We need the fans to roar us
on!
Hibs boss delight at Saintly
performance - now he needs the fans to get behind his side in Europe - STUART CROWTHER
ALEX MCLEISH WAS A HAPPY MAN LAST NIGHT after watching his
much-changed side turn in another performance that proved too much for SPL
opponents, but the Hibs boss knows that come Thursday things will be very
much more difficult for the Hibees. His belief remains strong that
Hibs can still get through their European test, but the boss made it clear
he needs the help of Hibs fans to fill the stadium and create a wall of
noise that would give his side the vital boost he needs.
"We know that Thursday is going to be different but we will try and get at
Athens, while we will of course need to be aware and keep the door shut at
the back. We cannot let AEK come and dictate things by playing their
passing game, we will need to be aggressive within the rules, I mean by
that we need to be positive rather than any physical aggression,"
McLeish said after watching his side
put in a devastating ten minutes that produced three goals and left St
Johnstone chasing shadows at Easter Road. McLeish rang the changes,
resting front pair Craig Brewster and Tom McManus, while having to make
forced changes with Franck Sauzee still injured and Gary Smith out with an
Achilles injury - and likely to miss the European return on Thursday.
A delighted Alan Smart celebrates his debut goal for Hibernian (sns)
Paco
Luna and Alan Smart took over the main striking roles, and it was the
Spaniard who turned in a man of the match performance that has given
McLeish selection headaches of the type every manager loves. Both
Luna and Smart managed to get on the scoresheet, as did Paul Fenwick who
is clearly enjoying a season when goals seem to come easy for the Canadian
central-defender! Hibs other goal also came from a welcome source,
Grant Brebner putting in another good shift on his return to the side and
capping it with a 20-yard cracker that will do much for his confidence.
It was though Luna who caught the eye and was singled out for a special
mention from the Hibs boss, who said: "I was very
pleased with the mentality of the players today, if there was any
tiredness around they did not show it. We freshened things up a bit
including our two strikers, we have had good quality on the sidelines in
recent weeks, with Paco looking the business in recent games and in
training, he has stepped up his sharpness and we could all see the ability
of the boy. He is good in the air and has a good eye for goal, and
he brings other people into play well."
On-loan Watford striker Alan Smart finally got his first start for the
club, and while frustrated for much of the match by some dodgy offside
decisions by the stand-side linesman, Smart was still on hand to touch
home his debut goal after superb work from Ulises de la Cruz who laid it
all on a plate! "We have hardly had the chance
to look at Alan Smart," McLeish
said, adding: "We were going to start him last week
against Dunfermline but he took an injury in training. But it's
great that we were able to freshen the side up and also get the victory,
but I did have a great deal of belief in the guys who started today.
We have been given food for thought regarding selection for Thursday, but
we will give that some thought during the week - there were a few good
performances against St Johnstone. I was particularly pleased with
the guys at the back, we reverted to a back-four and the lads were
excellent. One slip from Alen Orman just after half-time but Nick
Colgan was very sharp to block that."
John O'Neil - turned in yet another superb performance against his former
club (sns)
The
points in the bag once again that see Hibs secured in third slot in the
SPL, McLeish is now firmly looking ahead to Thursday's clash, saying:
"We will now get down to work in the next few days
on planning the demise of AEK Athens! We are certainly going to give
it a go, and it could be a great night. We will need to
be positive going forward and getting crosses in, I don't think they are
the biggest side in the world at the back, and we did not put enough cross
balls in on Thursday night. I came away from the first leg very
disappointed, I did not think on reflection that we should have lost the
game by two goals. But I believe we have got a chance. What is
vital to us is that we fill Easter Road on Thursday night - the Hibs fans
can be like an extra player to us, I know you have heard that cliché time
and time again but we believe that if they come and scream their heads
off, we are in with a chance."
McLeish will know that every one in his squad must be at their very best
if the two-goal deficit from the first leg is to be overturned, but Hibs
still have a few injury problems with skipper Franck Sauzee far from
certain to start, while Gary Smith looks certain to miss the game on
Thursday. McLeish said: "Frank Sauzee
has a chance for Thursday night, we did not though wish to compromise his
season by forcing him into something when he was not ready. Gary
soldiered his way through the second half in Athens, we thought he was
going to be a casualty early in the second half and had a contingency plan
but Gary played through it. His injury though did not detract from
his performance in Athens, but it took it's toll and he missed the St
Johnstone game, I also don't think Gary has a chance of making it for the
game on Thursday."
Having
scored 12 times in their last three league matches, nine of these goals
coming at Easter Road, Hibs have every reason to believe that they have
the players capable of turning things around against AEK. As always
in these games, the atmosphere on the night could make all the difference,
and that means every Hibs fan turning out to roar on the club to what
might yet prove to be another chapter in Hibs amazing European story.
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