Gray: Players mustshowfight fornewboss
Hibs caretaker boss David Gray warned his goal-shy players not to down tools for the final three games of the campaign.
Gray is doing his best to guide the Edinburgh side to seventh place in the Premiership but that is now a more difficult task after defeat at Livingston.
The Easter Road club are conducting interviews to find a replacement for Shaun Maloney, with Englishman Paul Clement the latest name to be linked with the post.
You can imagine what Roy Keane – who appears to be distancing himself from the job – would have said about yesterday’s performance.
The lack of any goal threat was the main thing that Keane, or any football analyst worth their salt, would immediately have noticed.
Gray was quick to admit that was a major problem. He said: “We should have been more clinical and taken our chances. It kind of sums up our season – 18 shots on goal and nothing on target.
“It shows where we’re struggling, to put the ball in the net. It’s not just the forwards, it’s everyone that’s involved.
“Credit to Livingston. In the second half they came out with a reaction to how we played and got their goal.
“I don’t think we really recovered from that.
“We need to be far more clinical at the top end of the pitch. You can’t be defending for the whole game.”
Gray is determined the players battle until the last minute of the season.
He’s well aware that any new manager will be looking at the squad and the coaches.
He added: “The objective is to finish seventh and we can still do that. It’s within our capabilities and it’s up to the players to come up with a reaction.
“Eddie May and I will be working as hard as we can to get that.
“It’s always important to finish the season as strongly as you can.
“As a football player, you’re always being judged. If you’re not putting it in towards the end of the season, then people start to question your character or determination.
“It’s important that every time you pull the jersey on you apply yourself as hard as you can and to the best of your ability.”