Summary Hibernian parted ways with Lee Johnson last weekend, meaning they're on the hunt for a new man in the dugout. One option for Hibs is a coach currently learning his trade in Sweden. As a result, he's drawn comparisons to Graham Potter.
Hibernian parted company with manager Lee Johnson over the weekend following a dreadful start to the 2023/24 campaign at Easter Road.
Although the club secured progress in the League Cup via a win over Raith Rovers while qualifying for the Europa Conference League playoff round, it hasn’t been enough to save Johnson.
Woeful European defeats to Inter Club d’Escaldes and Aston Villa sandwich an impressive two-legged performance against Swiss side Luzern, but their Premiership form has been nothing shy of disastrous.
They have yet to win a point across their first three matches as they are rooted to the bottom of the table, and although they have scored five times during these ties, conceding eight goals isn’t the form of top-four contenders.
The search for a new boss begins, and the club will need to get it right in order to return to form.
Who could be the new Hibs manager?
The moment a manager is relieved of their duties, the thoughts turn to who could be next in line to manage the team.
Former defender David Gray will lead the side on a caretaker position until a new boss is found, and they may wait until the international break to appoint someone.
The Scotsman have compiled a list of some ideal candidates for the Hibs board to consider and the vast majority of names could certainly be an improvement on Johnson.
Names include Derek McInnes, Neil Lennon, and former Celtic captain Scott Brown, but there is another name on the list who could be an excellent replacement for the recently departed 42-year-old at Easter Road; Marti Cifuentes.
Who is Marti Cifuentes?
The current Hammarby manager was actually linked with a move to Hearts before Steven Naismith was given the opportunity to lead the side, and it’s evident that clubs in Scotland have noticed his potential.
The Spaniard prefers to play with a 4-3-3 formation which could benefit from the quality that Hibs have in their midfield and attack.
He has managed 231 matches during his relatively short managerial career thus far and across those games, he has won 356 points at a rate of 1.54 points per game, whereas Johnson has won just 1.47 points per match.
Cifuentes enjoyed a solid first season in charge of the Swedish side, leading the team to third place in the league while just missing out on national cup success.
Such an achievement certainly makes him comparable to the former Chelsea boss Graham Potter, who built up a wonderful reputation of his own in Sweden.
He led Ostersunds to the Swedish Cup while also claiming a stunning victory against Arsenal in the Europa League, something that secured him a move to England.
Cifuentes has also forged his career in Scandinavia, managing Sandefjord and Aalborg BK before getting the top job at Hammarby, averaging 1.81 points per match at his latest club.
Potter actually averaged fewer points per match (1.71) during his stint in Sweden, meaning the Spaniard looks like he could certainly follow in his footsteps.
Hibs should be making a concrete effort to lure the 41-year-old to Easter Road before another club lands him and the next few weeks could be interesting indeed.