Hibernian head coach Marink Reedijk made an unorthodox tactical gamble during Sunday's Scottish Premiership clash against Celtic at Easter Road, deploying experienced centre-back Grant Hanley as a makeshift striker. Facing a 2-1 deficit with only eight minutes remaining, Reedijk brought the defender off the bench in an attempt to salvage a late equaliser. Hanley made an immediate impression by winning an aerial duel that created an opportunity for Josh Mulligan and nearly turned home a deflected effort from Rabbi Matondo, but Hibs were unable to find a leveller, leaving them bottom of the Scottish Premiership as Celtic re-established a four-point lead.
The roll of the dice marked a sign of slight desperation for Reedijk, who has now opened his tenure with two consecutive defeats after replacing David Gray. Addressing his tactical choice, Reedijk explained that he wanted to disrupt Celtic's composure as they attempted to see out the match. "I saw that we struggled to get the momentum. Celtic tried to play the game out and I wanted to change something to get a little bit of chaos," the Hibs boss said, insisting the ploy worked as Hanley proved to be "a fantastic job" and "a handful for the two defenders."
Former Hibernian midfielder Scott Allan, however, argued that resorting to a central defender as a direct target man exposes deep-rooted problems. Allan remarked that Hanley's cameo cast a harsh light on substitute striker Ante Suto, who had entered the contest 15 minutes earlier without producing an impact. Suto and Nathan Lowe are the squad's focal point strikers, with Martin Boyle ruled out through illness on Sunday morning, while goalscorer Owen Elding and record signing Thibault Klidje offer different forward profiles. The resulting reliance on Hanley has fuelled mounting supporter discontent aimed at sporting director Malky Mackay and the club's recruitment.
With no transfer reinforcements possible until January, Reedijk must find answers with the personnel currently at his disposal. Allan dismissed notions that Hibs have shown tangible progress under their new head coach, warning: "Do they look like they're trying to change the style of play? We've heard a lot of talk about it, but I haven't really seen it. Moving forward, Hibs have to start winning games of football." Anchored to the foot of the table, the Edinburgh club faces mounting urgency to convert tactical experiments into badly needed points.