Hibs made a tweak to their build-up play from the back that saw them improve dramatically in the second-half against Hearts on Sunday.
That’s according to Motherwell star and former Jambos midfielder Andy Halliday, who worked on the Edinburgh derby clash for Sky Sports as a pundit.
Hibs beat Hearts 2-1 in the end to extend their unbeaten run against their arch-rivals this season and rise to 3rd in the Premiership table.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 2 |  RangersRangers | 29 | 18 | 5 | 6 | 59 | 26 | 33 | 59 |
| 3 |  HibernianHibernian | 29 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 44 | 40 | 4 | 43 |
| 4 |  AberdeenAberdeen | 29 | 12 | 6 | 11 | 38 | 46 | -8 | 42 |
Jack Iredale’s unbelievable strike was the winning goal in the second period, which Hibs boss David Gray admits he’s never seen anything like that before from the ex-Greenock Morton star.
A number of pundits have since delivered their reactions to the game, with many focusing on what Hibs changed to put in a much better second-half display against Hearts.
Scott Allan thought Hibs used the wide areas better with Nicky Cadden may more involved and using his excellent ability to cross the ball from deep into the box.
While Michael Stewart praised Cadden directly for almost single-handedly flipping the derby clash on its head after half-time.
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Halliday’s tactical analysis involving Hibs man Rocky Bushiri
Halliday noticed the same things but went into more depth about how Hibs adapted and built out from the goalkeeper and backline from the first to second halves.
Speaking on Open Goal, Halliday explained how goalkeeper Jordan Smith went from passing to Rocky Bushiri directly in the first-half to missing him out altogether in the second.
That meant the ball was getting out to Hibs’ wing-backs quicker as Smith was passing to either Jack Iredale or Warren O’Hora, the left and right centre-backs.
Halliday thinks Bushiri was ‘really struggling’ in the first-half as he wasn’t able to turn quickly enough and play out.
The Steelman said: “See Rocky Bushiri, I thought in the first-half he had a right – he was toiling. He never opened his shoulders up once.
“See any time he received it from the right hand side, Nicky Cadden was in the same space as he was in the second-half, but he (Rocky) just didn’t open his shoulders up to switch the play at any point.
“Hearts just allowed Rocky Bushiri to have the ball, sat off and said, ‘go try and break us down’. And ultimately they just went and played straight passes after that.
“Hibs played a lot quicker (in the second-half) and I don’t mean this in a disrespectful way, but they kind of just missed Rocky out.
“So if it went from the goalie, it went straight out to the right or left centre-halves and then straight to the wing-backs. Whereas (in the first-half), it was middle centre-half to left centre-half to middle to right and it was just slow.”
David Gray on ‘different animal’ Hibs vs Hearts
Hibs boss Gray told Sky Sports after the game that his side’s decision-making – perhaps Smith and Bushiri’s passing – wasn’t where he wanted it to be.
But he changed it at half-time to counteract Hearts’ narrow diamond formation and get the ball out quicker to the wing-backs, most prominently Nicky Cadden.
Gray said: “I think second half we were definitely a different animal altogether. First half we caused a lot of our own problems – a lack of quality, decision making.
“We knew we needed to switch the play against Hearts‘ diamond. We didn’t do it well enough, or trying to force things. Individual errors at times and that’s where the goal comes from, lashing at clearances.
“So a little bit more composure was needed second half and a little bit more aggression and intent to go forward, which I thought we seen in the second half.
“I thought we were really good second half and then seen the game out quite comfortably.”