It could be a move that proves beneficial for Hibs according to the pundit.
Michael Stewart says a move for Sunderland enforcer Nectar Triantis by Hibs would be shrewd, after watching on over their success over Partizan Belgrade.
They were taken to extra time after holding a 2-0 lead from the first leg away from home against Partizan Belgrade in their UEFA Conference League third round qualifier, but David Gray’s side have still progressed 4-3 on aggregate despite their 3-2 loss on Thursday. Kieron Bowie scored an outstanding strike before Chris Cadden settled things in the additional 30 minutes.
Former midfielder Stewart was at the game and identified the midfield area as a department that could be strengthened, with Triantis one player missing from last season. He has returned to Sunderland after shining in the Easter Road engine room en route to their third place Premiership finish last campaign, and Stewart believes Hibs would benefit from the enforcer choosing to have a third stint in Leith, having already been on loan twice.
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He said during Sportscene commentary “I just feel this system at the moment, Hibs are lacking slightly in the middle of the park. There's a lot of work that needs to be done from whoever's in there. Josh Mulligan and Dylan Levitt, obviously, Alasana Manneh is in there at the moment. They've got a lot of space to cover.
“Even though they're playing against 10 men, it still feels like they've got too much space they're having to try and shut down and close. For Triantis to make his way back to Easter Road, I think he would be such a bonus for David Gray and his side if he was able to get him back into a Hibs jersey.”
Any midfield issues mattered not as Hibs progress through to their battle with Polish opposition. Head coach Gray said: “It was an amazing night and a big experience for our younger players. There is a bright future ahead of them and it wouldn’t have been undeserved if we were the team to qualify further.
David Gray on Hibs vs Partizan Belgrade
“It was a very good game, an interesting match but we didn’t qualify even though we won. We were the better team and closer to scoring the third goal than Hibs were to score their first. The atmosphere was amazing. Our European journey has been one big, beautiful experience. We’re a very young squad and I’m super proud of my whole team.
“I enjoyed the goals actually. I think it’s just because of the emotion, how the game went, everything about it. Trying to analyse it will be difficult, but ultimately it’s a brilliant result and performance to come through that tie over two legs.
“One thing I said to the players, I massively played down the away leg and the magnitude of that result to go over there and win 2-0 in an atmosphere and environment like that where they probably haven’t been before. We played it down knowing it was only halfway in the tie, but I’m delighted for the players and I think we fully deserve to be in the next round. All in all, a fantastic night’s work.”
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