Gray took them to third in the league in his first season and fifth last season. There is an argument to be made that on the back of those bottom lines he deserved more time, but he hasn’t got it.
He had a tumultuous beginning as Hibs manager; one league win in his first 14 games. In November he was bottom of the league. Hearts were second bottom. More than once Gray seemed to be in trouble only to pull out a series of wins that made him safe.
That first season was a prime example. From bottom of the table, he got them to third by the end. It was a fine achievement. Fifth last season was reasonable, but it must have felt nightmarish to Hibs fans as Hearts roared on and threatened to win the league.
The rise of Hearts adds significant pressure on whoever’s managing Hibs. It’s just the way it is.
Throughout his time, Hibs had a ruinous capacity to concede late goals that checked momentum and made the search for the holy grail of consistency all the harder.
In 2024-25 Hibs conceded late goals that cost them points against Kilmarnock, Ross County, Hearts, Dundee twice and Dundee United twice in minutes 88, 90, 90, 90, 86, 90, 87 and 90.
Last season that unfortunate habit of caving late on continued too often. They conceded damaging goals against Midtjylland, Legia Warsaw, Livingston, Dunfermline, Dundee and Hearts three times in minutes 119, 90, 98, 90, 90, 90, 88, 90 and 86.
This season they lost to Motherwell in the 85th minute and shipped goals in the 84th and 90th minute against Gent to exit the Conference League.
They salvaged a point, or three, on other days, but they were on the wrong side of the ledger on so many occasions. Gray will have regrets about that. What-might-have-beens. Plenty of ‘if onlys’ mark his time in the job. His players have cause for reflection, too.
They have no shortage of decent-to-good players at Hibs, but there is something missing, some steel, perhaps, some mentality, some leadership, some coaching nous.
Gray did his utmost to improve things. He always struck you as a manager who lived and breathed the job, who was terribly cut up by it when it didn’t go to plan.
Most sacked managers think they could have improved things if they were given time. The betting is that Gray is one of those. He was in trouble in his first season and he found a way out of it to finish in a lofty position. He’d have backed himself to do the same in the months ahead, but that chance has gone now.
Hibs are back at the drawing board. Consistency there, at least. Meanwhile, Gray will start again somewhere else, hopefully strengthened by the experience of how brutal football management can be at times.
