The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Ross pays the price for Hibees slump
Hibernian have confirmed that manager Jack Ross has been sacked due to a “prolonged run of poor results”.
The 45-year-old former St Mirren and Sunderland boss has paid the price after a 1-0 loss at Livingston on Wednesday evening made it seven defeats in Hibs’ last nine cinch Premiership matches. Ross’s assistant John Potter has also left the club.
First-team coach David Gray has been placed in interim charge alongside Eddie May and goalkeeping coach Craig Samson.
Chief executive Ben Kensell told Hibs’ website: “Following the prolonged run of poor results in the league, the club has taken the tough decision to relieve Jack Ross of his duties.
“We thank Jack and John for all their hard work and dedication to the role, the club has moved forward under their leadership, and we will fondly remember some incredible highs like reaching two cup finals and finishing third in the league last season.
“We wish them all the best in their future endeavours. The club will now look to appoint a new manager to take the club and this talented young squad forward and a further update will be provided in due course.”
The Easter Road side, who finished third under Ross last season, are currently seventh in the table ahead of their Premier Sports Cup final showdown with in-form Celtic at Hampden a week on Sunday.
Ross was appointed as Paul Heckingbottom’s successor in November 2019 and had an encouraging start to his reign, leading the team away from the relegation zone up to mid-table and to the Scottish Cup semi-final before the campaign was prematurely halted by Covid.
Last term, in what proved to be his only full season at the helm, he led Hibs to their first third-place finish in 16 years.
The shine from that achievement was diminished by a trio of high-profile Hampden defeats, however, as Hearts – in the Championship at the time – beat them in the Covid-delayed 2020 Scottish Cup semi-final last December, before St Johnstone defeated them in the Premier Sports Cup semi in January, and then the Perth side beat them again in the Scottish Cup final four months later.
Hibs started the current campaign well and, after a seven-game unbeaten run in the league, they were just a point off top spot at the start of October.
However, amid injuries to key players like Kyle Magennis and Christian Doidge, their form has taken a nosedive over the past two months.
Hibs travel to St Mirren tomorrow and then host Dundee next Tuesday prior to their Premier Sports Cup final the following weekend.
Aberdeen boss Stephen Glass sympathised with Ross.
He said: “Any time a manager loses his job it is unfortunate. I clearly don’t know the ins and outs of it but it is disappointing when it happens and I think everybody feels the same way.
“We go into the job knowing the pitfalls, knowing what can happen, but it is never nice when it happens and I am pretty sure it happens to everyone other than the very, very best.
“You go down the coaching journey, you get opportunities to become a manager if that’s what you choose to pursue.
“I think everybody who does it knows the risks, knows how much stress it is, but I think the high points are that good that it is worth it and you try to make it last as long as you can and that’s why there is never going to be a shortage of people wanting to be football managers.”