Hibs stood by manager David Gray while the outside noise was growing and now appear to be reaping the benefits.
The Hibees have been in the Premiership’s bottom two for much of this season, often trading places with rivals Hearts as the capital duo both got off to a horrendous start.
But while the Jambos still flounder around in the relegation places, Gray’s side have dramatically picked up.
The Easter Road men have lost just once in their last seven and have won four on the bounce, lifting them up to seventh in the table and seven points clear of the play-off spot.
Before things picked up, fans and pundits were questioning the manager’s position after his tenure got off to the worst possible start.
The Hibs board responded by releasing a statement on Gray – essentially giving him their backing but insisting they were well aware things needed to improve.
Improve they did and the Leith side can now start to think about pushing on up into the top six.
Gray is popular at the club after his years of service as a player and most importantly scoring the winning goal in the historic 2016 Scottish Cup final win over Rangers.
So the Hibs fans instead turned on the board with an angry messaged scrawled outside the ground and a ‘Sack the Board’ banner displayed at a game against Aberdeen.
Minority investor Bill Foley suggested the manager had not been his choice and claimed the majority owners, the Gordon family, had not been listening to him and his Black Knight group’s advice.
Hibs chiefs then met Foley but it was believed Gray’s future was not on the agenda.
In any case, things are looking a lot rosier now.
Ian Gordon gives Hibs interview
Owner Ian Gordon has now given an interview and insists the board have been vindicated after standing by Gray.
He insists they knew it would always take time for things to start to move in the right direction.
He told Hibs TV: “It’s been a difficult year for the club. We know that it’s been challenging for us and the fans.
“But we feel like we’re heading in the right direction. We ended 2024 on a high note, which was brilliant.
“I think we always knew Dave needed time in his new role. We put a lot of backing into the summer signings, and we knew everything needed time.
“We just had to keep our heads up and trust that we’re moving in the right direction. Fair play to Dave and the guys for sticking with it. And I think we’re finally seeing the rewards.
“Going into 2025, we need to have better communication with the fans, and more transparency. So that’s something we’re going to look to do in the coming months.
“The past couple of haven’t been good enough. It’s not been consistent enough. So it’s all about a full focus on the football, improving that.”
Gordon admits more improvements needed
He added: “Our focus now needs to be more on field.
“Something my dad believed in, and our family believes in, is improving the match day experience. You see now that we have the best match day experience in Scotland.
“You see with the success of our women’s team and our academy, we need to continue to grow in those areas. So there might need to be improvements down at HTC to accommodate all the new players and the massed size we have down there.
“But it all matters what happens on the pitch. So this year needs to be focused on that.”