Good signs
Second half display encourages
Sauzee
by John Campbell
HE MAY STILL
BE WAITING for his first win as Manager of Hibs but Franck Sauzee
is confident that it will happen sooner rather than later, preferring
to concentrate on an encouraging second half performance at McDiarmid
Park whilst relegating all thoughts of the quite appalling first forty
five minutes to the back of his mind.
In a game which
Hibs should have won, six or seven decent chances were created but
none were converted, allowing SPL basement boys St. Johnstone a point
their play scarcely deserved. Sauzee was quite philosophical
about it all however as he explained
"I think in our
situation of having gone seven or eight games without a win it was
good to get at least a point but in truth I am disappointed that our
second half play didn't get us all three. We didn't play well at
all in the first half but the second was good when we hit the post and
the bar and created other chances. The commitment was really
good in that second half and the players showed great heart as they
played well on the ball."
It's a mystery
as to what Sauzee actually said to his players at half time but the
contrast was amazing as chance after chance came along. In that
barren first half, Tam McManus ploughed a lonely furrow up front as
his midfield support invariably either arrived late or not at all.
"I told
my players I was not happy with their mentality in that first half and
things improved greatly in the second. Today we had seven or
eight good chances to score but didn't do it whilst in other games we
might only get one or two but take them and win. That's
football. It is a question of confidence and we will work on
that in training but I like to concentrate on that good second half
and the fact that we kept a clean sheet as St. Johnstone did not
really have any chances to score other than at one free kick which
Nick dealt with really well."
Many fans in the
travelling support were surprised at Ian Murray being dropped and
Ulrik Laursen taking up the traditional left back role, with Freddie
Arpinon getting a start in midfield. They would have been even
more surprised, I am sure, that Hibs went with only one striker
against the poorest team in the League but the game plan was clearly
to get Zitelli, Arpinon and Brebner in to the box quickly to help
young Tam out. It failed to happen in the first half on more
occasions than not but was much more successful in that improved
second half performance.
Speaking of his
contribution, midfield ace Freddie Arpinon said
"It was my job
to play just behind Tom McManus but in the first half I did not manage
it often. I have been out for a while and was trying to get into
the game in that first half. Things were much better in the
second half and I was more pleased. Hibs played well and I had
chances to score but I don't really know how I missed the one from
Paul Fenwick's knock down. Perhaps I struck it too well.
We missed some good chances but our second half performance will help
our confidence. My fitness is now better and I will improve from
this game."
Freddie Arpinon - Trying to figure out how he missed (sns)
Clearly Arpinon
would benefit from a run in the team and it was interesting that after
he had been caught in possession a couple of times during the game, he
was offered advice by both Laursen and his Captain John O'Neil, after
which he was a little quicker to part with the ball. A fine
example of the togetherness the new gaffer seeks to instil in his
players as no harsh words were exchanged, just a quietly offered piece
of encouragement.
Last word then
to a disappointed but proud Manager as Sauzee offered
"I saw many good
signs during the second half and I will be working on those in
training with the players. My players are disappointed not to
have won and Freddie is wishing his chances had gone in. I
played him just behind the strikers and he is a good player who has
gotten over his injury problems and so it is time for him to show us
all what he is capable of. I have never thought that being the
Manager would be easy but we will work hard at training and we will
improve. There are times when I would like to be on the park but
that is not going to happen; it is all in the past my playing days as
I have made my decision. I am focusing on my players and I will
do all I can to make them better players."
Hibs now have
just a few days to prepare for the visit of Alex McLeish and his
Rangers side but you get the feeling that Sauzee's job will not be too
difficult when it comes to motivating his men for this one.
Confidence may not be sky high but a very noisy and supportive crowd
will ensure the players are on their toes for what will be a very
difficult game; a game from which Hibs have every chance of gaining
points.
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