Wembley woe will motivate Hibs boss

IN the i mmediate aftermath of agonising events, back-to-back Wembley defeats felt l i ke anything but a blessing to Jack Ross. Even now, he almost visibly winces when discussing the two losses that helped define his time as Sunderland boss.

But maybe the experience of l osing the 2019 Checkatrade Trophy final, before falling short in the League One play-off final just eight weeks later, carried some hidden benefits for Ross.

As the Hibs boss prepares to lead his team into Scottish Cup semi-final action against Hearts at a deserted Hampden tomorrow, he can only hope the lessons learned on those bleak days in north London become apparent.

‘I self-reflect on a daily basis anyway,’ said Ross. ‘But those games have helped me enormously.

‘Ahead of Saturday’s match, I feel each and every time you experience a game of that magnitude it helps you. It helps you have a greater degree of calmness in the build-up.

‘It makes you understand how to keep your players focused but calm as well.

‘ You develop that clarity of thought that you need through emotional occasions as well.

‘It makes you do everything you can to make sure you come out on the right side of the result — because the bigger the occasion, the more intense the fixture, the more it hurts, the more it stings.

‘I must admit, the experience of losing two finals at Wembley hurt.

When you get to that stage, you would probably rather have gone out in the semis.

‘Losing a final on an occasion like that is really sore. Once you get to this stage of the tournament, whether it is a semi-final or a final, you know you are close.

‘Every single person associated with all four clubs, players, staff and supporters, know it is within touching distance.

‘When you are that close to anything you don’t want to fall short. I will certainly be doing everything I can to make sure we don’t at the weekend.’

Despite those experiences at Sunderland, one wonders if this will be the biggest 90 minutes of Ross’ managerial career so far.

‘I’m driven towards being the best I can be but I have had countless games over different seasons which have helped define my own career path.

‘Alloa reaching the knock- out stage of the Betfred Cup, St Mirren staying in the league, St Mirren then winning the title, two games at Wembley that went the wrong way perhaps defined how my tenure ended at Sunderland.

‘There are so many games you can point to.

‘But, for the here and now, this i s the most important game because this is the one that will take us closer to winning the cup.

‘In the bigger picture there’s been loads of important games but right now, for me, this is the most i mportant because i t’s imminent.’

Ross, who took on the Hibs job after barely a month out of work following his dismissal by Sunderland, has done some extremely good work since arriving at Easter Road last November.

Sitting third in the Premiership table on merit after a dozen games, they should be too strong for their Championship opponents. Should be.

Getting to a Scottish Cup final within a year of taking over would be quite the achievement for a coach who, naturally, shies away from talking about the personal plaudits that might come his way.

‘For me coming into this job, I didn’t come here to tread water,’ said Ross.

‘I came here to continue to prove myself as a manager and be a successful manager.

‘Winning silverware with Hibs through a cup competition is an opportunity to do that.’

Having been part of Robbie Neilson’s backroom staff at Hearts first time around obviously gives Ross a bit of insight into how the Gorgie club might approach this game. The same logic cuts both ways, though.

Ross revealed: ‘We have both been guest tutors on the SFA A Licence over the last couple of months.

‘During those courses, we both have to speak about our own approaches as coaches and what we do.

‘So, if there was anything we didn’t know about each other, there isn’t now! Hearts have started in the manner befitting a team who believe they’re a good side.

‘Their performances through the Betfred and the opening Championship games are reflective of a group of players who believe they can achieve success in the league this season and win matches.

‘That hasn’t taken me by surprise because that’s what Robbie has done previously in the Championship, put together a group of players with a focus and drive about them.

‘Where this fixture fits into the calendar, I knew we’d be facing a team who had probably made a good start in the league. And that in itself breeds confidence.’