David Gray on Myziane's Hibs future and Martin Boyle rumours

David Gray spoke to the media after Hibs finished the season with a 1-1 draw at Livingston. Here's everything the interim manager had to say...

How do you assess the game today?

“I thought it was probably played like both teams didn’t want to lose, more than anything. Credit to Livingston in the first 10-15 minutes, they started better and really forced us to defend.

“David Martindale always has his team ready for the start. I’ve played here plenty of times and you know that’s coming. Credit to the lads for standing up to it.

“We managed to get through it, Jojo made a big save, and then our quality came through a wee bit. Because I thought, initially, we were just lashing at things, instead of taking touches.

“So I thought our quality improved as the game went on. But I think it was missing when it came to doing enough to go and win the game."

That's 11 goals for Myziane, how big an impact has he made?

“He’s been brilliant on and off the pitch, comes in and does his work, works extremely hard. He’s a top professional – and you can see the quality he has.

“He obviously scores goals. Even today, he was probably a bit quiet in the game, looked a wee bit tired.

“But he comes up with that one moment of magic, manages to put us in front. One the whole, as a game, that was the thing missing – that little bit of quality to go and win it if I’m being honest.

Could Hibs keep him?

“That’s not a question for me. I was asked to prepare them as best I could between last week and today.

“Moving forward, I’m sure there will be many suitors for him, if he is available. But that’s a question for the next manager and the powers that be at the football club.

If you can’t keep him, is he the type of quality Hibs need to be bringing in?

“I think if you can get a player with that quality, it can only add to your squad, 100 per cent. You see what he can do.

“But there is already a lot of quality in that dressing room at the moment, as well. I’ve said that many times.

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“It is a good squad. It needs to be added to, because there are a lot of players out of contract, players on loan going back to their clubs.

“So it gives the new manager an opportunity to bring his own players in – and put his own stamp on the team.”

Have you had any indication around a timeline for a new manager being appointed?

“My full focus has been just on a difficult period that we were in and was just to get to the end of the season and I’m sure moving forward we’ll find out exactly what is happening.

“I think for the football club, the League Cup starts straight away, so you need to be as quickly as you can making sure you come on day one of pre-season with a clear idea of what needs to be done because Hibs need to be competing for the opportunity of winning trophies and that competition starts very early.”

You've done your own cause no harm...

“Listen, unfortunately, every time I have been in this position it has always been in difficult situations.

“As I have said many times, it is about trying to get a reaction out of the players, first and foremost.

“And then from there, very conscious of the fact people have lost their jobs, so it is not always about me at all.

“On reflection, with every time I have been in the position, you always then start to get a little taste for it to find out exactly and assess what you think went well and what didn’t.

“I think every time I have been in the position, I have learned from the previous experiences, which has definitely helped me.”

Martin Boyle has been linked with a move to Australia, is there anything you can say about that?

“Again, that is for the new manager to decide and the club to decide. But, obviously, Martin is under contract, so I’m sure that will be decided in weeks to come, but that’s more for the powers that be rather than me.”

Lewis Stevenson said letting Paul Hanlon go is a mistake, what's your view?

“Listen, Paul and Lew have had fantastic careers here and they will both keep playing, I am very confident of that.

“They both showed the other night they are more than capable of playing at this level and I 100 per cent agree with that.

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“It’s not just on the pitch, but what they do every single day. It seems for the last week it has been the one thing I have been able to be really positive about and confident about when I am speaking about them because it has been a real difficult time for the club.

‘But those two deserve all the praise they get and, whatever happens moving forward, the new manager and the club will decide what happens and up to the two boys because they are out of contract and it’s up to them to decide what happens.”

Is there any scope to reverse the decision?

“That’s a question between Paul and the football club.”