Aberdeen FC will face a Hibernian side under interim management this weekend after the Edinburgh club sacked manager David Gray. Gray became the first Premiership boss to be dismissed this season following a 1-0 defeat to Kilmarnock that left his team ninth in the table.
His departure comes ahead of Saturday's match at Easter Road, a fixture that follows a 1-1 draw between the sides just days ago. In that match, Kevin Nisbet gave Aberdeen an early lead before a Martin Boyle penalty levelled the score. The Dons currently sit seventh in the Premiership with eight points from seven games, a position they will aim to strengthen in the coming weeks.
Gray's dismissal
Hibernian's decision followed three consecutive league defeats to Kilmarnock, St Johnstone and Hearts. The club's executive chairman, Ian Gordon, confirmed the move and paid tribute to Gray, who famously scored the winning goal in the 2016 Scottish Cup final for Hibs. "Firstly, I would like to thank Dave for everything he has done for the Football Club, as a player, coach and most recently Head Coach," Gordon said. He added that Gray had been "an inspirational figure at the Club during his time here".
Gray had led the team to a Premier Sports Cup semi-final against Hearts, but league form proved his undoing. John Potter will now take interim charge for the visit of Aberdeen. The Dons will be looking to build on their recent 4-0 away win at Motherwell, a result that showed their attacking potential with goals from Gavin Molloy, Connor Ronan, Ayoub Mouloua and Nisbet.
Aberdeen's focus now shifts to preparing for a managerless opponent. The team's standings show they are just one point behind sixth-placed St Johnstone, their next opponents after the international break. With top scorer Kevin Nisbet having netted three times this season, Aberdeen will hope to exploit any uncertainty in the Hibs camp. The match kicks off on Saturday.
This story first appeared at uk.sports.yahoo.com
