Hibs are facing a brutal run of difficult games in December after the 2019/20 fixture list was published this morning.
It’s becoming something of a recurring theme for the Easter Road club. Postponements meant that they played a grueling eight matches in the same month last year.
They won just two of them, although one of those was a home win over Celtic. They also secured three points away to Hamilton.
The other six brought four draws and two defeats, including a home Edinburgh derby loss to Hearts, as well as two matches against Rangers, home and away, in the space of seven days.
This year they will play two less games in December, but don’t think that will make things all that much easier.
Ross County may be newly promoted, but a long trip to the Highlands is never usually met with great enthusiasm, especially when it’s midweek in the middle of winter. That's exactly how they kick off the month when they travel to Dingwall Wednesday 4.
Aberdeen visit Leith three days later before Paul Hekingbottom takes his team to Celtic park for the first time as Hibs manager.
The now traditional Christmas game against old friends Rangers makes for an Old Firm double header, then it’s a trip across Edinburgh to Tynecastle to face city rivals Hearts on Boxing Day.
They end 2019 with a trip to Livingston, which becomes more difficult given the run of fixtures before it.
Much will depend on the health of the Hibs squad and those of their respective opponents in six months time, as well as form.
However, at the busiest time of the season, a run of high intensity matches in quick succession is likely to have an affect either way.
Neil Lennon made a point of highlighting the heavy schedule they were given last time around, especially after a Rangers game was rearranged from earlier in the season.
Heckingbottom seems the type to get on with, although that may depend on whether things are going Hibs' way or not.
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