David Gray knows the Hibs sign that will spell real trouble as Easter Road boss adamant players are 'all in it together'

The Leith side can climb above rivals Hearts at the foot of the table if they hand Aberdeen a second successive defeat

Embattled Hibs boss David Gray admits he will know he is in real trouble if his players stop running for him.

But Gray insists that is not the case despite his team continuing to languish at the Premiership basement after 13 games. And he has also leapt to the defence of Elie Youan in the wake of his keepy-uppy antics in Saturday’s 4-1 collapse at Dundee. The Leith side can climb above rivals Hearts at the bottom if they beat Aberdeen but with just one league victory all season fans are not confident of that outcome.

But Gray is adamant that he has still got the backing of his players despite their woeful run of form. Asked if he would have to look at himself if the players were not running for him, Gray replied: “One hundred per cent. Firstly I look at myself but you need to make sure that you’re still getting buy-in from the players every single day and I think that’s been probably reflected more in the last couple of games when a few players who maybe haven’t had as much game time as you’d expect them to are still coming on and trying to do absolutely everything they can to turn it around.

“You can see that they’re all in it together, they’re all still desperate to turn it around. The players are 100 per cent still running for me, still trying to do the best they can do, still caring about what they’re doing, still trying to be the best they can be.”

Gray, meanwhile, insists he has no problem with Frenchman’s Youan’s behaviour in the wake of Jordan Obita’s red card for a high challenge on Dundee’s Mo Sylla at the weekend. While Sylla was getting treatment on the pitch, the Premier Sports cameras picked up a carefree Youan performing tricks with the ball.

And that enraged former Hibs favourite and one time Gray team-mate Marvin Bartley, who described it as “embarrassing”. Gray said: “A lot’s been made of it, but I think if you actually know him, I don’t think there’s any malice in what he was doing. But I understand why the question would be asked and why Marvin would single out his feelings on it.”

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