Shaun Maloney made it two wins from two as Hibernian manager with a 3-1 victory over Dundee United at Tannadice on Boxing Day.
Goals from Kevin Nisbet, Chris Cadden – who scored his first for Hibs – and Jamie Murphy secured three points while putting on a hugely promising display of expansive, passing football on the road before the winter break.
A couple of changes to the starting XI saw Lewis Stevenson come into the side on the left of the back three with Paul McGinn missing from the squad entirely while Drey Wright stepped in for Scott Allan.
Most interesting was the inclusion of Wright from the start in Dundee, a replacement for Scott Allan in the number 10 role behind the strikers after Allan made a rare appearance in the team on Wednesday night at Easter Road.
Both players acquitted themselves well after a first half of the season with very few meaningful opportunities in the side – with an hour on the pitch against Aberdeen and Dundee United for Allan and Wright respectively their most notable contributions for some time.
The use of both midfielders shows a clear willingness from Shaun Maloney to stick to his word about everyone in the squad being given a clean slate. Players who were otherwise written off under Jack Ross may now find themselves back in the frame with the new management team.
A tweak in the system, Maloney has favoured a 3-4-1-2 in both of his matches in charge so far, may give him a different sense of perspective over the strengths and weaknesses in the squad with the January transfer window now firmly at the forefront of fans’ minds.
Alex Gogic was given 60 minutes from the bench in midweek when he replaced the injured Jake Doyle-Hayes. It was the first time the Cyprus international has played more than 45 minutes for Hibs since he featured in the 2-2 draw at Dens Park in August.
Does this mean Drey Wright, Scott Allan and Alex Gogic have turned into key players overnight? Absolutely not, but it does indicate than Shaun Maloney is approaching his new squad of players with very few predispositions and with a willingness to allow everyone to prove their worth under the new regime.
Among the list of names linked with the Hibs job were a large proportion of managers who have been in and around the Scottish game in recent years and who may have already decided on the worth of members of the squad from previous experiences playing against them.
Shaun Maloney brings a freshness to the club and with a new outlook he is giving players the chance to change the narrative about them. It may be that those who featured little under Jack Ross will be deemed surplus to requirements by Maloney too, but there’s a chance that one or two will find a new lease of life in a Hibs shirt.
Drey Wright’s 60 minutes at Tannadice was his best for the club in a long time, he worked hard and got on the ball more than we’ve seen from him in the past. This was especially evident in the first 45 minutes where we knocked the ball about very well and pressed Dundee United high to win back possession.
Melker Hallberg was named amongst the substitutes for the first time this season as he continues his comeback from a long-term injury. A player who many fans believe could be on his way out of the club next month, it’ll be interesting to see if manager Maloney gives him a chance to show what he can do when he’s back to full fitness.
Maloney also mentioned the need to look to the development squad for players ready to make the step up and it’ll be worth noting how many, if any, are involved as the season progresses with the U18 squad recording lots of good results.
A huge reason for Jack Ross’ demise was the lack of competition for places within the squad which led to poor performances and results. With Maloney willing to give everyone the opportunity to make an impact we may see that competitive edge come back into the club.
With Chris Mueller and Dylan Tait in line to officially join the squad before our next competitive match against Celtic on 17th January the side is already starting to look a little fuller.
The resurgence of players on the fringes, even if it’s only one or two, will add to that and hopefully drive performances and effort levels throughout the squad as we march into the second half of the season.
The East Stand 
Fantastic read once again
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