Hibs have shown two very different sides to their play in their last two games. A hard-fought and gritty win at Ibrox was followed by an entirely dominant and comfortable win at home to Dumbarton, and these two games are perhaps a good taster of what to expect from Hibs as this season draws to a close and we start to look forward to next season over the next couple of months.
So let's start with the win against Rangers. For possibly the first time in my lifetime, Hibs headed west to Glasgow as favourites. The aggregate league score between the two sides ahead of the game sat at 7-1 in Hibs' favour, and few would argue that was anything other than indicative of how one sided the fixture had been in the first two meetings this season.
The game was a different affair to the previous two. Rangers started on the front foot and looked in the mood with an early Kenny Miller shot being headed off the line by Liam Fontaine, with Hibs keeper Mark Oxley well beaten. Alan Stubbs had changed from his favoured midfield diamond in a 4-4-2 formation, to go with three centre-halves in a 3-5-2 set-up.
The change in formation meant that Hibs gave up a lot of possession, which has been the backbone of Hibs' play throughout the season, and for the first time since Stubbs took over, Hibs spent more time on the back foot than on the front.
As a supporter, it was frustrating to watch - recent (and no so recent!) experience of watching Hibs has taught me that when Hibs look like conceding, they probably will concede. However, we took the lead thanks to a sublime piece of vision and guile from Scott Allan, as he spotted Jason Cumming's run and picked him out with a fantastic pass that eluded the Rangers defence. Cummings effort was blocked by the stand-in Rangers goalkeeper, and Scott Robertson was first to the ball to put Hibs in front. Robertson had been far from the favourite to be first to the loose ball, and the goal was as much about his attitude and desire to get to the ball first as it was about the quality of the pass.
That goal encapsulated the change in Hibs since Stubbs and his backroom staff joined the club. A steeliness married with quality that was sadly lacking last season under Pat Fenlon and then Terry Butcher.
Once Hibs took the lead and had something to defend, they did a good job of keeping Rangers at arm's length, with the Glasgow side largely restricted to half-chances and long range efforts that were well dealt with by the Hibs defence.
Rangers had a fairly good shout for a penalty turned down, and the game was over a few moments later as Hibs broke forward with a passing move that culminated in a fine volley from Lewis Stevenson beating the Rangers keeper and nestling in the net.
Hibs saw the match out, and deserved the victory for their resilient defending and quality on the break, though it was a very different win to the 4-0 win at Easter Road in December. The victory saw Hibs leap-frog Rangers into second place, with Rangers having three games in hand.
Stubbs commented that he'd rather be in Rangers' position, chasing second but with the situation in their control. Hibs still have to rely on Rangers dropping points if they are to finish second, and more importantly, Hibs have to keep winning.
Rangers played on Friday night and deservedly beat Raith Rovers to move back into second before Hibs faced Dumbarton on Saturday. It was an interesting situation for Hibs to be in, having had opportunities earlier in the season to secure second place and not taken advantage, the visit of Dumbarton was going to be a test of their resolve and an indicator as to how much the team have progressed under Stubbs over the course of this season.
If there were any doubts, Hibs put them to bed with as competent a performance as I've seen from them in some time. On the front foot throughout the game, Hibs showed intelligence and creativity in their play. Despite missing Scott Allan, Jason Cummings, Liam Craig, and David Gray from the starting line-up, Hibs play was as fluent as you might have expected it to be had those players been present. Fraser Fyvie was particularly impressive in the midfield and was at the heart of most good things that Hibs did on Saturday.
Two goals from Malonga and one from Djedje gave Hibs a 3-0 win, and it could have been many more, a poor off-side decision halted Djedje when he was through on goal, two clear penalty appeals were waived away by the referee (who, it is fair to say, was appalling throughout the match), and a Paul Hanlon header was cleared from the line. According to the BBC stats, Hibs racked up some twenty-one shots at goal throughout the 90 minutes, that's a shot every four minutes or so, which gives some idea of how dominant Hibs were.
Dumbarton, for their part, were very poor. They seemed content to sit back and even when behind there was little from them to suggest that they could come back into the game at any point. Hibs were professional and proficient throughout, and at the moment look as though they have the quality throughout the squad to compete for second, and crucially now they look as though they have the temperament for it.
For so long, Hibs have looked fragile, have been seen as an easy target or a possible scalp for other clubs. Right now, I'd think that there are very few clubs in Scottish football that would be relishing facing Hibs in a make or break tie.
In fact, in the last 10 league games since losing to Falkirk in December, Hibs have scored 26 goals and conceded 6, taking 24 points from a possible 30. To put that into context, league leaders Hearts have the same points from their last 10 games, but have conceded 4 more goals, and scored 5 fewer than Hibs. It's worth pointing out that in those ten games, Hibs faced Rangers twice as well, while Hearts abandoned match against Rangers isn't included in their run. There is also one derby, that ended in a 1-1 draw.
Some other stats from those 10 games, Hibs have totalled 139 shots (just shy of a 14 per game average), and averaged 56% of the possession.
Hibs have every reason to be confident at the moment. There's an away game to Alloa coming up, then Hibs have an excellent opportunity to get to the Scottish Cup Semi-Final with a home tie against Berwick Rangers following the Alloa match, and on current form it's hard to see past Hibs in that tie. There is a resilience and confidence about this Hibs side that Stubbs is moulding, standards have been set and bars raised, and crucially the quality of the squad means that if someone's not at their best, they can be replaced without dropping the standards of the eleven on the pitch.
The change in some of the players that survived the pre-season cull at the club has been remarkable. Scott Robertson, for example, came in for criticism last season, and when he conceded a penalty before getting sent off in the derby at the start of the season, it looked as though the writing may have been on the wall for him at Hibs. However, he's relishing the role he's playing and the freedom he's been given, and he has been at the backbone of a strong Hibs midfield. Liam Craig, too, is slowly but surely showing why Pat Fenlon brought him to the club initially.
A comment from Robertson in an interview I read caught my eye, I can't remember the exact quote but to paraphrase he said it was good to be instructed to get on the ball rather than being told to chase the ball and win 'second balls'. It goes to show how much damage a bad manager can do to a good player by using tactics that don't play to the team's strengths.
This new-found strength in depth is going to be crucial if Hibs do manage to progress in the cup, as the play-off place looks increasingly likely, Hibs could find themselves with a lot of games to play between now and the summer. From a purely selfish point of view, I hope we do, because this current side is as entertaining a Hibs side as I've seen since Mowbray's team, and the more I get to see of them, the better.
Tuesday, 24 February 2015
Wednesday, 11 February 2015
Two steps forward, one step back.
Since my last blog, Hibs have successfully launched the share issue that will - over time - see 51% of the club owned by the support, thrown away points at home to Raith from a winning position, and progressed to the Quarter Finals of the Scottish Cup (more on that later.)
Hibs have had a habit of taking two steps forward and one step back this season, it's frustrating from a supporter's point of view because for the vast majority of the time, Hibs have looked well above the level of opposition they have faced this season, with the notable exception of Hearts, where there has been just one goal between the teams over the three meetings between them, that goal in the opening derby of the season going in Hearts' favour.
We have shone against Rangers, dominated games against Falkirk and Queen of the South without taking the points (exceptions being Falkirk away, where Falkirk were the better team and deserved their victory, and Queen of the South away early in the season where an abject Hibs lost on the artificial pitch, and could have no complaints about the result.).
However we remain behind struggling Rangers, who despite having lurched from one crisis to another this season, have managed to keep results going, and the gap between Hibs and Hearts shows no sign of diminishing any time soon.
An away win to Queen of the South gave Hibs the opportunity to put pressure on Rangers, who's postponed and abandoned games have given them a fixture backlog later in the season. Hibs went into their next game against Raith hoping to increase that pressure further by moving into second spot while Rangers waited for their games in hand, however an almost inevitable late Christian Nade goal saw Hibs snatch a draw from the jaws of victory. It would be easy to criticise Hibs for the performance in the Raith game, however to do so would only serve to illustrate just how fickle football fans can be. Make no mistake, Hibs battered Raith during that game, registering over 20 shots on goal over the course of the 90 minutes. Goal line clearances, the cross-bar, the post, disallowed goals, and sitters missed all contributed to Raith staying in the game right to the death, where a late corner gave them the opportunity to show Hibs how important it is to take your chances when you get them.
It is a lesson Hibs really need to learn, and soon. Too many games this season have seen a wasteful Hibs pinned back and punished during one of their opponents' rare forays forward. Hibs haven't had masses of defending to do this season, and when they have, they stats show that they have been far from convincing.
Of course, it has clicked at points for Hibs, and you only need to look at the scoring records of Jason Cummings and Dominique Malonga this season to see that there are goalscorers at the club. The additions of Martin Boyle and Franck De Djedje, and the nearing return to fitness of Farid El Alagui gives Hibs enviable attacking options, so the failure to put teams away must be more frustrating for Alan Stubbs than it is concerning.
The habit of hammering teams but not winning is a habit that Hibs can ill-afford with time and matches running out for this season. Hibs have had a mere one defeat in their last twenty-one games, a fantastic record, but the number of draws in that run are the side's Achilles' heel. Hibs' final standing this season and ultimately where we play our football next season will largely rest upon the team's ability to consistently turn pressure and chances into goals and wins between now and the end of the season.
Ironically, one of the sides Hibs have managed to convert their chances against is Rangers, the side immediately above Hibs in the league. Hibs head to Ibrox on Friday evening with a 7-1 aggregate score in their favour from the last two league meetings, a goal difference which is testament to the gulf in quality between the teams in their head to heads.
Rangers are, it would be fair to say, in a terrible state. Board Room battles, financial woes, a caretaker manager who has tendered his notice to resign, and an influx of seemingly unwanted player loans from villain-of-the-piece Mike Ashley's Newcastle United were the backdrop to Rangers crashing out of the Scottish Cup in an insipid 1-2 defeat to Raith Rovers at the weekend - ironically, it was Christian Nade's late goal that inflicted the fatal blow to Rangers' cup dream this season, though if truth be told their own performance did far more damage to their chances than Nade's close range finish did.
Hibs should be looking on this game as a 'must win'. Rangers will undoubtedly be up for the game, but so too will Hibernian. A cursory glance on a Rangers forum during the week highlights the nervousness surrounding the Rangers fans regarding this fixture, they lack the confidence that they have the either the players or the management to navigate the game successfully.
I hope that Hibs travel to Ibrox full of confidence and not complacency. A Hibs side playing at its peak will again prove too much for Rangers to cope with. A Hibs side off its game, however, will provide Rangers with the ideal opportunity to re-ignite their season and deliver a hammer-blow to Hibs' hopes of finishing second.
Looking back at the weekend's game, Hibs saw of Arbroath comfortably enough, coming back from a goal behind to win the tie 3-1. It was no more than Hibs deserved. The match was captain-for-the-day Lewis Stevenson's 250th appearance in the green and white, and on a personal level I was delighted for Lewis that he's hit that landmark, and I sincerely hope he goes on to rack up many, many more appearances for Hibs.
In an (and at an) age where it's rare to have a favourite player, Stevenson is a rarity as he is exactly that. For many this season, Scott Allan, David Gray, Dominique Malonga, and latterly, Dylan McGeouch have found favour with the Hibs support, but for me there is no single player more valuable to Hibernian at the moment than Lewis Stevenson. For many players, technical deficiencies can be masked by hard work and endeavour, and they earn their reputations and living as grafters. For me, Lewis is one of the few players whose hard work and tenacity probably stop him getting the credit for the technical side of his game that he deserves. Without wanting to sound over the top, Stevenson embodies all that is good about football, a quiet and unassuming guy that doesn't hit the headlines for the wrong reasons, that puts everything he has into every game of football he plays. Footballers are often cited as role-models but rarely live up to expectations, Lewis Stevenson is the exception.
The landmark 250th appearance aside, Saturday's game was more importantly (sorry Lewis) about progressing in the Scottish Cup. I don't need to write about Hibs' record in the competition, a record which by now has become far more important to Hearts fans and sneering journalists than it has to Hibs fans well used to not winning the competition next year. It would be fair to say that most Hibs fans approach the competition with an air of inevitability rather than excitement, we all know the script by now.
However, this season has seen some big-hitters (and also Hearts) leave the competition early. Hibs have been drawn at home in the Quarter Finals, where we will play the winners of Berwick Rangers and Spartans. Neither team is expected to beat Hibs when the Quarter Final comes round, and both were widely regarded as the easiest fixture. This is the Scottish Cup, though, and Hibs cannot afford to be dismissive of their opposition. The history of cup competitions is littered with giant killers and favourites that ended up with egg on their faces.
I believe that in Alan Stubbs, Hibs have a manager that will not allow that attitude to infect his team, and it's for that reason more than any other that I (as a supporter) can afford myself a whimsical daydream towards the Semi-Final and the Final itself. With Dundee United at home to Celtic in one of the other Quarter Finals, one of the favourites for the Cup will definitely exit, giving everyone else a great chance of success.
At some point, Hibs will win the Scottish Cup. There is no such thing as a hoodoo or a curse, and more than there are zombies or vampires or werewolves. Hibs do not have to beat a hoodoo, we just need to win a few football matches. How hard can it be!?
It's shaping up to be a crucial few months in Hibernian's history - the share issue, the push for promotion, and the Scottish Cup. These next few months could break our hearts or have a seismic positive impact on the club that could change it for the better for the next generation at least.
Hibs have had a habit of taking two steps forward and one step back this season, it's frustrating from a supporter's point of view because for the vast majority of the time, Hibs have looked well above the level of opposition they have faced this season, with the notable exception of Hearts, where there has been just one goal between the teams over the three meetings between them, that goal in the opening derby of the season going in Hearts' favour.
We have shone against Rangers, dominated games against Falkirk and Queen of the South without taking the points (exceptions being Falkirk away, where Falkirk were the better team and deserved their victory, and Queen of the South away early in the season where an abject Hibs lost on the artificial pitch, and could have no complaints about the result.).
However we remain behind struggling Rangers, who despite having lurched from one crisis to another this season, have managed to keep results going, and the gap between Hibs and Hearts shows no sign of diminishing any time soon.
An away win to Queen of the South gave Hibs the opportunity to put pressure on Rangers, who's postponed and abandoned games have given them a fixture backlog later in the season. Hibs went into their next game against Raith hoping to increase that pressure further by moving into second spot while Rangers waited for their games in hand, however an almost inevitable late Christian Nade goal saw Hibs snatch a draw from the jaws of victory. It would be easy to criticise Hibs for the performance in the Raith game, however to do so would only serve to illustrate just how fickle football fans can be. Make no mistake, Hibs battered Raith during that game, registering over 20 shots on goal over the course of the 90 minutes. Goal line clearances, the cross-bar, the post, disallowed goals, and sitters missed all contributed to Raith staying in the game right to the death, where a late corner gave them the opportunity to show Hibs how important it is to take your chances when you get them.
It is a lesson Hibs really need to learn, and soon. Too many games this season have seen a wasteful Hibs pinned back and punished during one of their opponents' rare forays forward. Hibs haven't had masses of defending to do this season, and when they have, they stats show that they have been far from convincing.
Of course, it has clicked at points for Hibs, and you only need to look at the scoring records of Jason Cummings and Dominique Malonga this season to see that there are goalscorers at the club. The additions of Martin Boyle and Franck De Djedje, and the nearing return to fitness of Farid El Alagui gives Hibs enviable attacking options, so the failure to put teams away must be more frustrating for Alan Stubbs than it is concerning.
The habit of hammering teams but not winning is a habit that Hibs can ill-afford with time and matches running out for this season. Hibs have had a mere one defeat in their last twenty-one games, a fantastic record, but the number of draws in that run are the side's Achilles' heel. Hibs' final standing this season and ultimately where we play our football next season will largely rest upon the team's ability to consistently turn pressure and chances into goals and wins between now and the end of the season.
Ironically, one of the sides Hibs have managed to convert their chances against is Rangers, the side immediately above Hibs in the league. Hibs head to Ibrox on Friday evening with a 7-1 aggregate score in their favour from the last two league meetings, a goal difference which is testament to the gulf in quality between the teams in their head to heads.
Rangers are, it would be fair to say, in a terrible state. Board Room battles, financial woes, a caretaker manager who has tendered his notice to resign, and an influx of seemingly unwanted player loans from villain-of-the-piece Mike Ashley's Newcastle United were the backdrop to Rangers crashing out of the Scottish Cup in an insipid 1-2 defeat to Raith Rovers at the weekend - ironically, it was Christian Nade's late goal that inflicted the fatal blow to Rangers' cup dream this season, though if truth be told their own performance did far more damage to their chances than Nade's close range finish did.
Hibs should be looking on this game as a 'must win'. Rangers will undoubtedly be up for the game, but so too will Hibernian. A cursory glance on a Rangers forum during the week highlights the nervousness surrounding the Rangers fans regarding this fixture, they lack the confidence that they have the either the players or the management to navigate the game successfully.
I hope that Hibs travel to Ibrox full of confidence and not complacency. A Hibs side playing at its peak will again prove too much for Rangers to cope with. A Hibs side off its game, however, will provide Rangers with the ideal opportunity to re-ignite their season and deliver a hammer-blow to Hibs' hopes of finishing second.
Looking back at the weekend's game, Hibs saw of Arbroath comfortably enough, coming back from a goal behind to win the tie 3-1. It was no more than Hibs deserved. The match was captain-for-the-day Lewis Stevenson's 250th appearance in the green and white, and on a personal level I was delighted for Lewis that he's hit that landmark, and I sincerely hope he goes on to rack up many, many more appearances for Hibs.
In an (and at an) age where it's rare to have a favourite player, Stevenson is a rarity as he is exactly that. For many this season, Scott Allan, David Gray, Dominique Malonga, and latterly, Dylan McGeouch have found favour with the Hibs support, but for me there is no single player more valuable to Hibernian at the moment than Lewis Stevenson. For many players, technical deficiencies can be masked by hard work and endeavour, and they earn their reputations and living as grafters. For me, Lewis is one of the few players whose hard work and tenacity probably stop him getting the credit for the technical side of his game that he deserves. Without wanting to sound over the top, Stevenson embodies all that is good about football, a quiet and unassuming guy that doesn't hit the headlines for the wrong reasons, that puts everything he has into every game of football he plays. Footballers are often cited as role-models but rarely live up to expectations, Lewis Stevenson is the exception.
The landmark 250th appearance aside, Saturday's game was more importantly (sorry Lewis) about progressing in the Scottish Cup. I don't need to write about Hibs' record in the competition, a record which by now has become far more important to Hearts fans and sneering journalists than it has to Hibs fans well used to not winning the competition next year. It would be fair to say that most Hibs fans approach the competition with an air of inevitability rather than excitement, we all know the script by now.
However, this season has seen some big-hitters (and also Hearts) leave the competition early. Hibs have been drawn at home in the Quarter Finals, where we will play the winners of Berwick Rangers and Spartans. Neither team is expected to beat Hibs when the Quarter Final comes round, and both were widely regarded as the easiest fixture. This is the Scottish Cup, though, and Hibs cannot afford to be dismissive of their opposition. The history of cup competitions is littered with giant killers and favourites that ended up with egg on their faces.
I believe that in Alan Stubbs, Hibs have a manager that will not allow that attitude to infect his team, and it's for that reason more than any other that I (as a supporter) can afford myself a whimsical daydream towards the Semi-Final and the Final itself. With Dundee United at home to Celtic in one of the other Quarter Finals, one of the favourites for the Cup will definitely exit, giving everyone else a great chance of success.
At some point, Hibs will win the Scottish Cup. There is no such thing as a hoodoo or a curse, and more than there are zombies or vampires or werewolves. Hibs do not have to beat a hoodoo, we just need to win a few football matches. How hard can it be!?
It's shaping up to be a crucial few months in Hibernian's history - the share issue, the push for promotion, and the Scottish Cup. These next few months could break our hearts or have a seismic positive impact on the club that could change it for the better for the next generation at least.
Monday, 26 January 2015
Hands Off Hibs
It has been a busy week for Hibernian, with a lot of press noise from Hands on Hibs , One-time Hibs suitor, David Low, Hibs Supporter's Association Chairman, Mike Reilly, and BuyHibs, raising objections to the share issue put forward by Hibs, being met head on by Hibs Chief Exec, Leeann Dempster and with Hibs publishing details of their interest-free mortgage arrangement.
It has been a case of claim, and counter-claim. Most of it - in my opinion - fairly ill-informed, ill-judged, and more than a little irresponsible. Hibs have come through some very tough times over the last few years. It hasn't been a fun time to be a Hibernian soldier for a long time now. Poor football, poor results, and a support disenfranchised with the football club, and more specifically, Chairman Rod Petrie. who, to many, embodies the failure that led to the club suffering the embarrassment of dropping into Scottish Football's second tier. It has been a widely-held view that Mr Petrie's time at the club has long since run out, and I agree with that. Change is needed.
However, change has happened. Dempster's arrival, Butcher's departure, the overhaul of the football set-up at the club have all started in the short time since Leeann Dempster got her feet under the desk at Easter Road. These changes are starting to show results on the pitch, Hibs having picked up more points than Rangers and Hearts over their respective last six games, and at the time of writing Hibernian are Edinburgh's only unbeaten side in 2015, following Falkirk's impressive win at Tynecastle on Saturday.
Things have been looking up at Easter Road for some time now. The football is no longer turgid, the kick-the-ball-the-way-you're-facing style that Terry Butcher had the team playing has been replaced with an attacking, passing game with Stubbs' style clear to see coming to life on the pitch. Results, too, have picked up, with Hibs putting impressive runs together over the last few months.
I am of the opinion that we will shortly hear of Rod Petrie's plans to leave the football club, and I hope when that happens that the support can move on together.
As things stand, there is a split forming in the support. A very vocal minority are threatening to damage what is a very positive step for the club towards supporter ownership. Hands on Hibs have made all manner of allegations, and being given plenty air-time in the press to get their views over. Their objection appears to be that they don't think Sir Tom Farmer or Rod Petrie should benefit from the share issue. I wholeheartedly agree with that, so when I read that the re-arranged debt would be repaid interest-free, and that every penny raised from the share issue would go to the football club for 'sporting ambition', and that no share money would go to existing shareholders, I found it very hard to pick holes in the proposal.
In fact, I posted this response to Hands On Hibs and BuyHibs last week, and have yet to see a constructive response to counter the points raised. Hands On Hibs are pushing a very aggressive and in some instances, a mildly threatening manner. They have made a number of claims and have produced very little to back those claims up (Hibs planning on separating the stadium and training ground from the football club, being one of those claims).
I know that the people behind Hands On Hibs are hardcore Hibs fans, people who go home and away, and like the rest of us they want what's best for the club. I can understand that, and I can understand that they don't like the current regime. However, I can't understand their tactics and their position on the share issue. Perhaps if they came out with whatever evidence they have to give credibility to their allegations then people would take notice, as it is, they come over like noisy kids, with fewer and fewer people taking them seriously as time goes by. Especially with Hibs having a real change in tact with how they respond to the noise. In days gone by, the claims would have gone unanswered, but Hibs have hit back all guns blazing, and that's refreshing to see. Changed days indeed.
Meanwhile, Hibs capped a good week with a fine win in Dumfries, seeing off Queen of the South 0-2 with second half goals from Dylan McGeouch (or MaGoosh if you're commentating on Sky Sports!) and Scott Robertson. Hibs had struggled against the Doonhammers this season, and so to get a win against a team who are rivals for a play-off spot was especially rewarding and illustrates the improvements Hibs have made over the last few months. With the Cowdenbeath v Rangers game being postponed, and Hearts finally losing a league game, it was important that Hibs capitalised and gained/made up ground on the teams around them. Well done to Falkirk as well, for finally ending Hearts' fantastic run.
Finally, I was saddened to hear of former Hibs chairman Douglas Cromb's passing last week. My thoughts go to all at Hibernian, and to Mr Crombs' family.
It has been a case of claim, and counter-claim. Most of it - in my opinion - fairly ill-informed, ill-judged, and more than a little irresponsible. Hibs have come through some very tough times over the last few years. It hasn't been a fun time to be a Hibernian soldier for a long time now. Poor football, poor results, and a support disenfranchised with the football club, and more specifically, Chairman Rod Petrie. who, to many, embodies the failure that led to the club suffering the embarrassment of dropping into Scottish Football's second tier. It has been a widely-held view that Mr Petrie's time at the club has long since run out, and I agree with that. Change is needed.
However, change has happened. Dempster's arrival, Butcher's departure, the overhaul of the football set-up at the club have all started in the short time since Leeann Dempster got her feet under the desk at Easter Road. These changes are starting to show results on the pitch, Hibs having picked up more points than Rangers and Hearts over their respective last six games, and at the time of writing Hibernian are Edinburgh's only unbeaten side in 2015, following Falkirk's impressive win at Tynecastle on Saturday.
Things have been looking up at Easter Road for some time now. The football is no longer turgid, the kick-the-ball-the-way-you're-facing style that Terry Butcher had the team playing has been replaced with an attacking, passing game with Stubbs' style clear to see coming to life on the pitch. Results, too, have picked up, with Hibs putting impressive runs together over the last few months.
I am of the opinion that we will shortly hear of Rod Petrie's plans to leave the football club, and I hope when that happens that the support can move on together.
As things stand, there is a split forming in the support. A very vocal minority are threatening to damage what is a very positive step for the club towards supporter ownership. Hands on Hibs have made all manner of allegations, and being given plenty air-time in the press to get their views over. Their objection appears to be that they don't think Sir Tom Farmer or Rod Petrie should benefit from the share issue. I wholeheartedly agree with that, so when I read that the re-arranged debt would be repaid interest-free, and that every penny raised from the share issue would go to the football club for 'sporting ambition', and that no share money would go to existing shareholders, I found it very hard to pick holes in the proposal.
In fact, I posted this response to Hands On Hibs and BuyHibs last week, and have yet to see a constructive response to counter the points raised. Hands On Hibs are pushing a very aggressive and in some instances, a mildly threatening manner. They have made a number of claims and have produced very little to back those claims up (Hibs planning on separating the stadium and training ground from the football club, being one of those claims).
I know that the people behind Hands On Hibs are hardcore Hibs fans, people who go home and away, and like the rest of us they want what's best for the club. I can understand that, and I can understand that they don't like the current regime. However, I can't understand their tactics and their position on the share issue. Perhaps if they came out with whatever evidence they have to give credibility to their allegations then people would take notice, as it is, they come over like noisy kids, with fewer and fewer people taking them seriously as time goes by. Especially with Hibs having a real change in tact with how they respond to the noise. In days gone by, the claims would have gone unanswered, but Hibs have hit back all guns blazing, and that's refreshing to see. Changed days indeed.
Meanwhile, Hibs capped a good week with a fine win in Dumfries, seeing off Queen of the South 0-2 with second half goals from Dylan McGeouch (or MaGoosh if you're commentating on Sky Sports!) and Scott Robertson. Hibs had struggled against the Doonhammers this season, and so to get a win against a team who are rivals for a play-off spot was especially rewarding and illustrates the improvements Hibs have made over the last few months. With the Cowdenbeath v Rangers game being postponed, and Hearts finally losing a league game, it was important that Hibs capitalised and gained/made up ground on the teams around them. Well done to Falkirk as well, for finally ending Hearts' fantastic run.
Finally, I was saddened to hear of former Hibs chairman Douglas Cromb's passing last week. My thoughts go to all at Hibernian, and to Mr Crombs' family.
Tuesday, 20 January 2015
High Five for the Hibees
It would be fair to say that there are only a few times that I've watched Hibs put five goals past anyone, and so I feel like I have a bit of a brass neck for not being completely satisfied after Hibs' 5-0 win over Cowdenbeath on Saturday.
Hibs started the game well, and created a number of chances before Paul Hanlon flicked the ball into the top corner of the Blue Brazil's net after just nine minutes. I'd said to my son, Joshua, a few moments earlier that Hibs looked in the mood, and that if the players kept up the momentum we could be in for a huge score (I jokingly predicted a goal every ten minutes), so when Hanlon's tidy finish put Hibs one up both Josh and I lifted our expectations and looked forward to more goals.
Hibs passed up more opportunities before Jason Cummings finished a fine move involving McGeouch and Allan, poking the ball home from Allan's low cross with the game in the 25th minute. So far, so good.
The game then fell into something of a lull, it was evident that Cowdenbeath were largely impotent, and they had no real designs on attacking Hibs, and on the odd occasion when they did break forward, Hanlon and Fontaine proved effective barriers - so much so that Cowdenbeath failed to muster a solitary shot on target in the whole match.
Hibs were able to treat the match almost as a training game. It was as though it was too easy for the players, as ridiculous as that may sound. I have heard interviewed managers speaking to the press about 'game management' (Aberdeen's Derek McInnes and Alan Stubbs have used the phrase -or similar - in recent radio interviews following matches.) and I'm not sure if Hibs, having thrown away a 3-1 lead the weekend before against Falkirk, just decided to 'manage the game' and not give Cowdenbeath any encouragement, or if the players just realised that they weren't going to have to break sweat to win the game, but for the latter part of the first half and the first half hour of the second, the game was notable only for it's lack of incident. Hibs' play lacked the zip and zest that they'd shown against Rangers and Hearts in previous matches. Passes were considered rather than instinctive, runs were controlled rather than lung-bursting, and tackles were few and far between.
It was strange, admittedly, to see Hibs so utterly dominant in the game. I can't remember too many matches where I've seen players able to stroll through a game in the manner that they did, and I suppose that a huge amount of credit must be given to Alan Stubbs and his coaching team that they have taken the side that was such a shambles last season and turned them into a team that could probably have lost a couple of players and still strolled the match, albeit against a lower standard of opponent than they faced last season.
Stubbs' side also deserve credit for apparently learning the lessons from dropping points against Falkirk. And so I feel like I'm being really harsh on the side for complaining about being bored while we were 2-0 up (and I did complain, as did Josh, at the game). However, I have to be honest - I was bored, there's no escaping that fact. Does that make me a bad person? Was I being unrealistic in my expectations for the game (a goal every ten minutes is definitely unrealistic but I was joking with that prediction!) and am I being hugely unfair for voicing that opinion?
I think Stubbs could also see that the players were cruising, and he took the opportunity to rest Scott Allan - a good decision, as the lack of challenge appeared to have a detrimental effect on Allan's game, with many passes missing their mark and the influence Allan was having on the match being overshadowed by that of the more industrious trio of McGeouch, Robertson, and Craig.
Allan was replaced by Jordon Forster, the young defender making his return after a fairly lengthy absence from injury and an operation. The swap of a defender for a midfielder allowed Stubbs to change the shape and formation of the team, moving to a 3-5-2 with Lewis Stevenson and Callum Booth adopting wing-back positions for the latter stages of the match.
Scott Robertson lifted the game with a fine solo goal, a nudge in the back giving him the momentum to burst past the the Cowdenbeath defence and slip a fine shot across the keeper and into the net with a finish reminiscent of his goal against Rangers.
The change in formation brought about a fine end to the game, as did the introduction of Sam Stanton and Danny Handling, who combined to set up Hibs' fourth goal as Stanton played an inspired pass across the box to find Booth charging in at the back post to side-foot the ball home.
The biggest cheer of the afternoon belonged to Lewis Stevenson, his long range effort rounding off the scoring with virtually the last kick of the ball.
The scoreline finally reflected Hibs' dominance in the match, and it was no more than Hibs deserved overall. I do firmly believe that if Hibs had played at the speed and intensity that they can do when they're at the top of their game, that they could have run up a huge scoreline, and this is maybe why, despite the impressive and deserved winning margin, I left the game ever-so-slightly disappointed.
Still, I'd take a disappointing 5-0 win any day of the week!
Couple of points to finish off on, firstly I need to make a correction to my last blog (as pointed out by Falkirk's Assistant Manager, James McDonaugh) - I credited Jason Cummings with a hat-trick against Falkirk, Jason only scored twice, Hibs second goal coming courtesy of a Falkirk defender rather than the King of Zing.
Secondly, Hibs launched their share issue plans recently, with Sir Tom Farmer making arrangements to half the debt, and offering up £2.5m worth of shares to give the supporters the opportunity to own 51% of the football club, either through buying shares directly, or by going through the newly formed Hibernian Supporters Limited. The £2.5m will not go into the pockets of the existing shareholders but will instead go to fund 'sporting ambition'. So it has been disappointing to read that Hands on Hibs - a supporter's group who have already been very vocal and very wrong with some spurious claims - labelling the initiative as a 'shake-down' and claiming it's designed to line the pockets of Sir Tom Farmer and Rod Petrie.
Looking at it at a base level, Hibs have a debt that needs to be repaid, this is not a shake-down, it's basic economics. Hibs will have plans to repay that debt regardless of what money is taken in, be that from season ticket sales, sponsorship, prize money, maybe even a cup run.
However Hibs generate the income, a fixed amount will be required to repay debt. The potential £2.5m income from the share issue means that there will be more money left over after that debt is repaid in order for Alan Stubbs to strengthen his side.
That seems fairly straightforward to me, maybe I'm naive but I can't see what Sir Tom Farmer stands to gain from an arrangement where he has arranged half the debt to be wiped out, and his own shareholding massively diluted without him receiving a penny from the shares.
I think it's a disgrace and distasteful that Hands on Hibs have seen fit to make those accusations against the very person that stepped up to save Hibs in our darkest hour in the early 90's, and I only hope that the vast majority of Hibs fans are sensible enough to see the ridiculous claims for what they are.
Hibs started the game well, and created a number of chances before Paul Hanlon flicked the ball into the top corner of the Blue Brazil's net after just nine minutes. I'd said to my son, Joshua, a few moments earlier that Hibs looked in the mood, and that if the players kept up the momentum we could be in for a huge score (I jokingly predicted a goal every ten minutes), so when Hanlon's tidy finish put Hibs one up both Josh and I lifted our expectations and looked forward to more goals.
Hibs passed up more opportunities before Jason Cummings finished a fine move involving McGeouch and Allan, poking the ball home from Allan's low cross with the game in the 25th minute. So far, so good.
The game then fell into something of a lull, it was evident that Cowdenbeath were largely impotent, and they had no real designs on attacking Hibs, and on the odd occasion when they did break forward, Hanlon and Fontaine proved effective barriers - so much so that Cowdenbeath failed to muster a solitary shot on target in the whole match.
Hibs were able to treat the match almost as a training game. It was as though it was too easy for the players, as ridiculous as that may sound. I have heard interviewed managers speaking to the press about 'game management' (Aberdeen's Derek McInnes and Alan Stubbs have used the phrase -or similar - in recent radio interviews following matches.) and I'm not sure if Hibs, having thrown away a 3-1 lead the weekend before against Falkirk, just decided to 'manage the game' and not give Cowdenbeath any encouragement, or if the players just realised that they weren't going to have to break sweat to win the game, but for the latter part of the first half and the first half hour of the second, the game was notable only for it's lack of incident. Hibs' play lacked the zip and zest that they'd shown against Rangers and Hearts in previous matches. Passes were considered rather than instinctive, runs were controlled rather than lung-bursting, and tackles were few and far between.
It was strange, admittedly, to see Hibs so utterly dominant in the game. I can't remember too many matches where I've seen players able to stroll through a game in the manner that they did, and I suppose that a huge amount of credit must be given to Alan Stubbs and his coaching team that they have taken the side that was such a shambles last season and turned them into a team that could probably have lost a couple of players and still strolled the match, albeit against a lower standard of opponent than they faced last season.
Stubbs' side also deserve credit for apparently learning the lessons from dropping points against Falkirk. And so I feel like I'm being really harsh on the side for complaining about being bored while we were 2-0 up (and I did complain, as did Josh, at the game). However, I have to be honest - I was bored, there's no escaping that fact. Does that make me a bad person? Was I being unrealistic in my expectations for the game (a goal every ten minutes is definitely unrealistic but I was joking with that prediction!) and am I being hugely unfair for voicing that opinion?
I think Stubbs could also see that the players were cruising, and he took the opportunity to rest Scott Allan - a good decision, as the lack of challenge appeared to have a detrimental effect on Allan's game, with many passes missing their mark and the influence Allan was having on the match being overshadowed by that of the more industrious trio of McGeouch, Robertson, and Craig.
Allan was replaced by Jordon Forster, the young defender making his return after a fairly lengthy absence from injury and an operation. The swap of a defender for a midfielder allowed Stubbs to change the shape and formation of the team, moving to a 3-5-2 with Lewis Stevenson and Callum Booth adopting wing-back positions for the latter stages of the match.
Scott Robertson lifted the game with a fine solo goal, a nudge in the back giving him the momentum to burst past the the Cowdenbeath defence and slip a fine shot across the keeper and into the net with a finish reminiscent of his goal against Rangers.
The change in formation brought about a fine end to the game, as did the introduction of Sam Stanton and Danny Handling, who combined to set up Hibs' fourth goal as Stanton played an inspired pass across the box to find Booth charging in at the back post to side-foot the ball home.
The biggest cheer of the afternoon belonged to Lewis Stevenson, his long range effort rounding off the scoring with virtually the last kick of the ball.
The scoreline finally reflected Hibs' dominance in the match, and it was no more than Hibs deserved overall. I do firmly believe that if Hibs had played at the speed and intensity that they can do when they're at the top of their game, that they could have run up a huge scoreline, and this is maybe why, despite the impressive and deserved winning margin, I left the game ever-so-slightly disappointed.
Still, I'd take a disappointing 5-0 win any day of the week!
Couple of points to finish off on, firstly I need to make a correction to my last blog (as pointed out by Falkirk's Assistant Manager, James McDonaugh) - I credited Jason Cummings with a hat-trick against Falkirk, Jason only scored twice, Hibs second goal coming courtesy of a Falkirk defender rather than the King of Zing.
Secondly, Hibs launched their share issue plans recently, with Sir Tom Farmer making arrangements to half the debt, and offering up £2.5m worth of shares to give the supporters the opportunity to own 51% of the football club, either through buying shares directly, or by going through the newly formed Hibernian Supporters Limited. The £2.5m will not go into the pockets of the existing shareholders but will instead go to fund 'sporting ambition'. So it has been disappointing to read that Hands on Hibs - a supporter's group who have already been very vocal and very wrong with some spurious claims - labelling the initiative as a 'shake-down' and claiming it's designed to line the pockets of Sir Tom Farmer and Rod Petrie.
Looking at it at a base level, Hibs have a debt that needs to be repaid, this is not a shake-down, it's basic economics. Hibs will have plans to repay that debt regardless of what money is taken in, be that from season ticket sales, sponsorship, prize money, maybe even a cup run.
However Hibs generate the income, a fixed amount will be required to repay debt. The potential £2.5m income from the share issue means that there will be more money left over after that debt is repaid in order for Alan Stubbs to strengthen his side.
That seems fairly straightforward to me, maybe I'm naive but I can't see what Sir Tom Farmer stands to gain from an arrangement where he has arranged half the debt to be wiped out, and his own shareholding massively diluted without him receiving a penny from the shares.
I think it's a disgrace and distasteful that Hands on Hibs have seen fit to make those accusations against the very person that stepped up to save Hibs in our darkest hour in the early 90's, and I only hope that the vast majority of Hibs fans are sensible enough to see the ridiculous claims for what they are.
Wednesday, 14 January 2015
Bogey Teams Make a Point
The last blog I wrote followed a terrific (and it was terrific) Hibs win over Rangers, where Hibernian managed to whittle down the lead that Glasgow's newest team had over them to just four points.
Hibs were about to face the runaway league leaders in the New Year's derby and I - like most of the support - was looking forward to the game and the opportunity to claw that points deficit back a little more.
Between that game and now, Hibs faced Falkirk at Easter Road, having suffered two defeats to the Bairns already this season, Falkirk were fast becoming something of a bogey team for Hibs, and so Hibs would be hoping to put a bit of distance between themselves and Falkirk.
As things stand today, Hearts' lead over Hibs extends to the point where Hibs need significantly more than snookers to have any hope of finishing the season as champions, and Rangers have pushed on to take the gap between them and their Leith counterparts to eight points.
So, let's have a look at what happened, starting with the derby. It would be fair to say that for one reason or another, Hearts have definitely become a bona-fide bogey team to Hibs. For Hibs fans, Hearts represent the last team that we would want to hold a jinx over us. You really have to be unlucky to have your city rivals as your bogey-team.
There are a number of reasons for that, in recent history it's because Hearts spent significantly more than Hibs on their team, and derbies generally went with form. Last season, with Hearts in the doldrums and having a horrendous time of things, Hibs mustered only one victory against them, Liam Craig's penalty winning the New Year fixture at Easter Road, giving Hibs fans a lingering memory of what joy is possible from watching football as the rest of the season descended into disaster under Terry Butcher.
Hearts have carried a huge amount of favour over the last couple of seasons, Hibs having two perfectly legitimate goals chalked off in absurd refereeing decisions, but this blog isn't to highlight injustices or complaints about referees, and it's only fair to acknowledge that while big decisions like those played a part, so too did very lacklustre and abject Hibs performances.
When I was starting to attend Hibs games, Hearts went on a run where Hibs failed to beat them in twenty-two matches. The manager at the time, Alex Miller, appeared to have no idea on how to halt that record and derby days became depressingly predictable.
To this day, no matter how well Hibs are doing, I watch a derby waiting for the moment where Hibs contrive to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory (or at least, snatch a draw). Meanwhile, Hearts are able to approach derbies knowing that no matter how bad things are, something will likely go their way.
There have been some exceptions, but they are few and far between. I know that back in the day, there was a period where Hearts couldn't buy a win against Hibs so it hasn't always been the case that Hearts have been a bogey-team, and I can only hope that now we're operating on a much more level financial playing field, with Hearts finally having to live within their means, that there will be more balance in the results between the teams.
That was the case at Tynecastle, Hibs were desperately unlucky not to take all three points in the previous derby at Easter Road, and showed that they were more than a match for the league leaders, and again Hibs put in an impressive performance with most neutral observers noting that Hearts could have had no arguments had Hibs won the match, instead of having to settle for a point.
Hibs took an early lead, a sublime cross from Scott Allan found Jason Cummings and his close range shot flew past Alexander in the Hearts goal. It capped a period of fairly sustained pressure from Hibs, with the visitors putting pressure on the hosts from the outset.
Cummings had a golden opportunity to put Hibs two goals ahead shortly afterwards, sending a free header just wide with the goal at his mercy. Hibs were to rue that miss, with Hearts getting an unlikely goal shortly afterwards.
The second half was a more even affair, with Hibs finishing the stronger of the two sides but unable to get a winning goal.
The result left Alan Stubbs frustrated as again, Hibs had somehow not got the win that their performance had probably deserved. This is a trait that Hibs have displayed throughout the season and can account for a large number of the points between them and the two sides above them. Hearts have played well in the vast majority of their games, and won most of them. Where they've not played well they've managed to take something from the games - and that's why they sit deservedly at the top of the table. Rangers, for their part, have been less impressive and seem to be stumbling from result to result, but those results tend to be wins, and for all that you couldn't pay me to go and watch them, I'd happily see Hibs take that winning habit from them.
Hibs have lost games we have dominated, and also lost the games we deserved to take nothing from. On Saturday, against Falkirk, Hibs should have won. Having started brightly, Hibs took the lead when Jason Cummings' shot was fumbled by Jamie MacDonald in the Falkirk goal. It's ironic that MacDonald was generally excellent when he featured against Hibs in derbies while he was with Hearts, and yet he looked suspect throughout the game on Saturday.
Falkirk took advantage of some seriously sloppy defending from Hibs to draw level, and only a very late flag from the Referee's Assistant (probably the latest offside decision I've ever seen given - but credit to the Assistant, she got it right) saved Hibs from falling behind in the match.
Hibs seemed to take heed of the warning and stormed into a 3-1 lead, with Jason Cummings completing a first half hat-trick (as predicted, again, by @Lmc2105 Lee McLennan - two hat trick predictions coming through this season!). Hibs started the second half brightly with new loan signing Martin Boyle first missing what was essentially an open goal, then having the ball inexplicably nicked from his toes as he was about to shoot by team-mate Scott Allan. Had either chance gone in, the game would have likely been out of reach for Falkirk.
Instead, the Bairns were lifted by the let-off, and they capitalised on some horrendous defending from Hibs to bring the scores back level. Hibs were not able to pull in front again, and a match that was there to be won ended with Hibs falling further behind the sides above them.
Alan Stubbs' post-match interview reflected a manager who was evidently frustrated and angered at his team's inability to win matches, and as pleased as he must have been with their recent performances, his criticisms of the side were entirely justified.
Hibs' right-back, David Gray, had been missing for this game in order to get a groin operation. Hibs definitely missed him, and it will be interesting to see if Alan Stubbs makes signing a right-back a priority while the transfer window is open this month. If he doesn't. there is much work to do to bring balance to a back four that comprised of four left-footed players, with Calum Booth playing out of position on the right side of the defence. Under pressure, the defence did not look comfortable at all. For all that Paul Hanlon and Liam Fontaine have been excellent this season, they looked disjointed and nervous without the steadying presence of Gray.
Mark Oxley in goal did little to help, the conditions causing all sorts of problems for the keeper who has just extended his stay at Easter Road until the end of the season. It was an uncharacteristically poor performance from Oxley, and one would hope that it was a one off that could be attributed to the horrendous weather.
And so Hibs look forward to Cowdenbeath visiting Easter Road on Saturday. It's an opportunity to get some points back on at least one of the two teams above them, with Rangers hosting Hearts on Friday evening. I'd love to say that I was confident that Hibs will do that, but Hibs just haven't got that winning habit just yet.
As for laying some of the bogey-sides to rest, Hibs get another shot at both Falkirk and Hearts before the season's out, so here's hoping that Hibs develop the knack of winning games they deserve to win between now and then.
Hibs were about to face the runaway league leaders in the New Year's derby and I - like most of the support - was looking forward to the game and the opportunity to claw that points deficit back a little more.
Between that game and now, Hibs faced Falkirk at Easter Road, having suffered two defeats to the Bairns already this season, Falkirk were fast becoming something of a bogey team for Hibs, and so Hibs would be hoping to put a bit of distance between themselves and Falkirk.
As things stand today, Hearts' lead over Hibs extends to the point where Hibs need significantly more than snookers to have any hope of finishing the season as champions, and Rangers have pushed on to take the gap between them and their Leith counterparts to eight points.
So, let's have a look at what happened, starting with the derby. It would be fair to say that for one reason or another, Hearts have definitely become a bona-fide bogey team to Hibs. For Hibs fans, Hearts represent the last team that we would want to hold a jinx over us. You really have to be unlucky to have your city rivals as your bogey-team.
There are a number of reasons for that, in recent history it's because Hearts spent significantly more than Hibs on their team, and derbies generally went with form. Last season, with Hearts in the doldrums and having a horrendous time of things, Hibs mustered only one victory against them, Liam Craig's penalty winning the New Year fixture at Easter Road, giving Hibs fans a lingering memory of what joy is possible from watching football as the rest of the season descended into disaster under Terry Butcher.
Hearts have carried a huge amount of favour over the last couple of seasons, Hibs having two perfectly legitimate goals chalked off in absurd refereeing decisions, but this blog isn't to highlight injustices or complaints about referees, and it's only fair to acknowledge that while big decisions like those played a part, so too did very lacklustre and abject Hibs performances.
When I was starting to attend Hibs games, Hearts went on a run where Hibs failed to beat them in twenty-two matches. The manager at the time, Alex Miller, appeared to have no idea on how to halt that record and derby days became depressingly predictable.
To this day, no matter how well Hibs are doing, I watch a derby waiting for the moment where Hibs contrive to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory (or at least, snatch a draw). Meanwhile, Hearts are able to approach derbies knowing that no matter how bad things are, something will likely go their way.
There have been some exceptions, but they are few and far between. I know that back in the day, there was a period where Hearts couldn't buy a win against Hibs so it hasn't always been the case that Hearts have been a bogey-team, and I can only hope that now we're operating on a much more level financial playing field, with Hearts finally having to live within their means, that there will be more balance in the results between the teams.
That was the case at Tynecastle, Hibs were desperately unlucky not to take all three points in the previous derby at Easter Road, and showed that they were more than a match for the league leaders, and again Hibs put in an impressive performance with most neutral observers noting that Hearts could have had no arguments had Hibs won the match, instead of having to settle for a point.
Hibs took an early lead, a sublime cross from Scott Allan found Jason Cummings and his close range shot flew past Alexander in the Hearts goal. It capped a period of fairly sustained pressure from Hibs, with the visitors putting pressure on the hosts from the outset.
Cummings had a golden opportunity to put Hibs two goals ahead shortly afterwards, sending a free header just wide with the goal at his mercy. Hibs were to rue that miss, with Hearts getting an unlikely goal shortly afterwards.
The second half was a more even affair, with Hibs finishing the stronger of the two sides but unable to get a winning goal.
The result left Alan Stubbs frustrated as again, Hibs had somehow not got the win that their performance had probably deserved. This is a trait that Hibs have displayed throughout the season and can account for a large number of the points between them and the two sides above them. Hearts have played well in the vast majority of their games, and won most of them. Where they've not played well they've managed to take something from the games - and that's why they sit deservedly at the top of the table. Rangers, for their part, have been less impressive and seem to be stumbling from result to result, but those results tend to be wins, and for all that you couldn't pay me to go and watch them, I'd happily see Hibs take that winning habit from them.
Hibs have lost games we have dominated, and also lost the games we deserved to take nothing from. On Saturday, against Falkirk, Hibs should have won. Having started brightly, Hibs took the lead when Jason Cummings' shot was fumbled by Jamie MacDonald in the Falkirk goal. It's ironic that MacDonald was generally excellent when he featured against Hibs in derbies while he was with Hearts, and yet he looked suspect throughout the game on Saturday.
Falkirk took advantage of some seriously sloppy defending from Hibs to draw level, and only a very late flag from the Referee's Assistant (probably the latest offside decision I've ever seen given - but credit to the Assistant, she got it right) saved Hibs from falling behind in the match.
Hibs seemed to take heed of the warning and stormed into a 3-1 lead, with Jason Cummings completing a first half hat-trick (as predicted, again, by @Lmc2105 Lee McLennan - two hat trick predictions coming through this season!). Hibs started the second half brightly with new loan signing Martin Boyle first missing what was essentially an open goal, then having the ball inexplicably nicked from his toes as he was about to shoot by team-mate Scott Allan. Had either chance gone in, the game would have likely been out of reach for Falkirk.
Instead, the Bairns were lifted by the let-off, and they capitalised on some horrendous defending from Hibs to bring the scores back level. Hibs were not able to pull in front again, and a match that was there to be won ended with Hibs falling further behind the sides above them.
Alan Stubbs' post-match interview reflected a manager who was evidently frustrated and angered at his team's inability to win matches, and as pleased as he must have been with their recent performances, his criticisms of the side were entirely justified.
Hibs' right-back, David Gray, had been missing for this game in order to get a groin operation. Hibs definitely missed him, and it will be interesting to see if Alan Stubbs makes signing a right-back a priority while the transfer window is open this month. If he doesn't. there is much work to do to bring balance to a back four that comprised of four left-footed players, with Calum Booth playing out of position on the right side of the defence. Under pressure, the defence did not look comfortable at all. For all that Paul Hanlon and Liam Fontaine have been excellent this season, they looked disjointed and nervous without the steadying presence of Gray.
Mark Oxley in goal did little to help, the conditions causing all sorts of problems for the keeper who has just extended his stay at Easter Road until the end of the season. It was an uncharacteristically poor performance from Oxley, and one would hope that it was a one off that could be attributed to the horrendous weather.
And so Hibs look forward to Cowdenbeath visiting Easter Road on Saturday. It's an opportunity to get some points back on at least one of the two teams above them, with Rangers hosting Hearts on Friday evening. I'd love to say that I was confident that Hibs will do that, but Hibs just haven't got that winning habit just yet.
As for laying some of the bogey-sides to rest, Hibs get another shot at both Falkirk and Hearts before the season's out, so here's hoping that Hibs develop the knack of winning games they deserve to win between now and then.
Sunday, 28 December 2014
Laying Down a Marker (or four...)
Hibs opened the season with a narrow defeat at Ibrox, losing 2-1 after extra-time to Rangers in the Petrofac Training Cup, having seen Danny Handling red carded for a relatively innocuous challenge in the second half.
The performance, though, was reason for the Hibs support to be optimistic about the season facing them. Hibs played attractive football, with players working hard for each other and competing with the early-season title-favourites on their own patch. Things were looking good for Hibs after the shambolic end to the previous season.
That proved to be something of a false dawn, however. Hibs stumbled through the first quarter of the season, struggling to adjust to the challenges of Championship sides intent on 'parking the bus' in matches. There were still signs that things would come good, but it was very much a case of two steps forward, one step back in the first round of fixtures. Meanwhile, Hearts and Rangers picked up points week on week, so much so that Hibs went into the post-Christmas fixture against Rangers seven points behind the Ibrox side, and a huge nineteen points behind their Edinburgh rivals.
The second quarter of the season has been much more promising for Hibs, with their only points being dropped in draws against leaders Hearts, play-off hopefuls Queen of the South, and a defeat away to Falkirk (who were on an impressive run of victories themselves.).
Hibs' pattern of play has been more evident in each game as the season progressed, helped in no small part by the improvement of Scott Allan has his fitness has improved, as well as a return to form for the much maligned Liam Craig and Scott Robertson, the three playing key roles in a midfield that has dominated the majority of matches they've played in over the last few games.
So that takes us to Saturday's match against Rangers. It's fair to say that Rangers arrived at Easter Road in some amount of turmoil. Mike Ashley's bid to increase his control of the club had been rejected earlier in the week, and the bizarre situation regarding Ally McCoist's resignation had been resolved by the Ibrox board putting McCoist on gardening leave through to the end of his £750k-a-year contract. Kenny McDowell was promoted into McCoist's role, and he named an unchanged side from the one that McCoist sent out to record a 2-0 win over troubled Livingston the week before.
However, turmoil or not, Rangers arrived able to field a team assembled on a budget several times higher than that of Hibs, and on paper at least, able to compete comfortably with any other Championship side.
Hibs, for their part, were also able to put out the same side that had comfortably seen off Alloa in their last match.
What followed was one of the most complete performances I can recall seeing from a Hibs side. From start to finish the Hibs side out-thought, out-fought, and out-played a Rangers side who appeared unable to comprehend what was happening to them.
The impeccable Scott Allan set the tone early in the match, brushing Ian Black aside as Black challenged for the ball, leaving the Rangers man on his backside as Allan strode forward confidently. It wasn't the last time that sight would be seen over the course of the match. The frustration became so great for Black that his own management team felt it necessary to replace Black after half an hour or so, Black having picked up a yellow card for a cynical foul on Allan as the Hibs midfielder breezed past him yet again. It was a challenge that many would argue was worse than that which saw a red-card flashed at Danny Handling in the Petrofac Training Cup match at the start of the season.
Black had been lucky that the referee had shown a high degree of leniency towards him following a couple of earlier fouls he had committed, that luck leaving the Rangers bench with the luxury of replacing him, rather than seeing him sent off. Black's exit was met with great delight from all four stands, the Rangers fans seemingly just as happy to be shot of him as the Hibs fans were to see that the occasion (and Scott Allan) had been too much for the former-Hearts man.
David Gray put Hibs in front, a good move finished with a sensational shot into the top corner of the goal from the edge of the box. From the back of the West Stand, I had a fantastic view of the shot flying in, it was the sort of shot that you knew was a goal from the moment it left Gray's boot.
Hibs grew in confidence and had Rangers chasing shadows, unable to cope with the passing, movement, and work-rate of their opponents. Hibs had dominated teams like this already this season, but they could hardly have expected to be quite so comfortable against a team seven points ahead of them in the league.
That comfort increased when Jason Cummings bundled the ball over the line for Hibs' second goal. When I say he bundled it over the line, it perhaps gives the impression that the goal was fairly unimpressive, however that couldn't be further from the truth. The goal stemmed from some sublime play from Hibs down the right hand side, with Gray, Malonga, and Allan linking well before the latter picked out Liam Craig's deep run with an inch-perfect cross. Craig knocked the ball back over the head of Simonsen in the Rangers goal, leaving Cummings with the simplest of tap-ins to complete a fantastic move.
Hibs saw out the first half in complete control, intent on keeping Rangers at arm's length. Hibs were completely dominant by this stage, and the frustration was starting to show in the body language of the Rangers players, and with some supporters who were already heading for the exits.
Rangers brought on all-time SPL top-scorer Kris Boyd for the second half as they sought to get back into the game. Rangers clearly felt that the way back was to try and rattle Hibs, literally. Boyd's first involvement was to commit three consecutive fouls. I don't know if my memory's playing tricks on me, but I'm sure in the opening minutes of the second half, Boyd had more touches of Hibs players than he had of the ball, it certainly seemed that way!.
Rangers snapped into tackles and challenges, with the referee happy to turn a blind eye to many of the more robust encounters. Hibs, for their part, kept their cool - remonstrating at times with the referee but focussing on not getting caught up in anything that might see them booked or sent off.
As the clock ticked down, Rangers' optimism dwindled - taking their enthusiasm and effort with it. Whether they sensed that they couldn't get back into the game or just gave up chasing spaces, they were soon punished with another Hibs goal right out of the top drawer.
Scott Robertson won the ball at the half-way line and fed Scott Allan. Allan strode forward at the Rangers defence, before slipping a perfect pass to Robertson, who had continued his run into the box. So good was the pass from Allan, that it left the Rangers defender Foster on his backside and Robertson with only Simonsen to beat. Robertson duly obliged with a cool shot across goal to give Hibs a three goal lead, and kill off any hopes Rangers had of getting something from the game.
As much as Hibs were dominating, it was impressive to see that they stayed completely professional and focused on doing their jobs, and this couldn't have been demonstrated better than when Liam Fontaine thwarted a rare Rangers attack with a goal-line clearance before throwing himself at the loose ball to ensure Hibs kept a clean sheet.
Danny Handling had a chance to get a fourth goal, however he placed his shot inches wide with the goal at his mercy. Liam Craig, however, wasn't so wasteful when presented with another perfect pass from Scott Allan, Craig met the ball with his weaker right foot, and directed a low volley into the bottom corner to send three sides of Easter Road into ecstasy.
It was no more than Hibs deserved, the score-line reflecting an utterly dominant performance from Allan Stubbs' side.
From front to back, Hibs were terrific. I struggle to recall a match where Hibs have been so comfortable, so dominant, and so ruthless against a side who we should really have no right to compete with, given the respective budgets. The CIS cup final where we beat Kilmarnock 5-1 was comparable, and I'd say that as good as this match was, we weren't quite as dominant as we were the night we put six past Hearts at Easter Road, however you'd struggle to point out where Hibs could improve on Saturday's performance.
The Sky Sports pundits (and their BBC radio colleagues) were purring over Scott Allan's contribution in their analysis after the game, and as much as Allan deserves the praise (I've gone on record already to say that he's by far and away the best player in the Championship), I felt they could just as easily singled out Liam Craig, Scott Robertson, David Gray, Paul Hanlon, Liam Fontain, Lewis Stevenson, Dominque Malonga , Mark Oxley, or Jason Cummings.
There wasn't a bad performance in that Hibs side, and that showing will definitely have given Hearts Head Coach Robbie Nielson food for thought ahead of this weekend's derby. The Tynecastle outfit will definitely go into the game as strong favourites, however Hibs have put down a marker to say that they're not here to make up the numbers. Hearts got out of jail in the last derby and will be approaching this weekend's derby with more caution than any other fixture so far this season.
I'm not one for making bold derby predictions, it will be a tight affair and at the risk of using an age-old cliché, it really could go either way. Hibs though, have nothing to fear. It is hard to think about how any side at our level could cope with what Rangers faced on Saturday.
Wednesday, 17 December 2014
Boo When You're Winning.
It's early Saturday evening with the clock approaching ten to five. Hibs are two nothing up against Alloa at Easter Road, and a section (albeit a small section) of the support are booing. The target of their ire appears to be Liam Craig - a player still trying to win over a support that saw him as a very culpable figure in our relegation last season. Why are they booing Craig? Well, he's passing the ball back, keeping possession and seeing out the game.
I had changed seats for this game, moving from my seat for the last few years in the West Lower stand, to the second highest row in the West Upper. The boos came from a few guys to our left, and thankfully they were shouted down by some more reasonable supporters, but the whole episode made me question just what exactly is it the Hibs fans want from their team?
If I think back a few weeks to the last derby, Hibs had played very well, keeping the league leaders at arm's length for more or less the whole match. It had been a dominant derby performance, not really in keeping with Hibs' standard in this fixture over recent years. We didn't keep the ball at the end, and dropped two points courtesy of a long range shot from the Hearts centre-half.
Alloa themselves had shown that they were capable of turning around a two goal deficit in the closing stages of a match by beating The Rangers in the Petrofac Training Cup a couple of weeks prior to this fixture, so to my mind there was very good reason to see out the game by keeping the ball away from the Alloa players. If they don't have the ball, they can't score.
Hibs are playing a possession game this season. Alloa barely threatened the whole game, and it has been a similar story for most of Hibs' home games this season where a cursory glance at the stats would show possession, chances, corners, etc all heavily weighted in Hibs' favour.
We've seen how exciting this can be, the good derby performance and the 3-3 draw against Dundee United showcasing the tactic at its best. However, it would be fair to say that against teams that will let you have the ball, and who aren't interested in committing men forward to attack, then the possession approach proves more methodical and plodding than fluid and thrilling.
The win against Alloa could not be described as exciting, though it was effective. Hibs chalked up their first home win in three months - an astonishing statistic given the level that we are competing at this season. Alloa, for their part, looked terrible. There is an argument that suggests that Alloa looked so terrible because Hibs were so effective in the way that they kept the ball. I think that there is merit in that perspective and I'll explain why.
Hibs never seemed to get out of second gear in the game. The players looked like they cruised it, when Alloa cleared it was invariably a Hibs player that collected the ball and started another attack. We used the wings, we played through the middle, we had players switching positions and dragging markers about. Hibs controlled everything about the match, including the pace. One of the arguments put forward by a boo-er was that there was no need to keep the ball at the end of the match as Alloa had never looked like scoring. There was a very good reason for that -they never looked like scoring because we kept the ball.
We could have scored more goals, however I think the vocal minority would have reacted the same way had we been closing the game out at 4-0 up, rather than 2-0. I think that booing reaction, that impatience, is borne from our terrible home form over the last couple of years. Booing has almost become a default position for some fans, like they've forgotten how to appreciate the team. It seems that with some fans even when the team wins, the team can't win.
Coming out the game I was content that we'd won. I was disappointed that the game hadn't been more exciting but I'd take a comfortable two nil win any day of the week. I was satisfied and I felt there were real signs in the match that Stubbs' influence is definitely starting to tell on the players. Hibs no longer look like a forlorn rudderless outfit. The players played to a coherent system, knew their roles, and in Scott Allan we had a player willing to try something out of the ordinary to create chances.
That bravery to try something has led to some criticism, but from my point of view I'd much rather have someone try something fantastic and get it wrong now and again, than have someone stick with the safe, mundane option for fear of making a mistake. The problem we have with a support that boos at the first opportunity, is it's much easier for a brave player to stop making brave choices and take the easy option than it is for them to persevere and put up with the stick.
The support have to recognise the part they play in impacting individual players, and the team overall. Recognising when we've done well and applauding a win is right and justified. Booing a team for doing the sensible (if uninspiring) thing in the closing minutes is just ridiculous. We all want to see Hibs rattle seven goals past teams, but the reality of where we are just now is that scenario is unrealistic. The team has to prioritise wins first, style second. We are chasing the leaders, three points are all that matters for the time being.
Stubbs has had one transfer window to rebuild a team that was decimated morale-wise and numerically. He took on the role from a standing start and we are at a very early stage in that rebuilding process. The football club is going through root and branch change and the rewards of these changes won't be reaped immediately. We approach the January transfer window knowing that Stubbs has an eye on improving the squad for that final push.
The manager and the players need the support onside for the run in to the play-offs. Promotion is still well within our own hands and if the fans can learn to love the team again then we have a great chance of going up. We might even be able to sing when we're winning!
p.s. A small mention (and thanks) to Lee McLennan for sharing my blog via Twitter, but also for calling Malonga's hat-trick against Dumbarton the night before it happened, just a shame you never stuck a couple of quid on it, Lee! I had planned on doing a Malonga-based blog on the back of it but didn't manage to get the time to do it.
I had changed seats for this game, moving from my seat for the last few years in the West Lower stand, to the second highest row in the West Upper. The boos came from a few guys to our left, and thankfully they were shouted down by some more reasonable supporters, but the whole episode made me question just what exactly is it the Hibs fans want from their team?
If I think back a few weeks to the last derby, Hibs had played very well, keeping the league leaders at arm's length for more or less the whole match. It had been a dominant derby performance, not really in keeping with Hibs' standard in this fixture over recent years. We didn't keep the ball at the end, and dropped two points courtesy of a long range shot from the Hearts centre-half.
Alloa themselves had shown that they were capable of turning around a two goal deficit in the closing stages of a match by beating The Rangers in the Petrofac Training Cup a couple of weeks prior to this fixture, so to my mind there was very good reason to see out the game by keeping the ball away from the Alloa players. If they don't have the ball, they can't score.
Hibs are playing a possession game this season. Alloa barely threatened the whole game, and it has been a similar story for most of Hibs' home games this season where a cursory glance at the stats would show possession, chances, corners, etc all heavily weighted in Hibs' favour.
We've seen how exciting this can be, the good derby performance and the 3-3 draw against Dundee United showcasing the tactic at its best. However, it would be fair to say that against teams that will let you have the ball, and who aren't interested in committing men forward to attack, then the possession approach proves more methodical and plodding than fluid and thrilling.
The win against Alloa could not be described as exciting, though it was effective. Hibs chalked up their first home win in three months - an astonishing statistic given the level that we are competing at this season. Alloa, for their part, looked terrible. There is an argument that suggests that Alloa looked so terrible because Hibs were so effective in the way that they kept the ball. I think that there is merit in that perspective and I'll explain why.
Hibs never seemed to get out of second gear in the game. The players looked like they cruised it, when Alloa cleared it was invariably a Hibs player that collected the ball and started another attack. We used the wings, we played through the middle, we had players switching positions and dragging markers about. Hibs controlled everything about the match, including the pace. One of the arguments put forward by a boo-er was that there was no need to keep the ball at the end of the match as Alloa had never looked like scoring. There was a very good reason for that -they never looked like scoring because we kept the ball.
We could have scored more goals, however I think the vocal minority would have reacted the same way had we been closing the game out at 4-0 up, rather than 2-0. I think that booing reaction, that impatience, is borne from our terrible home form over the last couple of years. Booing has almost become a default position for some fans, like they've forgotten how to appreciate the team. It seems that with some fans even when the team wins, the team can't win.
Coming out the game I was content that we'd won. I was disappointed that the game hadn't been more exciting but I'd take a comfortable two nil win any day of the week. I was satisfied and I felt there were real signs in the match that Stubbs' influence is definitely starting to tell on the players. Hibs no longer look like a forlorn rudderless outfit. The players played to a coherent system, knew their roles, and in Scott Allan we had a player willing to try something out of the ordinary to create chances.
That bravery to try something has led to some criticism, but from my point of view I'd much rather have someone try something fantastic and get it wrong now and again, than have someone stick with the safe, mundane option for fear of making a mistake. The problem we have with a support that boos at the first opportunity, is it's much easier for a brave player to stop making brave choices and take the easy option than it is for them to persevere and put up with the stick.
The support have to recognise the part they play in impacting individual players, and the team overall. Recognising when we've done well and applauding a win is right and justified. Booing a team for doing the sensible (if uninspiring) thing in the closing minutes is just ridiculous. We all want to see Hibs rattle seven goals past teams, but the reality of where we are just now is that scenario is unrealistic. The team has to prioritise wins first, style second. We are chasing the leaders, three points are all that matters for the time being.
Stubbs has had one transfer window to rebuild a team that was decimated morale-wise and numerically. He took on the role from a standing start and we are at a very early stage in that rebuilding process. The football club is going through root and branch change and the rewards of these changes won't be reaped immediately. We approach the January transfer window knowing that Stubbs has an eye on improving the squad for that final push.
The manager and the players need the support onside for the run in to the play-offs. Promotion is still well within our own hands and if the fans can learn to love the team again then we have a great chance of going up. We might even be able to sing when we're winning!
p.s. A small mention (and thanks) to Lee McLennan for sharing my blog via Twitter, but also for calling Malonga's hat-trick against Dumbarton the night before it happened, just a shame you never stuck a couple of quid on it, Lee! I had planned on doing a Malonga-based blog on the back of it but didn't manage to get the time to do it.
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