Hibs must strike fine balance in managerial appointment

[BBC] It was good to get Saturday's game out the way after a difficult couple of weeks at Hibs. Easter Road was quite subdued before kick-off and I think most fans will agree the break has come at a good time for the club. There was a notable lifting of tensions around the stadium, in stark contrast to the charged atmosphere on Tuesday where the team was chastised for any and every mistake by sections of the crowd. It felt like full-time properly brought the curtain down on (Sir) David Gray's tenure, even if the separation had formally happened a few days earlier, and the club now have the luxury of a bit of break in which to recruit a new head coach. The team are scheduled to head to Spain for a training break - an incoming head coach could use this as a mini-pre-season with time to convey their ideas and tactics without the pressure of managing a game-to-game schedule. We can now look forward with some optimism and excitement. The club need to get this appointment right and there's a fine balance between reading the room in terms of gauging supporter sentiment and being brave enough to back whoever they identify as Gray's successor, even if it's not a universally popular choice. This is where Malky Mackay and the recruitment team have to earn their corn. The assumed benefit of having a sporting director is to minimise disruption when a head coach leaves, so hopefully Gray's successor is announced sooner rather than later. You can find Matty Fairnie at Longbangers podcast