FOR years, supporting Hibernian was like being a teenager in a slasher movie. Everything might seem fairly calm and normal but at the back of your mind there would forever be a nagging feeling of impending doom. Sometimes the fear that something dreadful was almost certainly going to happen would end up being worse than the act itself.
They can breathe a bit more easily now. Not the movie victims sadly – destined to die a predictably gruesome celluloid death from here ‘til eternity – but those who choose to spend their free time and money watching the team from Easter Road. Granted, with Hibs there is always a danger in predicting that they have finally shed their propensity for mishaps once and for all, but three games shy of the halfway mark of this Ladbrokes Championship campaign, there is an undeniable look of assurance about Alan Stubbs’ side that was rarely visible in previous seasons.
To win a title a team needs to be both consistent and resilient. Hibs have shown themselves to have both qualities in abundance. A run of 14 victories from their last 15 games covers the first point. The manner of their recent victory over Rangers, in particular, also demonstrated that there is a toughness about Hibs now too. In the past they often looked vulnerable, especially when placed under pressure, but that flaw seems to have been finally ironed out. The real test, of course, is whether they can maintain this form until the end of the season but for now the picture is looking rosy.
“There seems to be a bit more steel to Hibs this season,” said Pat Stanton, the Hibs icon who, aged 71, can still be spotted regularly at Easter Road. “There’s a solidity there that wasn’t always present in previous teams. Previously if something went against them you could almost see their shoulders sag and the heads go down.
“The attitude seemed to be, “here we go again, things aren’t working out for us”. And that was a mentality that wasn’t doing them any favours at all. You’re going to get setbacks fairly regularly in football so it’s how you react to them that counts the most. The players who are there now, when they come across a challenge they’re reacting in the right manner. They’re not just meekly accepting that things have gone against them - they’re battling to put things right again.
“You saw that in the recent game against Rangers at Easter Road when they got pegged back at 1-1 when they lost an equaliser early in the second half. Previous Hibs teams might have crumbled and ended up losing the game but this group took it on the chin and went on to win. And that’s the attitude you need if you’re going to be competing at the top end.”
Having good players helps, too. The capture of John McGinn from St Mirren has proved to be one of the shrewdest signings of the summer, the 21 year-old already becoming a cult hero with the Hibs support for his determined showings. Stanton, who knew how to run a midfield himself back in the day, is already a fan.
“McGinn looks a real tenacious character,” he added. “You watch him in a game and he really competes, you can see how much he wants to win every ball. And when you’ve got a player like that at the heart of your team then that drives everyone on. He’s been a terrific signing so far. He makes the players around him better. So as well as the new additions, they’re now managing to get more out of the ones who were already at the club.
“Going back not so long ago there were players coming to Easter Road who, to be honest, just weren’t good enough to be playing there. And as a result Hibs began to slide until we reached the level we’re at just now. But the introduction of a few better players seems to have lifted the place again.”
Jason Cummings has impressed, too. Any team that has a striker who looks like he can score in every game will always be difficult to stop and Hibs have landed one in Cummings, the one-time Hearts trainee. The 20 year-old has scored in eight of his last nine club matches as part of a total of 14 for the season, and added another recently for the Scotland under-21s. He appears a striker bursting with confidence.
“Having a goal threat like that in your team can make a real difference,” added Stanton. “Just knowing you’ve got someone who can get you a goal most weeks can inspire an entire team to keep going until the final whistle. And Jason has come on really well in recent times. You can’t argue with his goalscoring rate. He’s always working hard and playing with a lot of confidence and that’s terrific to see. People tend to forget that he’s only 20 years old.”
This time last year Stanton was part of a group looking to buy the club. The sense of agitation behind the scenes at Hibs, however, has quietened down in recent times. Coincidentally or otherwise, the team is now playing better.
“Maybe in the past the people running the club were a wee bit remote from the supporters,” added Stanton. “But now they seem to be reaching out more to the fans and getting them involved. And that’s great to see. I was at Easter Road recently and the atmosphere was really good. The crowd were right behind the players and supporting the team. Things have been miserable for Hibs fans for so long but it seems to be gradually turning for them. Hopefully that continues for some time to come.”
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