Gray Praises Atmosphere Vs Rot-Weiss Essen
Hibernian FC Head Coach David Gray praised both sets of supporters for creating a special atmosphere at Easter Road Stadium for our friendly against Rot-Weiss Essen.
Just under 13,000 supporters came to the stadium for our 150th anniversary fixture and the two sets of fans bounced off each other created a unique atmosphere inside the ground.
Hibs ran out 3-2 winners on the evening, in what was an entertaining spectacle for all involved.
When speaking after the game, David Gray gave his thoughts on the friendly.
“I think it was a fantastic exercise. It didn’t have the pre-season friendly feel because of the atmosphere. Our fans reacted well to the fantastic support from the Rot-Weiss Essen supporters.
“In terms of the game, I thought we started really well. We were excellent in the first half especially. We started the second half slowly, and credit to Essen they made a few changes, and we conceded a couple of poor goals.
“We changed the shape a bit when the subs came on and got a bit more of a foothold in the game again. It was great to go and win the game. From being 2-0 up to being pegged back, to make sure you win the game isn’t a bad habit. I know it’s only pre-season, but winning is a good habit, especially here at Easter Road where our form has been good.
“There’s no such thing as a friendly, so you’ve always got that responsibility to win every game you play.”
This match was the Hibees’ third in pre-season, and gave our Head Coach another opportunity to build up the players’ match fitness.
“I said before the game that there was an importance of getting minutes into the players’ legs. A lot of players got more minutes and there were a couple of 90s in there as well which is excellent.
“The majority of the international boys got 60 minutes, which is brilliant from that point of view, and everyone came through it pretty safely.
“Millsy had a bit of a knock in the first half, but we think that’s just a contact injury, so hopefully that won’t be too bad. Elie Youan came off in the second half with a tightness in his back, so we will just see how that goes over the next day or so.
“For what you’re looking for in pre-season, today was a good run-out for the players.”
Watch the full interview below on Hibs TV!