Hibs’ Head Coach Alan Stubbs is anticipating a different challenge from Dundee United than the one he faced earlier in the season in the Scottish League Cup victory at Easter Road.
That night, goals from David Gray, Jason Cummings and Lewis Stevenson sealed the victory but Stubbs anticipates a much more difficult game at Hampden Park in the William Hill Scottish Cup Semi Final on Saturday.
United remain stranded at the bottom of the table. It had looked as though they had turned a corner however recent results mean that automatic relegation is likely. Earlier this week Gavin Gunning left the club after a bizarre incident last weekend when he picked the ball up and walked off the field after picking up an injury.
Hibs go into the game having played well against Falkirk despite losing two late goals on Tuesday night. The result means that Hibs sit six points behind the Bairns with two games in hand and the supporters have registered their frustration on social media.
In response, Leeann Dempster insisted that the management team are in it for the long haul and there will be no knee jerk reaction to the poor run f results.
Speaking to Hibs TV, Stubbs said: “It will be another game against Premiership opposition and we’re expecting a very different game to the one we played against them last time.
“I personally believe that Dundee United are a stronger team to when we played them then. Because of that, I am expecting that be another difficult game.
“It was always going to take a bit of time for Mixu since he came because of the situation he inherited. They have certainly got results which shows signs of improvements and they have had a couple of results which Mixu has said himself have been disappointing.
“Their main priority will be to stay in the division. Saturday will be a release for them from that for them and I am expecting as difficult a game as we have faced against any premiership side this season.
“From our players point of view they know that they are capable of beating a premiership team. We’ve seen it this season when we have only lost once against premiership opposition.
“Saturday is about two teams and whoever performs the best and whoever gets a bit of luck in a certain part of the game. We have to go there and do what we do and hopefully win the game and there is a big carrot dangling in front of them to get to another final.
“Fonts (Liam Fontaine) is doubtful for this weekend. The game has perhaps came a week too early for him. apart from that, everybody looks to have come through the other night thankfully unscathed.”
John graduated from Telford College in 2010 with an HNC in Practical Journalism and since then he worked for the North Edinburgh News, The Southern Reporter, the Irish News Review and The Edinburgh Reporter. In addition he has been published in the Edinburgh Evening News and the Hibernian FC Programme.
