David Gray stresses ‘strong Celtic influence’ Hibs must overcome amid Martin O’Neill verdict
Hibs will face Celtic this weekend as they continue their push for the Scottish Premiership title
Celtic have the chance to move further up the Scottish Premiership table on Sunday when they play host to Hibs. Depending on how Hearts and Rangers also perform this weekend, the Hoops could move into second or even first place in the table.
Jumping all the way up to first will require a big winning scoreline against Hibs, and for Hearts to lose against Falkirk. Celtic will also need Rangers to drop points against Livingston.
The Scottish title race is now wide open and one wrong move could readjust the top three significantly in these coming weeks. Celtic remain unbeaten since Martin O’Neill’s return to the dugout and upcoming opponents Hibs are well aware of this.
Manager David Gray is seeking a first Hibs away win against Celtic in more than 16 years. But the boss has acknowledged the impact O’Neill has had on this Hoops side, as well as the added threat of his assistant and former Hibs boss Shaun Maloney.
David Gray aware of ‘strong influence’ Shaun Maloney will have on Celtic this weekend
O’Neill will keep his place in the Celtic dugout until the end of the season. His influence over the current team has turned their campaign around following the dismal run under brief permanent manager Wilfried Nancy.
“Martin O’Neill has obviously stood the test of time. He's been at it a very very long time, and he's been very extremely successful everywhere he's been,” Gray told our sister website the Edinburgh Evening News.
“That doesn't happen by mistake. There is a level of experience and knowledge there that you have to acknowledge and understand. The fact that he’s still in the game, still performing at a very high level, tells you something.
“It's a test for myself, stepping up to play against his team. Even if you think the last time we played at Easter Road, it was about testing myself against a very successful manager. So I think we're aware of that. I'm certainly well aware of that myself - and I look forward to the challenge.”
Maloney, who managed Hibs for a brief stint between December 2021 and April 2022, is expected to have a ‘strong influence’ on Celtic’s performance when Hibs make the trip to Parkhead.
“Shaun's a very good coach, we know that, very good on the grass, very knowledgeable in the way he wants to see the game. I think he has - and he will have - a strong influence there,” Gray said.