Hibernian

Matty Fairnie
Fan writer

Moments before Keiron Bowie sealed Hibs' win over St Johnstone on Saturday, three of the Easter Road stands serenaded Rocky Bushiri.

It was done partly in the hope he'd be handed the ball to take the penalty that had just been awarded, and partly to recognise his storming foray forward that had set up the opportunity for the spot-kick to be given in the first place.

Rocky is in the final few months of his contract and the imposing centre-half must be loving life at the moment.

He has been an integral part of Hibs' revival this season and the love from the stands on Saturday was a far cry from the taunts of the Hearts support back on Boxing Day following his unfortunate own goal in the Edinburgh derby.

Rocky, of course, had the last laugh that day and he's barely stopped laughing since. "He's got a mistake in him" is a statement often thrown out when Bushiri's name is mentioned, but that's a lazy observation these days – those mistakes are few and far between and while he will still make them, that goes for any footballer at any level.

The 25-year-old has not always been this popular with the support. His signing was clumsily announced by Hibs shortly after the club had announced his exit following the completion of an initial loan spell, and the rumours (incorrect as they may be) were that he'd been signed by accident.

He's been scapegoated and made a figure of fun by commentators and pundits who really should know better, so it's a huge credit to Rocky that he has come through such adversity to prove himself a key player in a squad sitting clear in third place.

I hope Hibs can keep him. No doubt Rocky will have many suitors and he'll have his own ambitions but if he does leave, he will go having won round a Hibs support who have taken a real shine to him.

Matty Fairnie can be found at Longbangers, external

Lewis Miller: The Australian international has improved in recent months to become an important player in the Hibs back three.

Junior Hoilett: His class was clear to see at Aberdeen last term and he has taken that skilful assurance to Easter Road with great effect.

Watch all the highlights from Hibs' 3-0 victory over St Johnstone in the Scottish Premiership.

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Junior Hoilett has hailed head coach David Gray as the driving force in Hibs' turnaround this season.

Despite a difficult start to the campaign, the Edinburgh club made it 15 Premiership games unbeaten with their 3-0 victory over St Johnstone on Saturday making it their longest unbeaten streak in the competition in over 10 years.

Hoilett got Hibs up and running with the first goal at Easter Road, Martin Boyle got the second and Keiron Bowie's converted penalty in injury time made it three.

"It's credit to the staff, the players and the manager of course," the winger said.

"We've been resilient day in day out, working hard and supporting one another and you can see how we play and how we turn it around.

"He gives us the confidence to go out and express ourselves and play to our strengths and that's what we've been doing to turn the season around so quickly.

"It's a massive achievement."

Hibs fans, we asked for your views after Saturday's victory over St Johnstone secured a top six spot.

Here's what some of you had to say:

Paul: In season's gone by, and even earlier this season, games like that would end in a drab draw or disappointing loss but the composure, control and result feels like a significant step forward in mindset. Hats off to David Gray and the players!

Les: A completely dominant performance from start to finish. It was a pleasure to watch the confidence flowing through this Hibs team and get the result they fully deserved. A far cry from the abject displays earlier in the season. Well done to the manager and players for making us proud again.

Drew: Two rainbows meant the sun was definitely shining on Leith, but the three goals made it worth singing. Hibs were clumsy at times but St Johnstone couldn't capitalise. The penalty was icing on the cake but the real sweetness was seeing Hibs staying strong. David Gray's made a real difference to the mentality of the team it seems, we didn't look like a team who were looking for a way to lose. It seems impossible that we've moved from worries about relegation to hopes of Europe, but that's the difference a Gray makes.

Tim: What a turnaround from the beginning of the season. Hibs look so assured and confident on the pitch. They look well drilled, disciplined and creative. With the right signings over the summer, we'll be a real threat to the Old Firm.

Craig: Top six secure and now to wrap up European football for next season. Who'd have thought in November we'd be here? Junior Hoilett's goal was superb and he was defensively sound all game. It was good to see Alasana Manneh get some minutes, hope he continues to improve the more game time he gets. Anniversary year going well to date.

Alan: Very professional performance from Hibs. Can't believe that this is the same team that was struggling at the beginning of the season.

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• Hibernian are undefeated in their last 15 games in the Premiership, their longest unbeaten streak in the competition (since at least 2013/2014).

• David Gray's side have scored in each of their last five games in the Premiership, scoring 11 goals in that run.

• Mykola Kuharevich attempted six shots in this game, the highest total for a Hibernian player in the Premiership this season.

• Martin Boyle has scored 10 goals in the Premiership this season (one in this game), more than any other Hibernian player, as well as scoring in his last three games.

• Hibernian have won eight penalties in the Premiership this season, no team has won more.

• They have scored 12 goals via substitutes in the Premiership this season, only Celtic (19) have scored more.

• The Easter Road club are unbeaten in their last 24 Premiership matches when leading at half-time (W17, D7) dating back to 18 March 2023 against Celtic (L1-3).

• St. Johnstone have conceded 11 goals to opposition substitutes in the Premiership this season, only Dundee (13) have conceded more.

• St. Johnstone have failed to score a first-half goal in 23 of their 31 games, no team has failed to do so more often in the Premiership this season.

• The Saints did not attempt a single shot in the first half.

Hibs fans, were you at Easter Road on Saturday or following the action from home? What did you make of your side's performance?

Have your say on the game.

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Hibernian head coach David Gray: "I'm very happy, I think that was the complete performance and you can't ask for any more.

"All in all a fantastic day's work and we fully deserved it given the performance.

"It showed you how well we did without the ball that the goalkeeper didn't have a save to make which showed our dominance. If I'm being critical there were two or three times in the second half we could have been a bit more clinical but I've got no complaints, the boys were brilliant today.

"At the start of the season the aim is to finish in the top six minimum for this football club. Then you start to look towards European places and if that's achievable. That's the target, that's the aim.

"We had a real difficult start, had to go through that adversity at the start of the season but that's now 15 games undefeated in the league which has given us the opportunity to secure top six with two games to go.

"We can't catch the team in front now so we're now the team being chased down. Nobody can catch you if you win games of football so that's the challenge to the players now."

Brian McLauchlin
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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After a fairly even start it turned out to be a convincing victory for David Gray and his players.

It's clear to see they are playing with enormous confidence and deserve all the plaudits that are coming their way.

The battle for a third place finish is not one they would have thought they would have been involved in after the opening few months of the season but the table doesn't lie and its exactly where they deserve to be after a magnificent run of form in the league.

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Hibernian are still without Nicky Cadden (hamstring) and Joe Newell (pelvis).

Long-term injury victims Uche Ikpeazu, Bozo Mikulic (both knee) and Sam McClelland (Achilles) are missing for St Johnstone.

Brian McLauchlin
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Hibs head coach David Gray says "communication" with Rocky Bushiri about a new deal is ongoing, with the defender's contract expiring this summer.

Bushiri, 25, made his first competitive appearance for DR Congo in their 1-0 victory over South Sudan in a World Cup qualifier last week.

When asked if he expected Bushiri's future to be at Easter Road, Gray said: "It could well be.

"I think there is communication going on, as there is with all the players that are out of contract. And right now, there's no distractions for what we're trying to do.

"He's fully focused on what he wants to try and do. And now that he's back, he's trying to make sure he stays in the team and plays at a certain level. Because I've said it all the time, you're constantly being judged when you pull on the jersey.

"Whether that's to earn a contract here or elsewhere, it's in your best interest to do the best you can. And if a team's successful and individually we're successful, then everybody benefits."

Bushiri remains in the dark about whether his future lies away from Easter Road and says he has not received an "official offer" to stay.

"I don't know if I'm honest," the former Norwich City defender said. "I don't know what the future looks like but I hope it's a positive future.

"Why not [stay at Hibs]? I have been exchanging thoughts with the manager and the club over the last few months. But an official offer hasn't been there yet."

Brian McLauchlin
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Hibernian head coach David Gray has been talking to the media before his side's Scottish Premiership match against St Johnstone on Saturday.

Here are the best bits from his news conference:

• Gray wants to cement Hibs' top-six place at the earliest opportunity with a win against Simo Valakari's side.

• He expressed delight at Rocky Bushiri making his competitive debut for DR Congo during the international break.

• Gray confirms talks about Bushiri's future at the club are ongoing, despite the player himself saying he has had no contract offer yet.

• Gray is delighted that all the players who were away on international duty have returned fit and well.

• He thinks St Johnstone are playing a "different" style of football under Valakari's management that has helped the team become more attractive to watch.

• Gray stressed the importance of qualifying for Europe in order to attract higher quality players to the club this summer.

Andy Campbell
BBC Sport Scotland

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Fresh from helping Australia defeat Indonesia and China, Hibs forward Martin Boyle can extend his recent resurgence at home to St Johnstone.

But it's not just Hibs' push for finishing third that is likely to be on Boyle's mind since the 31-year-old will soon enter the final two months of his contract.

The club has an option to extend his stay for another year, although Boyle has said conversations are unlikely until this term is complete.

He has three goals in his past five appearances for club and country. He's on to 14 for the season at Hibs, exceeding last term's haul of 11.

He scored the clincher in September's 2-0 win over Saints and a goal on Saturday would mean he equals his highest tally at Hibs in season 2020-21.

With eight games to play, Boyle will surely fancy his chances of making the current campaign his most prolific.

Read the rest of the Premiership picks

Hibernian are interested in Cheltenham Town winger Jordan Thomas, 23. (Football Insider), external

Hibernian are in constant discussions with Sunderland over the possibility of extending Nectar Triantis' stay at Easter Road, according to head coach David Gray. (Edinburgh Evening News), external

Read the rest of Friday's Scottish gossip.

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• Hibs are joint top of the Scottish Premiership this season for both points gained from losing positions (13, level with Kilmarnock) and points dropped from winning positions (20, level with Dundee).

• Hibs have alternated between winning (3 times) and losing (2) in their last five home league games against St Johnstone, winning 2-0 most recently in September.

• St Johnstone are winless in their past three league meetings with Hibs (D1 L2), and have only kept one clean sheet in 10 league games versus the Easter Road side (1-0 win in December 2023).

• Hibs have won their past four home league games, their longest run in the Scottish Premiership since winning seven on the bounce from January to April 2018 under Neil Lennon.

• St Johnstone have only won one of their past nine away league outings (D2 L6), a 1-0 victory at St Mirren in February.

Hibernian owner Ian Gordon has revealed the club are further on with plans to build a new first-team hub after a land swap at their current training centre. (Edinburgh Evening News), external

Read the rest of Thursday's Scottish gossip.

Nick McPheat
BBC Sport Scotland

What if the Scottish Premiership was decided on overperforming your expected goals (xG) rating?

You're rolling your eyes, aren't you? Fair enough, but the above graphic still paints an interesting picture.

In the second column you will see each team's current xG tally after 30 games, but the table is sorted based on the third column, which shows how much each side has overperformed or underperformed by.

For example, the chances leaders Celtic have created throughout the season suggests they should have scored around 77 goals, but Brendan Rodgers' side have surpassed that tally with an overperformance of almost 12 goals.

Remarkably, Dundee have overperformed their xG total of 34 by 11 goals. If Tony Docherty's side could sort out their defensive issues, it's safe to assume they wouldn't be fighting for survival.

It's the opposite for Kilmarnock, with their underperformance of 5.5 showing they have struggled to take their chances. Addressing that is key if Derek McInnes wants to pull his side away from the bottom.

Other underperformers include Hibernian, Dundee United and Ross County, while the remainder of the teams in the division appear to be fairly steady.

Matty Fairnie
Fan writer

With Chris Cadden signing a new deal at Hibs, Alasana Manneh snapped up in January on a three-and-a-half-year deal, and Aberdeen's Jamie McGrath secured on a pre-contract, things are starting to shape up ahead of a huge season for Hibs.

There's still much to play for this season, but the decks have been cleared to allow David Gray the opportunity to really strengthen the squad in the summer.

Hibs' recruitment has been fairly shambolic in recent times, and this left the squad bloated and expensive. The summer's window is a chance to replace quantity with quality and it's essential the club learn lessons from previous windows.

Mackay has Garvan Stewart as the club's head of recruitment, his experience at Bournemouth will be pivotal in helping Hibs make the most of the relationship with Black Knights.

The recent upturn in performances from the current squad, along with the potential of European football depending on how well we see out the season, has taken the pressure off Mackay, Stewart and Gray - it's much easier to build from a position of strength than from a weak starting point.

McGrath, Cadden and Manneh represent great business and are promising signs of things to come.

It's shaping up for an exciting summer, but the main focus is three points on Saturday against St Johnstone.

Matty Fairnie can be found at Longbangers, external

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We asked for your Hibs player of the year - and the biggest disappointment.

Here's what some of you said:

Martin: Biggest surprise - Nicky Cadden. Biggest letdown - Harry McKirdy.

Josh: Player of the season has been Cadden. His arrival in the side has swung the tide massively and is vital to the formation working, being able to push up into a 4-4-2 press as a winger or operate as a wing-back in the 3-5-2. His outswinging crosses are up there with the best in the country.

The biggest disappointment has to be Joe Bursik. A goalkeeper with a good reputation, playing experience at a good level and a good physical presence but he just didn't work out at us.

Laurence: Nectoris Triantis is our player of the year and I hope we can do a deal with Sunderland in the summer if he wants to stay.

Tom: Hard to look past Cadden for how much of a revelation his crossing ability has been. Special mention to Jack Iredale who has hardly put a foot wrong during his time in the team. Although I'm loathe to call a loanee player of the season, Triantis deserves a lot of plaudits for the turnaround from his disastrous time at the club last season.

Sad to say but I think biggest disappointment is fairly obvious. Kwon Hyeok-kyu was one of the few brighter sparks when our form was terrible, but as our fortunes have turned around, unfortunately so has his.

Jamie: It's a toss-up between Iredale and Triantis for player of the year. On the other side of the coin, Bursik was given too many chances but is clearly not a good enough keeper to play at Scottish Premiership level. And Elie Youan's lack of contribution this season has been a major disappointment.

Sandy: There's only one Nicky Cadden, followed by Martin Boyle. The worst player has to be Bursik. He's been a real disappointment.

Peter: The indomitable Rocky Bushiri has been the catalyst to our exponential upturn. His Herculean efforts at the back have provided us with a defensive solidity that was glaringly absent in the nascent days of the season. Rock on Rocky!

With just eight Premiership games left, we're down to the business end of the season.

Player reputations have been enhanced - or sullied - with their performances throughout the campaign.

As thoughts begin to turn to end-of-term awards, we want to know your Hibs player of the season so far - and the biggest flop.

Share your views

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Hibs pair Martin Boyle and Lewis Miller were both on the scoresheet as Australia thumped Indonesia 5-1 in World Cup qualifying.

Boyle opened the scoring with an early penalty for his 10th Socceroos strike while Miller doubled his international goal tally by heading the hosts' fourth in Sydney.

Former Hibee Jackson Irvine netted a double in the victory that keeps Australia second in the group behind Japan.