Latest news with #WarrenO'Hora
Scotsman
02-08-2025
- Sport
- Scotsman
Inside Hibs' devastated dressing room as squad plots way to make sure pain doesn't linger
O'Hora admits Midtjylland goal was punch in guts - but there is no chance of letting heads hang Sign up to our Football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... No time for feeling sorry for yourself. That was the message coming out of the Hibs camp less than an hour after a painful European defeat by Midtjylland. As well as Hibs did in competing with an accomplished and seasoned European opponent before succumbing to a Junior Brumado bicycle kick in the last minute of extra time in their Europa League qualifier, it is back to the bread and butter for David Gray's men. The domestic season kicks off on Sunday for the Hibees with a trip to Dens Park to face Dundee. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Hibs finished third in the Premiership last season, which permitted them to enjoy a night like Thursday against Midtjylland. While Hibs were defeated 3-2 on aggregate by the Danes, they remain in Europe and have a Conference League third qualifying round match against Partizan Belgrade to navigate next week. The matches come thick and fast. Hibs' Warren O'Hora looks on after the defeat by Midtjylland. | SNS Group For Hibs' Irish defender Warren O'Hora, the past two weeks have been a huge learning curve. The 25-year-old is experiencing European football for the first time in his career and wants more. Performing well in the league opens the door to that once more. 'Devastated is probably the word for it,' O'Hora said to sum up the feeling in the Hibs dressing-room after Thursday night. 'We gave it our all over two legs. The goals that they scored over two legs are of very, very high quality. A free-kick, a 20-yard strike and an overhead kick, which is very, very hard to take. 'Did they cut us open much? Did they have chances? Not as much. It didn't really feel like it on the pitch. I felt like we had chances as well, but to lose a game with two goals like that tonight is a very hard one to take.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad From Dens Park to the Balkans Belgrade may be looming but O'Hora is looking closer to home first. 'That's next week,' he said. 'The league starts on Sunday, we regroup right now. We can come out of this game with two legs with our heads held high. We went toe-to-toe 200 odd minutes with a team at a very, very high level. I don't think we have anything to be ashamed of. 'We have a lot of positives to take into Sunday. It's definitely going to be a tough game. It's the first game of the season, we want to start well. We have no time to let our heads hang. We'll come in, we'll recover, and we'll go through everything. 'We'll definitely look at things we could have done better. I'm not saying we'll just go away from the game, but we'll definitely look at things where we can improve, because that's what we've been doing through the whole start. Midtjylland celebrate their winning goal at Easter Road. | SNS Group 'Since I've come to the club, that's the way it works. After every performance, we look at what we can do better, what we did well. But like I said, we can't let it linger. The changing room we have, us boys won't let anybody feel sorry for themselves or anything like that, because it's in the past now, we can't control it. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'We still have another opportunity next week [in Europe], but at the end of this season, you want to be able to do something here in Europe again. That is obviously a goal that we'll set, no doubt about it. But we need to start taking it game by game, and we'll start this Sunday.' Hibs started last season poorly, losing 3-0 to St Mirren. It set the tone for a miserable first three months of the league campaign in which they won just one match before turning things around spectacularly from December onwards and finishing third. There is no doubt the squad that Gray has assembled has character. Hibs did not feel overawed O'Hora listed the attributes that were on show against Midtjylland. 'Discipline, work-rate,' he said. 'I think we always knew that we'd probably have to give up some possession, that we'll get into areas. I think we worked our socks off. I thought we started at both legs really, really well. We got a disallowed goal today as well, and the first leg started really well. 'We can play against that level, we believed. We knew for ourselves, we believed that we can get something from this game, and we did, we brought a draw back to Easter Road, which is exactly what we needed. Obviously you want to win, but you want to bring something back, you don't want to lose the tie. I think today's performance showed that we can play against opposition at this level.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad There was a special moment against the Danes in extra time when Rocky Bushiri levelled. Easter Road celebrated wildly. It ultimately didn't give Hibs what they wanted - but it was a goal to relish. O'Hora wants more of that. Easter Road was left delighted by Rocky Bushiri's strike. | SNS Group 'That's why you play football, isn't it?' he added. 'It's for moments like that. It's so nice. Rocky scored so many important goals for us last year, and he's just scored another one for us this year. That's a credit to him. He's a real goal threat in the box. 'You can see the reaction from the fans, singing his name. You see everybody celebrating, the whole bench celebrates. There's boys that didn't play, didn't start, didn't come on, whatever. 'But it's all forgotten about, that's how together this group has been since we've first come in. And we showed that today, and we're going to need that tenfold for the whole season, which no doubt we will.'
Scotsman
02-08-2025
- Sport
- Scotsman
Inside Hibs' devastated dressingroom as squad plots way to make sure pain doesn't linger
O'Hora admits Midtjylland goal was punch in guts - but there is no chance of letting heads hang Sign up to our Football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... No time for feeling sorry for yourself. That was the message coming out of the Hibs camp less than an hour after a painful European defeat by Midtjylland. As well as Hibs did in competing with an accomplished and seasoned European opponent before succumbing to a Junior Brumado bicycle kick in the last minute of extra time in their Europa League qualifier, it is back to the bread and butter for David Gray's men. The domestic season kicks off on Sunday for the Hibees with a trip to Dens Park to face Dundee. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Hibs finished third in the Premiership last season, which permitted them to enjoy a night like Thursday against Midtjylland. While Hibs were defeated 3-2 on aggregate by the Danes, they remain in Europe and have a Conference League third qualifying round match against Partizan Belgrade to navigate next week. The matches come thick and fast. Hibs' Warren O'Hora looks on after the defeat by Midtjylland. | SNS Group For Hibs' Irish defender Warren O'Hora, the past two weeks have been a huge learning curve. The 25-year-old is experiencing European football for the first time in his career and wants more. Performing well in the league opens the door to that once more. 'Devastated is probably the word for it,' O'Hora said to sum up the feeling in the Hibs dressing-room after Thursday night. 'We gave it our all over two legs. The goals that they scored over two legs are of very, very high quality. A free-kick, a 20-yard strike and an overhead kick, which is very, very hard to take. 'Did they cut us open much? Did they have chances? Not as much. It didn't really feel like it on the pitch. I felt like we had chances as well, but to lose a game with two goals like that tonight is a very hard one to take.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad From Dens Park to the Balkans Belgrade may be looming but O'Hora is looking closer to home first. 'That's next week,' he said. 'The league starts on Sunday, we regroup right now. We can come out of this game with two legs with our heads held high. We went toe-to-toe 200 odd minutes with a team at a very, very high level. I don't think we have anything to be ashamed of. 'We have a lot of positives to take into Sunday. It's definitely going to be a tough game. It's the first game of the season, we want to start well. We have no time to let our heads hang. We'll come in, we'll recover, and we'll go through everything. 'We'll definitely look at things we could have done better. I'm not saying we'll just go away from the game, but we'll definitely look at things where we can improve, because that's what we've been doing through the whole start. Midtjylland celebrate their winning goal at Easter Road. | SNS Group 'Since I've come to the club, that's the way it works. After every performance, we look at what we can do better, what we did well. But like I said, we can't let it linger. The changing room we have, us boys won't let anybody feel sorry for themselves or anything like that, because it's in the past now, we can't control it. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'We still have another opportunity next week [in Europe], but at the end of this season, you want to be able to do something here in Europe again. That is obviously a goal that we'll set, no doubt about it. But we need to start taking it game by game, and we'll start this Sunday.' Hibs started last season poorly, losing 3-0 to St Mirren. It set the tone for a miserable first three months of the league campaign in which they won just one match before turning things around spectacularly from December onwards and finishing third. There is no doubt the squad that Gray has assembled has character. Hibs did not feel overawed O'Hora listed the attributes that were on show against Midtjylland. 'Discipline, work-rate,' he said. 'I think we always knew that we'd probably have to give up some possession, that we'll get into areas. I think we worked our socks off. I thought we started at both legs really, really well. We got a disallowed goal today as well, and the first leg started really well. 'We can play against that level, we believed. We knew for ourselves, we believed that we can get something from this game, and we did, we brought a draw back to Easter Road, which is exactly what we needed. Obviously you want to win, but you want to bring something back, you don't want to lose the tie. I think today's performance showed that we can play against opposition at this level.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad There was a special moment against the Danes in extra time when Rocky Bushiri levelled. Easter Road celebrated wildly. It ultimately didn't give Hibs what they wanted - but it was a goal to relish. O'Hora wants more of that. Easter Road was left delighted by Rocky Bushiri's strike. | SNS Group 'That's why you play football, isn't it?' he added. 'It's for moments like that. It's so nice. Rocky scored so many important goals for us last year, and he's just scored another one for us this year. That's a credit to him. He's a real goal threat in the box. 'You can see the reaction from the fans, singing his name. You see everybody celebrating, the whole bench celebrates. There's boys that didn't play, didn't start, didn't come on, whatever. 'But it's all forgotten about, that's how together this group has been since we've first come in. And we showed that today, and we're going to need that tenfold for the whole season, which no doubt we will.'
Edinburgh Reporter
14-05-2025
- Sport
- Edinburgh Reporter
Hibs go into Saints game with the right mentality says Warren O'Hora
Hibs defender Warren O'Hora is relishing the prospect of a massive week for the club. Hibs can secure third place in the William Hill Premiership tonight if they better Aberdeen's result. Indeed, given Hibs vastly superior goal difference, matching the Dons result should be sufficient. David Gray's men currently lead The Dons by three points with two games to play, starting with a trip to Paisley in midweek before hosting Rangers on the final day of the season at Easter Road. Speaking to O'Hora said how much he was looking forward to the challenge ahead. 'It is an exciting game for us to be involved in – it will definitely be a tough game as St Mirren have it all to play for as well. 'These are the types of games that players want to play in, especially in this league and at this Club. 'St Mirren have done very well against us this season and have taken a lot of points off us, so we are using that as an incentive. If we were to go over there and beat them then that would be a big moment for us this season – it would mean we have beaten every team in the league this season. I don't know the last time that has happened for Hibs. 'The end goal is to achieve European football next season so the incentive is there for us. You always want to win every game, but this game definitely has that little bit more magnitude. 'At the end of the day, there are other fixtures going on – and they can go your way, or they can go the other way. 'So for us, it is all in our hands – we are in control of our destiny and our own outcome. That is what every player wants, we will be going into the game knowing that if we win this game, it will put us in a really strong position. 'We want to finish this season as strongly as possible with two wins. We owe the fans that for the way they have stuck with us this season. 'The fans have been behind us all season, so for us to get the job done and secure third would be a big moment for us. 'We are going into the game with the right mentality and to go and win.' Like this: Like Related
Scotsman
28-04-2025
- Sport
- Scotsman
but Hibs stars can't be 'devastated' by one loss in Euro race
Watch more of our videos on and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565 Visit Shots! now David Gray's men 'would have taken your hand off' for current scenario just a few months ago Sign up to our Hibs football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Still in third place. By goal difference only, admittedly. But enough of a margin to be worth an extra point, in real terms. Not too shabby for a team who, lest we forget, once trailed their nearest rivals for the Best of the Rest title by a seemingly insurmountable 23 points; 26, if you had stopped the clock before injury time in the November meeting between Hibs and Aberdeen at Easter Road. So yeah, if you'd offered this scenario to David Gray and his players while they were scuffling along at the foot of the Scottish Premiership table, unable to catch a break or buy even an inch of upward momentum? Well, Warren O'Hora speaks for everyone with his answer to the obvious question. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad "We would have taken your hand off,' said the Irishman, searching for positive amid the 'horrible' feeling of losing a league game for the first time in 18 contests, the former MK Dons defender adding: 'But look, the past is done, you can't fix it, you can't make it better, you can't make it worse. All we can do is look forward and make sure we put it right on Saturday. "We're still in third and still in a great position, but ultimately, we look at the next game. We're at home next week, we're looking for three points, and that's the bottom line. "I haven't felt like this in a long time, I can tell you that. But we can't keep our heads down, we're at the business end of the season with big, important games coming up, and once we're back in, we'll definitely address it, the staff will be keeping us level-headed and humble, and we know that we still have work to do. We'll strip it back, take the positives, work on the negatives, and go from there 'How does it feel? Horrible. Nobody likes losing, especially not in our profession and especially not at this time of the year, but it's not all doom and gloom. We're still in third place, we've a superior goal difference, and we've four big games coming up." Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Dundee United at Easter Road new focus in fight for guaranteed UEFA group stage football Dundee United at home next week was always likely to be a significant contest, in the context of trying to secure third place. A prize that, depending on the outcome of the Scottish Cup final, could be worth a good few million quid and all the prestige that goes with guaranteed European group stage football. Asked if he thought the battle for third would go right to the wire, O'Hora confessed: "I hope not! I'd like us to do the business as soon as possible. But if it does, it does. "You can't be thinking three or four games ahead and thinking about the last game of the season coming down to this or coming down to that. We'll only be concentrating on our game next week against Dundee United at home. "We've been through a lot of adversity, yeah, and we've had some harsh words with each other as well back during the bad times. We've worked really hard to get to where we are, and we've been through a lot this season. We've been up, we've certainly been very, very low. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad "It'll all come out and we'll see how we react to this, but there definitely will be a good reaction, especially with the group and the staff we have. The manager's been absolutely brilliant for us, so there's no doubt in my mind that all the boys will be sticking together and we'll be working hard this week. 'The manager said to us it's not all doom and gloom. We haven't felt like this in a long time. 'Of course it hurts, there's no doubt. I wouldn't be here if it didn't hurt because nobody likes losing games of football. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'But no matter where you are on the table, no matter what stage of the season, it's one of those where we can't keep our heads down and be really, really devastated. At the moment we're feeling it, but we'll come back in and do what we have to do, we'll be focused, with tunnel vision on Saturday. 'The beauty of our job is the big games and the beauty after that is another one, because there's always time to prove yourself, there's always another game to change it until the end of the season.'
BBC News
27-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Hibs must 'react in positive way' after Dons defeat
Hibernian defender Warren O'Hora says it is "about how we react" after their 17-game unbeaten Premiership run came to an end at 1-0 loss against Aberdeen was their first league defeat since the start of December and the result moves the Dons level on points with Hibs, who remain third on goal difference."It is a hard one to take, we knew the stakes going into the game, no doubt about it we are still in a good position but we haven't felt like this in a long time so it is tough," O'Hora told BBC Scotland."We were the first to say it in the dressing room, it is about how we react for next week. We need to react in a positive way, come Monday we will assess what happened and we will go through the positives and negatives and move on."If you look at the start of the season we were in a very bad place, but we go on this amazing run with the same group of players and it is the same staff, so it is definitely in us to have this character and this desire not to lose games."Of course today hurts, look it has to happen in football sometimes but we will never accept losing, as professionals we hate it."After all the praise and plaudits that have been coming Hibs' way over the past few months, O'Hora was asked if what happened at Pittodrie serves as a reminder that there is still plenty of work to do between now and the end of the season."We were humble, we weren't getting ahead of ourselves at all," he responded."If somebody had offered us this at the start of the season, of course we would have taken somebody's hand off."We have got here from sheer hard work and being together as a group, there are amazing characters in that group and the staff have been amazing with us."
