Hibernian are prioritising a careful appointment of a new head coach ahead of their warm-weather training camp, with interim boss John Potter stressing that getting the right person is more important than timing. The club drew 1-1 with Aberdeen on Saturday in their first Premiership game since the sacking of David Gray, leaving them 10th in the table on seven points.
Potter, who took temporary charge for the Pittodrie fixture, expects to learn the club's next steps in the coming days. He confirmed plans are set for the squad's trip to La Manga, which begins next Saturday, regardless of who is in the dugout. "I'm sure ideally they would love to," Potter said of having a new boss in place for the camp, "but the most important thing is they get the right person for that job."
The interim coach said the players are now off for a few days, with internationals away, before regrouping. He added that the existing plan for the Spanish camp would be taken over by a new manager if appointed, or followed by the current staff if not. Potter made clear the final decision rests with the club's hierarchy, not him.
Aberdeen draw in focus
The 1-1 draw at Pittodrie saw Aberdeen captain Kevin Nisbet open the scoring in the 17th minute, taking his tally for the season to 12 goals. Hibernian's equaliser came from the penalty spot in the 62nd minute, converted by Martin Boyle after referee Nick Walsh penalised Jack Milne for dragging Jason Kerr to the ground.
Aberdeen manager Stephen Robinson acknowledged the spot-kick decision. "It was a penalty," Robinson said. "And I feel if you defend that deep you’re going to make a mistake and get punished at some stage of the game." Robinson, whose side had played six games in 18 days before this match, felt a point was deserved by both teams and said his players need a break.
For Hibernian, the result extends a patchy run of form. Their last five Premiership matches have yielded just one win, one draw, and three defeats, a sequence that includes a 3-0 victory at Ross County but also losses to Kilmarnock, St Johnstone, and Hearts. They have scored eight goals but conceded 11 so far this season.
The club now faces a key period. After the international break and the La Manga camp, their next fixture is a trip to face Dundee United on 10 October. United currently sit eighth, one place and two points ahead of Hibs in the standings.
With the search for a permanent successor to David Gray ongoing, the immediate focus at Easter Road is on stability. The squad list for the training camp and the early-season statistics are available on our squad and stats pages. The club's next managerial appointment will be tasked with improving a league position that sees them 11 points adrift of leaders Celtic.
Background and full detail: The Scotsman Football
