Hibs’ Head Coach Jack Ross believes that the club’s 2016 Scottish Cup win has taken some of the pressure off him and his players as they strive to win the trophy this year.
Hibs had gone 114 years since last picking up the Scottish Cup which made the victory over Rangers even more special and that day a great weight was lifted off the shoulders of the club.
Incredibly since that day only Celtic have won a domestic trophy but Ross is determined to bring silverware back to Easter Road.
As in 2016, Hibs have beaten a team managed by Robbie Neilson after a replay and also overcome inverness Caledonian Thistle which some fans are taking as an omen of things to come. They also beat Dundee United en route to the final.
Speaking to BBC Scotland after the final whistle of Hibs emphatic 5-2 victory over John Robertson’s Inverness Caledonian Thistle Ross said: “It’s a nice omen and it would be nice if we repeated that. What Alan (Stubbs) and the rest of the squad did that year was a terrific help to me now because it alleviates some of that pressure that built up for a long period of time so although we put pressure on ourselves to win it, it is undoubtedly not as big as before Hibs did it in 2016.
“We stressed before the first tie when we entered the competition against Dundee United that the message to the players was to win the cup and that’s what we wanted to do and we are making progress.
The draw for the semi-finals takes place today with the ties set for the weekend of 11th / 12th April at Hampden Park.
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.
