Midfielder Jimmy Jeggo thinks Hibernian are "heading to a really good place" and would love to extend his contract at Easter Road beyond the end of this season. (Edinburgh Evening News), external
Read the rest of Saturday's Scottish gossip.
Image source, BBC SportSt Johnstone could have winger Max Kucheriavyi back after a head knock, but Nicky Clark, Cammy MacPherson and Drey Wright remain out.
Hibernian are without Joe Newell through suspension and head coach Nick Montgomery has already confirmed that Jimmy Jeggo will start in the midfielder's place.
Right-back Lewis Miller is set to return after a minor injury, but Adam Le Fondre, Jake Doyle-Hayes, Harry McKirdy and Chris Cadden are all still unavailable.
Image source, SNS
Image source, SNSJimmy Jeggo (right) will take Joe Newell's place in the Hibs team on Saturday
Hibs manager Nick Montgomery has backed Jimmy Jeggo to step up in Joe Newell's absence against St Johnstone on Saturday.
Newell is suspended for the game, but Montgomery says Jeggo will take his place and believes the "reliable" Australian will make the same impact from the start as he does from the bench.
“Joe’s been outstanding, he’s captained the club on numerous occasions but he’s also taken a few big knocks as well,” said Montgomery.
“He was struggling a little bit so the suspension has come at a time when it’s given him a good opportunity to give him a little rest and refresh him because he’s really important to the team.
“On the other side of it, Jimmy Jeggo has been chomping at the bit and really unfortunate not to be in the team. His performances when I first came in were very good until he got a little injury and then Dylan Levitt came in alongside Joe and we had some good results.
“Jimmy’s been really patient, he’s a real team player and every time he’s come on to the pitch he’s made an impact. He’s reliable so it’s a seamless transition really.
“Jimmy will come in and replace Joe and it’s a good opportunity for him and Dylan to form that partnership they’ve worked on a lot in training so I’m looking forward to that.”
Hibs say that the club has held a "positive" meeting with the SFA regarding the proposal of minority investment from Bournemouth co-owner Bill Foley.
The Leith club now "looks forward" to the next stage of the process, which will involve a formal request to approve dual interest dispensation.
A club statement said: "Hibernian FC can confirm that the Club met with the Scottish FA Board on Thursday 14 December, 2023 to discuss a minority investment proposal.
"The positive meeting saw Ian Gordon and Ben Kensell outline the proposal and discuss the benefits for Hibs and Scottish football moving forward.
"The Club looks forward to the next stage of the process, which is submitting a formal request for the approval of dual interest dispensation against article 13.
"There will be no further comment at this time."
Image source, SNS
St Johnstone have won just one of their last eight league meetings with Hibernian (D2 L5), a 2-1 away win in October 2022.
Hibernian have only lost one of their last 10 Scottish Premiership away games against St Johnstone (W5 D4), a 1-0 defeat in March 2021.
St Johnstone are looking to win back-to-back home league games for the first time since November 2022, after beating St Mirren 1-0 in their last such match.
Hibernian have won four of their last five league games (L1), as many as their previous 18 beforehand (W4 D9 L5).
St Johnstone have earned 80% of their points in the Scottish Premiership this season at home (12/15), the highest proportion in the division.
Hibernian manager Nick Montgomery praises the "ideal" attitude of club captain Paul Hanlon and is demanding it from the rest of his squad. (Edinburgh Evening News - subscription required), external
Former Hibs boss Paul Heckingbottom is also in the frame for the Stoke job. (Record), external
Hibs will be looking to build on their 1-0 win against Livingston when they travel to St Johnstone on Saturday.
Put yourself in the manager's shoes and pick your starting XI here.
Hibernian head coach Nick Montgomery has confirmed that 18-year-old Adelaide forward Musa Toure is a player the Scottish Premiership club will be watching but insists "there's nothing concrete and there have been no discussions" with the A-League club. (Edinburgh Evening News), external
Hibs head coach Nick Montgomery says of potential January signings "to be honest, my list isn't very long" and explains that, despite his liking for player statistics and "AI and stuff, nobody has designed a system where you can check if they're a decent person" and therefore any new arrivals must impress him face to face. (Edinburgh Evening News), external
Read Wednesday's Scottish Gossip in full here.
Image source, BBC Sport
Image source, BBC SportBrian McLauchlin, BBC Sport Scotland
The news last weekend that the Scottish FA board were to meet and discuss the proposed investment by US billionaire Bill Foley in the Easter Road club is a huge step in what could be a multi-million pound deal.
But any decision made may not only bring positives for Hibs, but also the rest of Scottish football, with other clubs perhaps looking at the prospects of attracting investment from individuals involved in the game in other countries.
The most important thing for the Gordon family, however, is keeping faith with the late Ron's wishes, ensuring the club maintain their progression in the game, while also keeping their controlling interest.
On the park, the importance of a fit and healthy Martin Boyle was once again on show at Livingston on Saturday.
His value to club in a playing capacity cannot be underestimated. When he plays, there is always a chance he can nick a goal.
This weekend's trip to Perth to face a rejuvenated St Johnstone will be tricky.
Craig Levein has been able to get a fine tune out of the players since his return to the dugout. In Chris Kane, a striker who has had terrible injuries over the years to contend with, they also have a player who knows his way to goal.
Image source, BBC SportMatty Fairnie, Longbangers, external podcast
Hibs made it four wins from five games after grinding out win over Livingston on Saturday. Wet and windy conditions, along with a notoriously unpleasant surface, made for grim viewing as neither side were able to produce anything that is likely to be described as attractive, free-flowing football.
It was a war of attrition, as much as anything. Livingston made life very difficult for their visitors, with Hibs hemmed back in their own half for much of the opening stages.
That was until Nick Montgomery's side eventually managed to make the breakthrough thanks to a goal from Martin Boyle. The talismanic forward made his 300th appearance in the midweek defeat to Celtic, and I’m sure he’ll remember his 301st more fondly thanks to his strike, which turned out to be the winning goal.
There was very little else that was memorable. Livingston had a penalty claim turned down in the first half, it was very much in the “I’ve seen them given” category, but the referee judged that Kurtis Guthrie had initiated the contact with Joe Newell that saw the striker hit the artificial turf and Hibs were awarded the free kick.
Having now leapfrogged Hearts in the table, Hibs will look to capitalise on two tough but winnable away fixtures against St Johnstone and Ross County before they host their city rivals just after Christmas.
Watch Sportscene analysis of Hibs' win over Livingston
Sportscene presenter Jonathan Sutherland
After beating Livingston 1-0, two Hibs players are picked in this week's team.
David Marshall kept another clean sheet, as the veteran keeper made big saves to deny Sean Kelly and Bruce Anderson.
Martin Boyle once again proved to be the difference maker for Nick Montgomery's side, scoring the match-winning goal at Almondvale.
Captain Paul Hanlon praised the "togetherness" within the Hibs squad after a "hard-fought" win over Livingston on Saturday.
Martin Boyle scored the only goal of the game as Hibs climbed to fourth in the Scottish Premiership.
“It was hard-fought, it always is when you come here," Hanlon said, speaking to Hibs' club website. "It was a massive three points that is really big for us in terms of the league campaign.
"We came into it off the back of a disappointing result at Celtic Park which we knew we needed to bounce back from, but we’ve done that today through a lot of hard work defensively and we are delighted with the clean sheet.
“You can feel it in the last 10 minutes or so when they were throwing balls into the box and you could feel that togetherness; everyone was shouting, encouraging each other and that is what has got us over the line.
“It is important that we show different sides to ourselves. We have played a lot of good football and we still tried to pass our way out today, but sometimes the conditions don’t let you and you have to pick the right moments to do that.”
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Image source, SNSHibernian captain Paul Hanlon says "nobody has any divine right to play" after being in and out of the team of late. (Edinburgh Evening News - subscription required), external
Image source, SNSBrian McLauchlin, BBC Sport Scotland at Tony Macaroni Arena
Martin Boyle was the match-winner for Hibs yesterday, but he still had a few minutes to have a wee word with me...
On the victory:
“It wasn't pretty on the eyes, I can tell you that. Three points are the most important thing. It was a scrappy game on what wasn’t an ideal pitch. Fans turned out in their numbers and thankfully we managed to get the three points and move up the table as well.”
On the pitch and conditions:
“Obviously it (rain) makes the pitch faster, but you can’t really judge it as much as grass. It’s quite difficult and not ideal to land on. There are many factors about artificial pitches. I prefer to keep my opinion to myself but obviously we are used to grass. We trained on the astro all week to prepare for the game.”
On eighth goal of the season:
“I could probably push for more but I’m pretty happy with certain aspects of my game. Obviously coming back from a long term injury, I demand a lot from myself and there are a few people who demand more than me. Obviously I want to be competitive and score as many goals as possible.”
On reaching 300 games for Hibs:
“It’s a great milestone for myself. We should probably forget midweek and make this one my 300th game. My family are ecstatic. It should have been more without injuries. I’m delighted and hope I can contribute a lot more to the club. It’s dedication by myself and hard work I’ve put in during rehab.
“You can’t really judge injuries. You have to accept them but they are tough. It's about having that mental attitude to come back and thankfully I’ve managed to do that and make progress.”
On heading to Asian Cup in January:
“If selected then hopefully it will be third time lucky for me in major tournaments. I hope I can get a bit of luck this time. It would be an honour for me and my family. It’s a tournament we won back in 2015 and hopefully we can go on and achieve that again.
“We know how tricky it will be but first I would just like to get there. Hopefully I can keep doing the business for Hibs before that. There are still a lot of games in a busy period. I want to enjoy Christmas as well then take it from there.”
Image source, BBC SportWe asked for your views on Hibs' 1-0 win over Livingston, here's what some of you said:
George: A great battling performance. So good to see, after so many flaky performances. Super Martin Boyle with a great goal. We were solid at the back (mostly) but, Nick Montgomery needs to adjust his principles given conditions - play the channels/percentages, we have the pacey front payers to feed off scraps, so, adjust.
David: Terrible conditions for BOTH teams but Hibs managed to get that goal and keep a plucky Livingston team out! Wasn’t a day for great football and credit to Livingston they make it really hard, especially at home. A great three points.
Kerr: Hard fought win in tough conditions. Great three points in circumstances that we historically struggle with. Monty is the man!
Fergis: Not a great game to watch but it was all about the win, great fight and commitment from every player. Definitely starting to see improvement all over pitch, under Lee Johnson we would have dropped points today, a fantastic three points for us and third place a real possibility.
Kenny: Big difference at the back today. We looked a far better side than last week. A clean sheet and a win can’t be bad. We need to sign at least three players in the transfer window. We need a centre forward and a middle of midfield player and a central defender. We need to release a few too. Much better now that we are climbing the table. Well done.
Livingston have failed to score in their last six games in the Scottish Premiership, a run of 686 minutes without a goal.
Davie Martindale's side have failed to score in nine of their 15 games, more often than any other team in the top-flight this season.
Hibernian have kept a clean sheet in seven of their 17 games, only Rangers (10) have done this more often in the league this season.
Hibernian have scored in 14 of their 17 games, no team has done so more often in the Scottish Premiership this season.
Image source, BBC Sport Did you make the short trip from the capital to West Lothian?
Whether you travelled or stayed at home, we want to hear your thoughts on the win.
Image source, SNSHibs boss Nick Montgomery told BBC Scotland: "It's a hard-fought three points. It was really difficult conditions for both teams. I'm really happy with the three points.
"We've got some good combinations in that final third. We had a couple of good chances in the first half.
"It was a great finish from Boyley (Martin Boyle). Just passed 300 games for the club. You can see how much it means to him and the boys. He's delivered the goods today.
"We just focus on the next game. We don't really focus on the table. What we wanted today was to show the character to dig in."
Sean McGill, BBC Sport Scotland
When these sides last met in August, they both seemed so far away from the current entities that stepped out in the rain at Almondvale.
Hibs were bulldozered on the day in what was the final nail in the coffin of Lee Johnson's Easter Road tenure.
Before, they were rudderless. Here, they were ruthless. Before, they were soft. Here, they were solid.
Montgomery's men were far from their free-flowing best, but they showed plenty of determination and composure to grind one out in brutal conditions.
Martin Boyle (left) didn't manage to grab a goal on his landmark 300th appearance on Wednesday.
A legend in Leith, his strike proved the difference as his menace and work rate were both on show.
Image source, SNS
