match?

Give us your thoughts here.

Read the full match report here.

Image source, SNS

Hibs head coach David Gray tells Premier Sports: "We got a point out of a game where our character was tested.

"Our defence was poor. The positive I can take is that we came back after finding ourselves 3-1 down.

"I told the players we gave them far too many chances and that we were miles off it today.

"We relied on our goalkeeper heavily in the second half.

"For us, being at home, we weren't good enough defensively, and a lot of that was down to Dundee United being good too, but we need to be better defensively.

"I credit the players with their desire to go and get back into the game, but it feels like we're chasing too much."

On the penalty and the incorrect VAR call in the previous game, Gray adds: "The whole point of VAR is to get decisions right… It's all about accountability, and the officials coming out [to discuss decisions] is important that there is that accountability."

Image source, SNS

Hibernian could hand debuts to new loan signings Dan Barlaser and Zach Mitchell. Boss David Gray is hopeful all 12 of his players who have been away on international duty have returned unscathed.

Dundee United remain without Ryan Strain, Isaac Pappoe (both knee), Kristijan Trapanovski, Ross Graham, Max Watters (all hamstring) and Zac Sapsford (ankle).

Image source, SNS

St Mirren defender Jayden Richardson was acting like a goalkeeper when stopped a last-gasp shot away to Hibernian and the handball should have resulted in a penalty, according to Scottish FA head of referees Willie Collum.

Richardson blocked a goal-bound shot from Thibault Klidje in the last action of a 1-1 draw at Easter Road on 31 August.

The SFA's key match incident review panel have already confirmed, by a unanimous decision, that the officials were wrong not to award a spot-kick.

And Collum expressed further disappointment in the first of this season's monthly TV reviews.

Analysing the incident on Sky Sports, he referenced "a saving motion" from Richardson.

He said: "The St Mirren player has one intention, it's to stop the shot, to block it almost in the actions like a goalkeeper. And for us this is clearly punishable.

"Yes, the ball hits the chest, then onto the arm, but that's irrelevant for us. People need to understand that every time the ball hits a part of the body and onto the arm, doesn't mean that it's not punishable.

"And the same about proximity as well. You can be close and still be punished in terms of a handball."

Referee Matthew MacDermid did not make any kind of decision, while video assistant referee (VAR) Ryan Lee and assistant VAR Kevin Clancy watched several replays before indicating the full-time whistle could be blown.

Image source, SNS

David Gray says the lack of European "distraction" can help Hibs ignite their Premiership campaign against Dundee United on Saturday.

Having begun the league season with victory at Dundee, Gray's side were then held to draws at home by Kilmarnock and St Mirren.

But with their Conference League hopes ended by Legia Warsaw, Gray wants victory over visitors United to spark a winning run as Hibs eye a return to Europe next season.

"The club is in a very good place at the moment. There's no distraction in terms of European football," the head coach said.

"If we want to have success like that again or experience nights like that again, we need to be very good domestically this season.

"That starts by putting on a strong performance and winning games like this at home.

"Dundee United are a very different side this year. Jim Goodwin has put a really good squad together this year, so we're expecting a really tough test.

"Every time we've faced them it's been tight and not always gone the way we wanted it to.

"They're always hard to beat and this team especially is a really fit, strong, physical side.

"We've got a good squad. We want that momentum behind us and we want to be winning games."

Image source, SNS

• Hibs have won their past two Scottish Premiership games against Dundee United, their longest top-flight winning run over them since December 2006 (three in a row).

• Dundee United have only lost two of their past 15 top-flight visits to Easter Road (W5 D8), although one of those was their most recent in May.

• Hibs have lost just two of their past 25 league matches (W14 D9), and are unbeaten in five (W1 D4) since a 3-1 defeat to Celtic in May.

• After losing four consecutive league matches between April and May, Dundee United have since lost just one of four (W2 D1), a 3-2 defeat to Hearts on matchday two.

• Dundee United have scored exactly two goals in each of their past four league matches, while they haven't scored 2+ goals in five consecutive matches in the Scottish Premiership since September 2014 – a run of five.

Ex-Hibernian forward Tam McManus was surprised Kieron Bowie did not see action for Scotland in the World Cup qualifiers - but is relieved because he was fearing an injury to the striker that would wreck Hibs' season. (Daily Record)

Former Hibernian manager Nick Montgomery has again teamed up with Ange Postecoglou by taking up a coaching role at the Australian's new club Nottingham Forest. (The Herald)

Read the rest of Thursday's gossip.

Image source, Getty Images

If ever there is a chance for Hibernian to challenge the Old Firm at the top of the table, "this would be the year", suggests former Easter Road midfielder Scott Allan.

City rivals Hearts are level on points with Celtic at the top of the Scottish Premiership, while the reigning champions and Rangers have had their critics after failing to qualify for the Champions League.

"Hibs and Hearts are in for third place, but I think maybe both might have other ideas," Allan told the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast.

"It just depends, over the course of a season, who manages to stay the course and the same for Rangers and Celtic as well - both going through a time just now where there's a lot of pressure from outside.

"So, if there's ever a chance to maybe go and have a run at it, this would be the year."

Hibs sit unbeaten in third, five points behind the leaders but with a game in hand, and Allan pointed out how well David Gray's side had also played against Midtjylland, Partizan Belgrade and Legia Warsaw in European qualifying.

"They're in a really good place in terms of the calibre of teams they had to play in Europe, to go over there and really compete against them," he said.

"That's built a change in them, they look to have each other's back, the quality they have coming off the bench at times.

"In terms of performances sandwiched between the European ties, David Gray will be happy enough.

"That would be the basic thing, the performances there and having cover in certain positions."

Grant Hanley has yet to start for Hibs, but the centre-half who signed after leaving Birmingham City this summer impressed for Scotland during the international break.

"Grant Hanley was outstanding for the national team against Denmark, but he hasn't even been in the starting team for Hibernian because of how good Rocky Bushiri's been," Allan added.

"So they have cover now and I think that was the biggest thing for Hibs this window. Could they get guys in who can add to the team and they most certainly have done that for me."