‘Jason is a clown but he can be a genius...’
OUT of sorts and out of luck, out of the starting XI for the biggest game of the season to date, Jason Cummings retains the ability to stun and surprise. The only really shocking development would be if this natural goalscorer remained isolated on the periphery at Hampden this weekend.
The manager who handed young Cummings his senior debut remains almost awestruck by the sheer nuttiness of the 20-year-old, affectionately branding him both a fantasist of Walter Mitty proportions and — in the very same breath — an undeniable genius.
Heading into a Scottish Cup Final on the back of the most agonising of play-off losses, their entire season reduced to one meeting with a well-rested Rangers, maybe what Hibs really need is some of the devilish derring-do that Cummings sprinkles on a team occasionally prone to over-thinking the game. Not an accusation anyone would ever level at the No 35.
His former boss Terry Butcher still smiles when he recalls at least one aspect of his ultimately doomed spell in charge at Easter Road, saying: ‘That’s one thing I do miss — being at Hibs with Jason.
‘You just don’t know what he is going to do or say. You just laugh at him because he is a real character. He’s bubbly. He’s a clown. But he can be a genius.
‘Jason believes a lot of things, some of them nowhere near the truth. You can call him a Walter Mitty, but you also call him a genius.
‘He does things extraordinarily well. He scored two goals for me in the Play-Off Final at Hamilton, one a screamer. Then he missed the penalty which sent us down in the second leg at Easter Road.
‘You can’t help but love him. He’s a loveable rogue. You want to see him do well because he works his socks off.
‘He’s not as mad as Gazza and I’d never liken him to Gazza as a player. But he’s a real character.’
Most of Cummings’ team-mates could find plenty of words to describe him, some of which aren’t fit for publication. Yet every one of these players appears to harbour genuine admiration — affection, even — for a player whose 25 goals have contributed greatly to whatever Hibs have achieved this season.
The fact that he didn’t score in any of the four play-off games is a concern for those who fear that even a minor dip in confidence can ruin a striker. Yet, even in this season of almosts, few would deny that Cummings was genuinely close to marking his introduction from the bench against Falkirk with the most audacious — and potentially crucial — of strikes on Friday night, his shot from a different postcode only just tipped on to the bar by Danny Rogers.
His ability to see a shooting chance that no one else does, his willingness to try the outrageous when everyone inside the stadium is screaming for him to play a simple pass, those things are what make him stand out from the pack. Well, along with a hairstyle that is inching ever closer to needing an alice band.
Hibs fans understand that the whole package of skills possessed by Cummings is likely to make him a target for bigger clubs looking to raid Easter Road, where budget cuts will be required ahead of a third season in the Championship.
‘I know there are a lot of clubs down south watching him,’ said Butcher. ‘No one has spoken to me about him but I would have no hesitation in saying what a great guy he is.
‘A lot of what he does is instinctive. He can score screamers, mis-hits or tap-ins. He can miss unbelievable chances but he always goes back for more. Nothing fazes him.
‘He will do things which are remarkable. He’s a bit unpredictable but you know you will get honest effort from him, which gives you half a chance. He is a natural goalscorer.
‘As a manager, it’s nice to have someone like him in your squad. With more experienced players, you know they are going to do this or that. But Jason has that extra bit of excitement, that devil-may-care attitude.
‘You think: “Why’s he doing that?”. And then you are shouting: “Great goal!”’
Skilled enough to try just about anything, Cummings is also driven by — as he only half-jokingly admits himself — being rejected by Hearts as a youngster. Butcher gets a real sense that, because he grew up supporting the Gorgie boys, he’s had to work twice as hard as anyone else just to prove himself. It’s working.
The worry for Hibs is that Cummings has simply run himself into the ground. That the mental toll of carrying so much goalscoring responsibility will have weighed down even the most buoyant of characters.
Alan Stubbs has a decision to make over who starts up front on Saturday, with James Keatings’ two goals against Falkirk giving him a strong claim to continue in the main striker’s role. But can the Hibs boss really ignore someone of such obvious threat as Cummings?
‘He thrives on big games, as his record against Rangers shows,’ said Butcher, making his own preference clear. ‘He loved the derbies against Hearts as well.
‘You wouldn’t think twice about Jason missing a sitter and then scoring an absolute belter from 35 yards to win it in extra time. Those are the kind of things he can do.’