Gray’s men are lacking in important areas and perspiring on the new favorite’s fitness

Hibs supporters, how confident are you now? Are you upset that the arrival of Sunday morning broke your vivid fantasy of the massive first blow to be delivered in the 2024–25 league campaign? I apologise for the tiniest sarcastic remarks. Think of it as a necessary component of the lubricant that keeps Scottish football wheels turning. When combined with gallows humour and blind faith, it provides a vital shield against the daily conflicts that may potentially stop this out-of-control charabanc.

The way people were feeling along Easter Road, is it the truth? This weekend’s first round of Scottish Premiership fixtures will see David Gray’s Hibs, who are still very much a work in progress, take on St Mirren in Paisley as outsiders even if they manage to sign a centre forward. Even though the hosts’ efforts in the Europa Conference League second qualifying round on Thursday night may have left them completely exhausted.

Naturally, the odds against Hibs will logically go even closer to unbackable zone if Grey is unable to infuse some front-line oomph into a team that now operates on a chance conversion ratio directly opposite to their need for goals. The lack of a legitimate No. 9 is so obvious that astronauts stationed on the International Space Station could easily identify the issue by simply glancing out the closest window. Putting that one problem aside, what have we learnt from the games that have been played before this weekend’s major kickoff? What do we know about Gray’s Hibs, taking into account everything from the initial preseason kickabouts to the last knockouts of a peculiarly disappointing Premier Sports Cup campaign?

Warren O’Hora has to be okay. The Irish center-half has established himself as an essential member of the Hibs team. Not only that, but he excels at the fundamentals. however, due to the new elements he adds to the game.

Hibs lose a crucial extra dimension to their play when O’Hora isn’t available to play out of the back, either by breaching the lines with passes or forcing teams out of shape with sudden shifts of play, or even by rushing forward himself on occasion. Captain Joe Newell must continuously drop from midfield to get the ball from his central defenders when he isn’t there.

That is something that opponents are aware of. They anticipate it. and as a result can play five to ten yards further forward. O’Hora signalled almost immediately that he needed to come off after going down after 30 minutes of yesterday’s 4-0 triumph over Peterhead. It did not seem good. Grey called the issue a “impact injury.” Hopefully, it won’t interfere with Hibernian’s plans to have a successful opening to the season.

Young Rudi has impressed everyone. We have all been guilty of being taken aback by young sensations who charge into first teams with a certain dapper air. Rudi Molotnikov is still only 18 years old, so it’s vital to keep in mind that he will probably experience some setbacks in addition to the successes he has seen since joining the first squad.

However, the attacking midfielder has drawn attention with his performances on the left wing. It’s also important to note that he now has two senior goals—he scored his second one yesterday with some flair. When evaluating the child’s influence, Grey remarked, “He’s been excellent. He was a little let down by the opportunity he lost in the first half, but it was still amazing to see him score. It’s fantastic that he’s assuming these roles. He’s been working with us every day and pushing himself during the sessions for a few weeks now.

“Seeing him have an impression on games these days is fantastic. He only needs to keep his head down and keep putting in the effort in the areas where he can still perform better. He has amazing qualities.” Midfield scorers are really valuable. A midfielder’s ability to score goals can be extremely valuable, especially in a squad lacking in offensive players. It’s not like right back Lewis Miller is going to score two touchdowns every week, after all. After a persistent search by Jordan Obita, Nathan Moriah-Welsh finally got on the end of his goal against Peterhead. Grey commented, “It was a great goal, a good move in general.” We swiftly passed the ball forward after winning it back. Dylan Levitt did it the right away.

We are gathering bodies in the box after Jordan Obita raced the entire length of the pitch to assist. Nathan played a great game and, in my opinion, took the goal smartly. Throughout the day, he played with a certain level of intensity, displaying aggression to recover the ball. It’s wonderful to have him listed on the scorecard as well. In regards to Paisley, then victories over Elgin, Queen’s Park, and Peterhead, counterbalanced by the humiliating defeat to Kelty the previous weekend, offer limited insight into how Hibs will perform against a St Mirren team who placed three spots higher than them in the previous campaign. However, very few anticipate the tourists’ day to be simple.

With all due respect to everyone we’ve played so far, the first league game of the season presents a very different challenge than what we’ve faced. The new manager, Grey, stated of the Buddies, “They obviously have a big European tie on Thursday; we wish them well in that.” You want success for the Scottish teams. We’re excited about the next challenge over there.