THE WEEKEND PREVIEW: Gayle signing highlights recurring problem at Hibernian… and Robinson looks to end Killie Hoodoo

The term déjà vu – first coined by French philosopher Emile Boirac in 1876 – describes the bizarre feeling you get when you remember an event or moment in the present, when logic dictates that this is simply not possible.

According to the general consensus among experts, about two-thirds of us will experience this phenomenon at some point in our lives.

However, to anyone connected with Hibernian Football Club that figure probably seems a little low. déjà vu seems to be a weekly occurrence for fans of the Easter Road club these days.

During a wide-ranging interview with Sky Sports in midweek, executive director Ian Gordon admitted he and the club have made several mistakes in recent years, from sacking managers to transfer disasters.

The 34-year-old told a beautiful story and he deserves credit for refusing to blame anyone else and taking on the heavy responsibility.

But while his refreshing self-reflection is to be commended, his promises of a better future had a familiar ring to them. In other words, it’s all been said before.

The striker is eager to get started straight away at the Edinburgh club

Gayle spent time at the PFA training camp last summer in a bid to close a deal

And that should ring alarm bells for Hibs fans, especially given what happened shortly after the TV crew were sent out.

Signing 34-year-old free agent Dwight Gayle to a one-year contract on Thursday was, to say the least, baffling and at odds with Gordon’s plan to build a sustainable foundation for the future.

There is little doubt that the former Newcastle striker arrives with some pedigree. He has found the net more than 100 times in his career to date – most of those strikes also coming in the Premiership and Championship – and he knows his way around goal.

But his tally of just 11 in his last five seasons should be a major cause for concern, and is likely the reason he was involved in a PFA training camp for out-of-contract players last summer after being released by Derby County.

That’s not to say he should be written off, and he could well go on to become a huge success in Scotland, but it does beg the question: are there really no young talents at Hibs who deserve a chance?

Last season the club were tenth in the top division in terms of playing time for Scottish under-21s, with unsurprisingly only the Old Firm performing worse in that regard.

Hibs director Ian Gordon has taken responsibility for the club’s recent failings

Manager David Gray desperately needs a first Premier League win of the season

Kieron Bowie out for four months after suffering an injury during an international match

And despite the appointment of Scottish Cup winner and club legend David Gray as permanent manager in June, they appear to have made no progress on that front.

In the first four games of the Premiership season, Kieron Bowie is the only player to meet the above criteria. And even then, he hasn’t played a single game from the start.

Sadly, the former Fulham man will be nowhere to be seen for the time being after it was revealed he will be sidelined for four months after suffering a hamstring injury during an under-21 international match last week.

Even more worryingly, Josh Campbell, now 24, is the only player to have made first-team appearances this season through the club’s much-vaunted youth academy.

It wasn’t so long ago that scouts from across the country flocked to Easter Road to see first-hand the next generation of talent set to grace Scotland’s top division.

Sadly, those days now seem to be a thing of the past. Instead, anyone watching today’s clash with St Johnstone will once again witness a team with no connection to their fanbase, no identity and a glaring lack of quality.

What was that about? déjà vu?

Buddies boss hopes to defeat bogeyman team

St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson has performed wonders since replacing Jim Goodwin in 2022, with two consecutive top-six finishes and European qualification for the first time since 1987 as proof.

And this weekend’s visit to Kilmarnock offers the Northern Irishman another chance to make history.

Stephen Robinson has failed to beat Kilmarnock in seven attempts since taking over at Paisley

Kilmarnock’s Bruce Anderson (left) and Fraser Murrary celebrate their goal against Hibernian in the last match

While it may not seem that significant in the grand scheme of things given what he has achieved in his time at the SMiSA Stadium, it is still interesting to note that a win over the Rugby Park side has thus far eluded him.

In seven top-flight clashes between the two sides since Robinson first sat in the SMiSA dugout, Kilmarnock have come away with the points four times, with three draws completing the set.

Kilmarnock have managed just one point and one goal in the league this season, and for Robinson this is a good time to finally beat his Premiership fanatic.