Hibernian

Image source, PA Media

We asked for your views following Hibs' defeat to Celtic, Marink Reedijk's third successive defeat as head coach.

Here's what some of you had to say:

Paul: I saw signs of hope. If only we had a striker who could score, we might have got a draw. It's a work in progress, and what I saw makes me believe the situation will improve soon.

Kenny: Both goals again came from schoolboy errors. The new manager keeps saying he's happy with the progress, but that's three games in and no points. We scored a good goal and then went back to the usual poor defending. The basics of this team need to be sorted, and fast, or it's the Championship.

John: A much-improved performance from last week, but the same old lack of composure in front of goal. A touch of genius from Joe Newell for our goal. A special mention for Adam Mayor, who contained both Camilo Duran and Haissem Hassan.

Martin: I believe things will come good under Reedijk. Some players need to step up. They show too much fear at times. You can see what the manager wants, it's the guys on the pitch who need to show what they can do. I can already see the vast majority of this team being gone by the start of the new season.

Bea: I fear the worst for us this season. There are too many substandard players who are getting a game ahead of others who have proved to be fighters for the club. It just doesn't feel like Hibs any more. I'm afraid it will take a complete refresh from top to bottom so we can move on from this debacle!

Darren: The writing has been on the wall for a while. Recruitment has been so poor. Defenders who are slow and cumbersome and clearly past their best, alongside record-fee signings who look like they've just come out of Sunday league. We have two real gems in Jamie McGrath and Josh Mulligan, but both are struggling to find any form. The Gordons and Malky Mackay need to find solutions quickly before the fans lose the will to live.

Image source, SNS

Hibernian will come good under Marink Reedijk despite suffering three straight defeats under their new head coach, former Easter Road midfielder Kevin Thomson believes.

The Dutchman replaced former captain David Gray and Thomson says "it has been a difficult period" after the exit of someone who was so highly regarded as a player at the club.

"I think it was always going to be hard as your heartstrings as fans are pulled at you harder when it's someone like Dave [Gray]," Thomson told the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast following Sunday's 2-1 home defeat by Celtic.

"So I feel a wee bit for the manager. But I think he's been quite cute regarding bringing in someone like Brian McLaughlin [the former Celtic and Queen of the South winger] and he's obviously promoted [former Hibs midfielder] Guillaume Beuzelin as well.

"So I do think, when the dust settles, they'll be fine."

Hibs next face a trip to St Mirren in the league on Wednesday before a Premier Sports Cup semi-final encounter with city rivals Hearts.

"Obviously the last thing you want to do is be on the end of a sore one off your arch rival," Thomson said regarding the upcoming derby meeting at Hampden.

"I don't think I'm worrying too much and I wouldn't be if I was the staff and the squad, but that's not taking away from the fact that they're bottom of the league and they need to kick-start the season very quickly."

Meanwhile, Thomson thinks Rabbi Matondo will prove to be "a good asset" once the former Rangers winger, signed after his release by Brann, "gets up to speed".

Watch Scottish Premiership leaders Celtic earn a narrow win at struggling Hibernian. (UK only)

Camilo Duran scored his 10th goal of the season as Celtic recovered from an early setback to beat Hibernian and restore their four-point lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership.

MATCH REPORT

HAVE YOUR SAY

Image source, SNS

Hibernian manager Marink Reedijk: "I have a positive feeling, although I like to win. What I saw is a team who kept on fighting and made it very difficult for Celtic. Celtic were very clinical. They didn't create a lot, this is due to us.

"From there, we can build something. We had our chances to at least have a draw. In moments, we played out of their pressure very well and we came to chances or opportunities to get chances.

"All credit to Joe Newell, who all of a sudden needed to start and he did a good job."

On veteran Scotland defender Grant Hanley's introduction from the bench as an auxiliary forward, Reedijk commented: "We struggled to get the momentum. I wanted to change something in order to get a little bit of chaos. Eventually, I think it worked.

"Granty did a fantastic job, all credit to Granty. He was a handful for the two defenders and they didn't know how to cope with him and we created two good chances out of this."

Hibernian midfielder Jamie McGrath says he can see the logic behind head coach Marink Reedijk's decision to take the captaincy off Martin Boyle and insists they have what it takes to end their recent poor form. (Daily Record), external

Read the rest of Sunday's Scottish gossip.

Image source, SNS

Hibs are without Callum Wright, Nathan Lowe, Jacob Devaney, Kanayo Megwa (thigh), Rocky Bushiri (Achilles) and Jordan Obita (calf).

Jota, Landon Emenalo and Shim Mheuka are not in Celtic's Europa League squad and thus missed out on Thursday's Celta Vigo game but return for the weekend.

Cameron Carter-Vickers and Alistair Johnston are back in training and are expected to be available.

Auston Trusty missed the Celta Vigo game due to a family bereavement. Yang Hyun-jun remains a doubt.

Image source, SNS

Marink Reedijk has been speaking to the media before Hibernian's home game with Celtic in the Premiership on Sunday (12:00 GMT).

Here are the key points from the Hibs boss:

• While he saw improvements in last weekend's defeat by Falkirk - "we were quite solid on the ball" - Reedijk says Hibs must be better in possession as a seeks a first win after starting his tenure with back-to-back losses.

• He adds: "What we need to improve is that we find the moments and have a variation in our play, not only to play short but also a variation to sometimes play in behind to make the opponent doubt and give a challenge to the opponent more than that we just want to play from the back."

• Asked if his players need to have more self-belief to embrace the style change, the Dutchman says: "Confidence is not something you can switch a button and it's changed. Confidence starts with hard work, graft, smart work. We need to focus on the things we have control over and eventually people will get confidence."

• On being bottom of the table, Reedijk says it is "a picture of where we are at this moment", but it's at the end of the season when the league table really counts.

• Hibs, winless in eight home league games, know the scale of task that awaits against Celtic, with Reedijk saying: "Celtic is a good team to play against and gives us challenges but also we can give them challenges and hopefully we can make sure that we keep the three points here in Edinburgh."

• Explaining his decision to make Felix Passlack captain, with the German taking the armband from Martin Boyle, Reedijk says: "He is someone who leaves everything on the pitch, who is aggressive, who is front-footed, and this is an example I want to have for everyone in the stadium but also in the squad. This is what we are looking for."

• Reedijk had an "honest chat" with Boyle and insists the 33-year-old has a "different role to play and an important role as well". He adds: "Martin is someone with a good character to do some things in a different manner and to bring this to our team. That is important for me to have that also in the squad. But his role is different than the role he had before."

• Callum Wright and Jacob Devaney's recovery from injury is "more positive than we expected" but neither are available for Sunday. Nathan Lowe also remains out, with the striker's injury proving "more complicated".

Image source, SNS

Former Hibs midfielder Scott Allan is bemused by Marink Reedijk's decision to change the team's captain from Martin Boyle to Felix Passlack so early in his tenure.

The Dutchman has lost his opening two games in charge before Sunday's visit of Celtic.

Speaking on the BBC's Scottish football podcast, Allan said: "I think it's a really strange one.

"Usually when you're a manager, especially in an environment where you know Boyle's been such a good servant for the club, the first thing you want to do is keep them on side.

"The manager will probably come out and say they had a conversation and he felt they dealt with it well.

"But if you're Boyle, you're not happy with that. And when Boyle and senior players have conversations in the changing room, it will have been something they spoke about.

"But from what I'm hearing, I think the training and what the manager is trying to implement and what they're seeing day to day through the week, they just haven't managed to put that together on a match day yet, so there is positive signs there."

Hibernian manager Marink Reedijk likens his new side like sauce coming out a ketchup bottle, commenting: "You shake and shake, and it doesn't come out, but if it comes out, it comes out at once." (Edinburgh Evening News - subscription required, external)

Friday's Scottish gossip

• Celtic have spent 64.8% of their game time winning in the Scottish Premiership this season, the highest proportion of any side in 2026-27. Hibernian, meanwhile, have spent the highest proportion of their match time losing (49.7%).

• Hibs have won just three of their past 26 league games against Celtic (D8 L15), although two have come in the previous two seasons (2-1 in February 2025 and February 2026).

• Celtic are looking to win as many as nine of their first 10 league matches of a season for the 16th time. Four of their previous 15 came under Martin O'Neill (2000-01, 2001-02, 2003-04, 2004-05) - more than any other manager in the club's history.

• Celtic have won four of their past five league visits to Easter Road (L1), and are looking to win three in a row for the first time since February 2012 (run of 5).

• Hibs have lost five of their past six league games (D1) and seven of their past eight at Easter Road (D1).

Brian McLauchlin
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

The new manager bounce expected when Marink Reedijk replaced David Gray has yet to materialise and patience among Hibernian supporters is already being tested.

Saturday's defeat by Falkirk, their first top-flight loss to the Bairns at Easter Road in 20 years, left many fans asking serious questions about the direction of their team.

It is now more than six months since Hibs last won a Scottish Premiership match at home. With every game that passes without a victory, confidence appears to be draining from a team desperately in need of a lift.

The questions are mounting. What is the identity of this side? How can Reedijk get the best out of his players? Why are so many underperforming? And how much responsibility lies with the manager, as opposed to a recruitment strategy that is increasingly coming under scrutiny?

Reedijk insisted after Saturday's defeat he felt more positive than he had following the loss at Dundee United seven days earlier. That may offer some encouragement from within the dressing room, but the league table makes uncomfortable reading.

Being bottom of the Premiership, even at this early stage of the campaign, is hurting a club whose supporters expect far more.

The next 10 days provide three opportunities to change the mood around Easter Road. First up is the visit of champions Celtic on Sunday.

Few will give Hibs much chance against a side that rediscovered their scoring touch in spectacular fashion last week, hitting seven past Hearts.

It is a daunting assignment for a team short on confidence, but that does not mean it should be approached with a sense of inevitability.

The next challenge is a midweek trip to Paisley to face St Mirren, who have been conceding plenty of goals amid a five-game losing run. That is a fixture Hibs must view as a genuine opportunity.

Then comes the small matter of a Scottish Cup semi-final against Hearts at Hampden. It is the kind of occasion that can transform a season, particularly for a group searching for confidence.

For now, the priority is simple. Hibs need to start winning, and Reedijk needs his players to show that they believe they can.

Former Dundee and Dunfermline Athletic boss and one-time Hibernian player James McPake urges under-pressure Hibs manager Marink Reedijk to "stick to your principles". (Sun, external)

Ex-Hibs boss Neil Lennon questions whether there is enough mental health support for managers and feels criticism can be "way over the top". (Sun, external)

Thursday's Scottish gossip

Image source, PA Media

Is a "disconnect" at Hibs making Marink Reedijk's job even tougher?

The Dutchman has lost his opening two games in charge, with Hibs falling to the foot of the table, a point behind Kilmarnock and Motherwell.

"Reedijk has come in and he is trying to make changes in the backdrop of a little bit of disharmony at the club between the fans, the team and the hierarchy, there is a disconnect there," said The Scotsman sports editor Mark Atkinson.

Speaking on the BBC'S Scottish Football Podcast, he added: "I don't think it is all Reedijk's fault. There are a lot of other issues at the club.

"All these little things add up to discontentment because the team is not playing very well.

"There is also a feeling Hibs were in a good position in the summer. They had just finished fifth, they had qualified for Europe for the second time in a row, and they completely failed to capitalise on that situation.

"Inevitably fans train their sights on the board, on Malky Mackay, David Marshall, on Ian Gordon the owner, because they feel Hibs should be in a better place.

"The discontentment is not going to go away until either Hibs start picking up victories or there is change at the very top. And I think the former is more likely than the latter.

"The first two matches we have seen glimpses of what Reedijk's Hibs team could look like, especially going forward. There have been some green shoots, but at the moment, it is a really difficult situation for Hibs."

Matty Fairnie
Fan writer

The 'R' word was on the lips of fans I was speaking to on the way out of Easter Road on Saturday evening. Not Reedijk, but relegation.

Hibs are bottom of the table having taken no points from games against St Johnstone, Kilmarnock, Motherwell and now Falkirk - all teams tipped to be in the conversation for the drop at the end of the season.

People are starting to ask if Hibs also face that battle this season.

Nothing is decided in October and I saw signs of what Marink Reedijk is trying to do with the team on Saturday.

We conceded from two mistakes that look dreadful when they cost you a goal. And there's a real worry we're lacking the quality needed at either end of the pitch, but it's early days with Reedijk and we have to hope our luck changes, as it did when David Gray found himself in this situation in his first season.

While Reedijk is unlikely to match Gray's record-equalling unbeaten run in that third-placed campaign, there's plenty of time left this season for him to put enough results on the board to compete at the right end of the table, so nobody should be pushing the panic button just yet.

I like the cut of Reedijk's jib. There was improvement from the defeat against Dundee United, so while you don't want to see the team lose, there's still some leeway for a manager bedding in new ideas.

I'm told he's got the players in six days a week and while this might feel drastic, I'm hoping the squad embrace it and recognise we need everyone pulling together and working hard to drag Hibs off the foot of the table.

Celtic are up next on Sunday, hopefully they've got their goal spree out of their system and their strikers have an off day at Easter Road.

You can find Matty Fairnie at Longbangers podcast, external

Image source, SNS

At this stage, a change in the dugout has done nothing to ease Hibernian's woes.

If anything, they are worse.

There has been no new-manager bounce following Marink Reedijk's appointment, with two successive defeats in his opening matches against Dundee United and Falkirk.

That leaves them bottom of the Premiership, having won just two of their first nine league games, and without a home league victory in more than six months.

Speaking on the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast, writer Alison McConnell says the club are in "complete and utter disarray".

"I just think they look all over the place," she added. "There's a real lack of conviction, a lack of belief. One point from the last six games. They look rudderless.

"I'm not sure you're seeing an identity within that team. I think if you were a Hibs fan just now, there would be real cause for consternation because it's difficult to see the direction the manager wants them to go in.

"It's difficult to see the light at the end of the tunnel just now."

Patience will be required if new boss Marink Reedijk is to be a success at Hibernian, says Sportscene pundit Richard Foster, but his players currently look "bereft of confidence".

Saturday's home defeat by Falkirk means the Dutchman's reign has begun with two successive losses, leaving the Leith side bottom of the Premiership table, with leaders Celtic up next.

Watch Sportscene highlights of the weekend's top-flight action

Watch all the highlights as new Hibs boss suffered a second defeat in as many games in charge after a home defeat to Falkirk rooted them to the bottom of the table. Available to UK users only.

Hibs fans, we asked for your views after Saturday's defeat to Falkirk.

Here's what some of you said:

John: Marink Reedijk still has to find his best XI but is not helped by players making stupid mistakes, poor passing and having no composure in the opposition box. As long as the players buy into his ideas we'll be okay.

Lee: Let's look at the bigger picture. How many signings and how many managers have actually lived up to the expectations of a club this size over the last few years? What supporters should all realise now, as they vented their frustration part fuelled by the distraction of what's going on at Hearts, is that David Gray wasn't the problem and this club has an issue elsewhere within its set-up.

Tom: It is obvious that recruitment is the issue, can't keep blaming and sacking managers. There are no leaders in the team, just a bunch of average footballers playing as individuals with no structure to their play. So sad for a big club like us with so much history of great footballers and now this rubbish.

Tony: Better performance in the second half. Hoping that Reedijk has seen enough to form an opinion on a starting XI and definitely recognise where certain players cannot play a position. Feel for him as there is a lack of belief, confidence and ability across the team. It's not going to be a quick fix.

Chanaan: New manager but same Hibs. I can't wrap my head around how we can put together a whole new team season after season but still keep playing the same tactics over and over. Negative, "back to the keeper" football at every opportunity. Since when have Hibs been so uncreative, empty in attack, and truly just void of stringing a couple of passes together in succession without handing the ball to the opposition. If nothing changes soon we're in real danger.

Andy: Bottom of the league says it all. Hibs are a shambles from top to bottom. It doesn't matter how many managers are hired and fired, until the basics of squad management and recruitment are resolved there will be no progress. Too many players are just not good enough and aren't trying hard enough.

Rangers (£132m) have the 23rd most valuable squad in British football behind the 20 Premier League clubs and Championship duo West Ham United and Wolverhampton Wanderers, with Celtic (£104m) at 28th, while Heart of Midlothian (£21m) are 49th and Hibernian (£15m) two places below. (Transfermarkt, external)

Read Sunday's Scottish Gossip in full.