Hibs Approach Conference League Play-Offs Amid Fan Divide

Hibernian are a step away from the Conference League group stage after Thursday night’s goalless draw with Shkendija in North Macedonia – and the away clean sheet has gone down well with most of the support, even if the performance hasn’t.

It was tight, it was scrappy, but it was enough. The tie was managed, not mastered, and that distinction is exactly where the fanbase has started to divide.

‘Job done’ – but don’t ask for a rerun

For some, this was classic European away football: pragmatic, disciplined, and just about all that was required.

“Job done,” said Calum. “Not pretty but a clean sheet away in Europe is nothing to be sniffed at.”

Neil struck a similar note. He called it “not pretty but a professional job” and is already looking up the ladder. “Let’s hope we can get over this last hurdle and into the next stage for the first time.”

John was happy enough to sacrifice entertainment for progress. “Well done Hibs, not the best of games to watch but who cares. Getting to the play-offs is all that counted.” He never felt the team were in real danger, and even suggested Shkendija had posed more of a threat at Easter Road than they did on their own patch.

The message from that camp is clear: in Europe, you survive first, critique later.

Gray’s caution under the microscope

Others see a bigger picture – and a warning sign.

The draw followed on from the high of a win over Rangers at the weekend, and Kenny believes that result should embolden manager David Gray rather than push him further into his shell.

“A great result following on from the win against Rangers at the weekend,” he said, before turning the spotlight on the touchline. Gray, he argued, “now needs to have more faith that we can beat teams around us without resorting to the defensive tactics that we seem to deploy in the Premiership.”

Kenny wants Hibs on the front foot, not retreating to the edge of their own box and inviting trouble.

“The fans will get behind the manager and the team if we can play off the front foot and stop losing goals when we give the ball away just outside the 18-yard box. The players are there, no good being too negative.”

That frustration isn’t about one night in North Macedonia. It’s about a pattern. A sense that Hibs have more in them than they are being allowed to show.

Record signing on the fringes, doubts over recruitment

A Graham went even stronger on the criticism, taking issue with Gray’s post-match assessment of the opposition.

“Gray says Shkendija were a really good side, they were awful and we played at their level over the tie with poor passing,” came the verdict. The attack was branded “lacklustre” and the fact that the club’s record signing can’t get into the team has become a symbol of wider concerns.

“Hopefully some more signings to come as I’m struggling to see improvements in the ones we have so far,” A Graham added. The win over Rangers, in that view, feels more like a one-off than a new standard. “Hopefully we’ll click into gear as the Rangers game seems the exception to the norm right now.”

That’s the tension around Hibs at the moment. A European play-off spot secured, momentum on paper, but a nagging feeling that the performances don’t yet match the ambition – or the investment.

The play-off now looms as more than just another tie. It’s a chance to prove that this isn’t simply a team edging through, but one capable of grabbing games, and a season, by the scruff of the neck.