Hibs prophecy got me pelters but David Gray is incredible and Aberdeen are honking – Tam McManus

It's time for some humble pie for Tam and plenty of others after Hibs defied the prophets of doom to secure third spot

It's a sensational achievement for Hibs to tie down third place with a game to spare.

Nostradamus couldn’t have predicted this a few months ago – and certainly not NostraTAMus!

I’ve been getting pelters for my prophecy back at the start of October when I said Aberdeen had third place in the bag. It was all over bar the shouting as no one was catching the Dons.

Turns out there might have been a few cracks in my crystal ball. Mind you, I probably should have got a mention at the player of the year do for putting the Jonah on Aberdeen.

I’m absolutely delighted David Gray and the team proved me – and just about everyone else in the country – wrong on all counts. The turnaround has been incredible. Ridiculous even.

I had a look at the league table after 13 games and Aberdeen had 32 points. Hibs had EIGHT. No wonder I wasn’t alone in saying the race was done and dusted.

Anyone suggesting Hibs would claim third spot back then would have been told to put their drinks down and go up the road to their bed.

But what an unbelievable run they’ve been on and they’ve fully deserved to nail down that position with room to spare.

A lot of people deserve credit. The board, including owner Ian Gordon and Malky Mackay should be a nod for holding firm when the easy thing to do would have been to pull the trigger.

It must have been close at times. I remember watching Hibs go down 4-1 to Dundee and thinking it was a total mess.

I felt for Gray and the backroom boys but they just looked like they were going nowhere. You go back to that Rocky Bushiri equaliser against Aberdeen. It got moment of the year at the awards bash and I’m surprised the manager didn’t present it himself.

Fair play to the squad. They took the hits but stuck at it and made it an incredible campaign. But the main man has to get the major kudos.

It would have been easy for Gray to lob his players under the bus back then. If he was going down, he could have taken them with him.

Yet he never did it. Not once. He kept the faith and kept a cool head when others were losing theirs – and look where it took them.

Don’t listen to the snipers on social media being sarky and asking what trophy you get for finishing third.

It’s a huge achievement being best of the rest. Let’s face it, that is what all of the teams outside Celtic and Rangers are playing for, so don’t let anyone talk it down.

Hearts, Aberdeen and Dundee United fans would jump at it in a heartbeat.

The rewards could be huge for Hibs now as well. Given my previous predictions, I should be tipping Aberdeen to win the cup – as it’s a sure fire guarantee Celtic will win and Hibs will be sorted for the European group stages.

Mind you, having seen the Dons of late, I think it will take a miracle to stop Celtic at Hampden. They have been honking and they got taken to the cleaners by a Celtic second string the other night.

It’s pretty much a banker Easter Road is going to be hosting European games until Christmas.

What a reward it will be. There’s the financial aspect, of course, with up to £6m coming into the coffers. They might even make a prophet…

Anyway, it’s more than just cash. It’s the shot at the Europa League, the safety net of the Conference, the prospect of several trips across the continent for fans and the chance to go up against top sides. The supporters will love it.

I relished playing in Europe for Hibs and other clubs and it’s something to be enjoyed rather than feared.

Listen, there are negatives. Just ask Robbie Neilson, Steven Naismith and Barry Robson.

You could argue playing in Europe cost them their jobs. Killie and St Mirren found it hard enough this year just dealing with the qualifiers.

It’s a brutal juggling act trying to play Thursday-Sunday while battling in the league and cups.

It goes back to the board. Yes, they get credit for sticking with the manager during the hard times.

But they’ll need to back him in the summer to give him a chance to fight on four fronts, as it will require a squad of about 28. The sighs are they will.

The vision was a big cloudy back in October but Nostratamus is predicting big things at Hibs in the near future.