(Photo by Ewan Bootman/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Hibs have parted company with manager Jack Ross after a dismal run of form left them with only one win from their last nine league games – and the search now begins for a replacement for Ross at Easter Road.
After losing 1-0 to Livingston last night, fans openly called for Ross’ sacking and the Hibs board have duly delivered this morning as they prepare for this weekend’s game away to St Mirren.
Jack Ross won’t be in the dugout for Hibs this weekend(Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
The Easter Road side also have the League Cup final to look ahead to next weekend but there will be a new face in the dugout – although it remains to be seen whether a new boss will be appointed by then or whether an interim will take charge.
With Hibs sitting seventh in the Premiership and getting ever closer to the relegation playoff spot, something had to change at Easter Road and, with performances not looking like they were going to improve, Ross has been relieved of his duties.
As the Hibees begin their search for a new manager, we’ve looked at some of the possible candidates who could be in line to become the next Hibs manager.
The former Hamilton and Preston boss seems to be the early favourite amongst Hibs fans and has links with chief executive Ben Kensell from his time at Norwich City. Neil knows the Scottish game well and has a style of play that should go down well with the Easter Road fans.
The ex-Aberdeen boss has been busy as a pundit lately but has a solid CV and would make an interesting choice for Hibs. While there are some complaints that he never quite achieved what he should have at Pittodrie, he’d be a relatively safe pair of hands for Hibs after a woeful start to the campaign.
Kean is already at Hibs after taking up a role as Academy director recently but he has top-level managerial experience after a stint in charge of Blackburn Rovers in the Premier League. Kean has an impressive coaching CV too after spells with the likes of Fulham, Real Sociedad and Coventry as well as working abroad in Australia and Brunei.
Chipper seems to be a perennial candidate for any job that comes up in Scottish football and is a bit of an outsider to take charge at Easter Road. An ex-Hibs player and coach, Rice knows the club well and would be a steady, if unspectacular, appointment.
We might as well throw a name from left-field in here and Thomson ticks almost all the boxes. The boyhood Hibee had several spells at the club and his kids are in the Academy. He’s made an impressive start to his coaching career with Rangers and then Kelty and looks to be on the road to a top career in management. The Hibs job is likely available too soon for him just now but stranger things have happened.
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