I've caught myself overusing the word 'stuttering' when describing Hibs' start to the season, perhaps because it's a very literal description as well as a slight euphemism for what has been, let's face it, some pretty poor results.

The simmering frustration among supporters certainly hasn't been helped by the stop-start fixture card, and the disappointment of defeat stings that bit more when you've either waited two weeks for it, or had another two weeks to stew afterwards. Owed to international breaks and a last 16 Premier Sports Cup exit, Hibs have only played on consecutive weekends once since the beginning of September, and it's contributed to a feeling that this season just hasn't got going yet, in any sense.

The good news - or bad, depending on your current Hibs outlook - is that David Gray's side now have a run of five, uninterrupted Premiership fixtures before domestic action pauses for the final time in 2024. It is a sequence that could tell us an awful lot about this team, for better or worse. All five are, on paper, very much in the 'winnable' bracket. Starting away at Dundee United on Saturday, Hibs then host Hearts in the first Edinburgh derby of the campaign before heading up the road to Dingwall in midweek. In a reverse of this weekend, Dundee United then come to Easter Road, and the stretch is rounded off by St Mirren visiting the capital a week later.

As Gray himself has painstakingly repeated, Hibs simply need to start picking up results. One win from seven, even amid a considerable squad restructuring with yet another new man in the dugout, has tested the patience of a support which has again done its part by selling out the Tannadice away end, and the following week's derby. Gray has more credit in the bank with the fans than just about anyone, but he will be acutely aware that the inevitable ups and downs of a significant rebuild must, at least, be dotted with signs of progress. After a very rocky start to the campaign, there was some encouragement to be taken from more recent performances. That was until Motherwell visited Leith and grafted their way to a victory that left supporters scratching their heads once more. Were they actually witnessing any improvement at all in beating a dire St Johnstone and giving Rangers an uncomfortable afternoon, or simply clutching at straws? 

Hibs are a team that will do that to you. They have a quite stunning capacity to make you second guess everything you thought you knew about them. An improving defensive solidity? Here's two of the softest set-piece goals it's possible to concede. A central midfield pairing built to win battles? Here's an inexplicable Nectar Triantis red card. It's impossible to predict with any certainty which way these next five games will go, and that's why they are so important.

Even just a few victories would go a long way to changing the mood music. The Scottish Premiership does not demand months-long winning runs to hoist yourself up the table, it just asks for a modicum of consistency. Hibs have the chance to show they are capable of more, and that this newly-shaped side is better than this opening run suggests. Three of the next five are at home, and there's nothing like an overdue win against Hearts in the quest to re-establish a connection between club and fans. I'm very aware of launching headfirst into a 'the next game is the most important one' cliche, but with the derby looming large, the importance of three points this Saturday cannot be understated.

Hibs have not won away from home in the Premiership since beating St Johnstone in April, and that has to change quickly. Dundee United have enjoyed a solid opening to their top-flight return but, for Hibs, this is the archetypal 'game you have to win' if they are to get anywhere near their season's ambitions. The investment from Black Knight FC in March brought a narrative that Hibs were getting serious about becoming Scotland's third force, and while that is clearly a long-term project, the optics of already being 11 points behind Rangers in third, and 16 adrift of second-placed Aberdeen aren't particularly great. 

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With players returning to fitness - Joe Newell and Martin Boyle should be in contention for Tannadice - Hibs have no excuse not to start putting points on the board. Boyle's availability, and the emergence of Junior Hoilett should allow Gray to find greater consistency in his forward selections, with the backline and midfield taking on a more settled shape of late. Gray will have hammered home the importance of taking this chance to build some momentum, something which has eluded his team so far. Can they finally start chalking up fuss-free victories over perennial relegation candidates like Ross County, and turn the tables on teams like St Mirren? By the time we pause for internationals in mid-November, Hibs fans could well be talking up the prospects of a top-six side with its eye on Europe, or pondering the grim reality of another slog to simply avoid the bottom half of the table.

Hibs have the opportunity to take control of that narrative, and what they do with it could set the tone for the rest of the season.