By John Greechan

Copyright scotsman

David Gray has urged his Hibs players to “ignore the noise” surrounding crisis-strewn Rangers as the Easter Road side march on Ibrox in search of a Hampden semi-final appearance. And the Hibs boss, who says he sympathises with the plight of opposite number Russell Martin, has reminded his men that they’re only three wins from lifting silverware. Much of the focus surrounding tomorrow’s tea-time kick-off has been on supporter protests, the Rangers chairman jetting into take control of a spiralling situation – and the chances of Martin surviving should his team, still favourites to win this Premier Sports Cup quarter-final on home soil, fall to yet another costly defeat in a calamitous campaign for the new gaffer. Gray, who led his team to a league win at Ibrox as recently as April, is wary of being drawn into believing that the air of mayhem and misery makes his job any easier. “I think the big thing is to ignore the noise,” he said, adding: “This challenge and test is a really difficult one. We know that. The players they’ve got, an experienced manager, it will be a really difficult game. “We need to be at our absolute best, as we’ve done already and demonstrated going away in Europe this season. Our away performances have been very good. It needs to be that again. “All I can focus on is the things I can control, which is making sure I’ve got a game plan, getting the players ready to go into the game, and giving them as much confidence and belief as possible to get into the next round of the cup. “Regardless of who the opponent is, what’s going on with the opposition, or what’s been said to be going on with the opposition, that’s something I can’t control. The players certainly can’t control that. All we can worry about is how we can turn up and try to give ourselves the best chance to get into the next round.” Former Scottish Cup-winning captain Gray endured a brutal start to his own managerial career after being handed control of his boyhood heroes last summer. Despite his personal history as a tormentor of Rangers, most famously scoring THAT goal in the 2016 final at Hampden, the ex-captain insists he can definitely sympathise with Martin, saying: “100 per cent. As a manager, we all know it’s a really difficult job at any time, at any level. “You’re judged on results, naturally, and you’re responsible for results. It’s a bit different in terms of clubs and everything else that comes with it. “It can be lonely; it can be difficult. It’s a really difficult time. So from that point of view, yes, “But we all know; we all sign up to that. We all know that’s very much part of the job – and how quickly it can change in both directions. I think it’s always challenging, even when it’s a very different pressure the pressure is on every single week. “It’s what we sign up to as managers. You might work in business and get your results quarterly or yearly – but we get our results every week. “Once a week at quarter to five, you’ve either been really good or really poor. That’s the nature of the beast and what we sign up to every single week. “It’s also why I enjoy the pressure. I enjoy the thrill that comes with that – but it can be challenging. “As long as it stays professional and everybody’s trying to do the right things you can always be respectful of that because everyone in football has an opinion, everyone’s got a way in which they believe things should be done. And I’m sure Russell’s got his beliefs in the way he wants it to be moving forward and how he believes he can turn it around. “They’re not a bad side at all. They’re going through adversity at the moment. That can very quickly change. “We’ve seen that, how that works. We’ve seen the level of players they have, and I think we need to guard against that. “We need to be at our very best. If we were to get through, it’s because we’ve been very good on the day and that’s what we need to focus on.” GET THE LATEST HIBS NEWS DIRECTLY TO YOUR EMAIL INBOX WITH OUR FREE NEWSLETTER SERVICE Focusing on his own team’s motivation, Gray stressed: “If we can get through this one, we are one game away from the final. And we get a trip to Hampden for a semi-final. “Three games away from potentially winning the trophy. The draw doesn’t come any harder; a quarter-final at Ibrox is a really tough test. But it’s 90 minutes of football, minimum, to try to get in the next round. “Some players, especially new players that have come in maybe haven’t had the opportunity to play at the National Stadium before so you need to relish the opportunities. I also think it can be used as that extra incentive as you’re one game away from Hampden in the semi-finals of the competition. “When you come to a club like Hibs there is a genuine opportunity to try to win something. And at this moment in time we’re three games away from winning a trophy, one game away from a semi-final regardless of the opposition.” Your next Hibs read: How David Gray’s men can win at Ibrox – video analysis from UEFA coach