Doumbe sold us out
Board take the rap - but it was Doumbe who did the dirty deed

THE FASHION IS TO BLAME THE GUYS IN THE BOARDROOM every time something goes wrong.  And why not, the buck stops at the Boardroom door no matter what business you are running, but the difference in football is pretty damn obvious to anyone.  I have to say that reading and hearing the angry words spoken by many Hibs fans, I wonder just why they never seem to be aimed in the direction of players.  Well OK, they are sometimes, when players perform badly on the park, or when they are seen foolishly enjoying themselves in a club after a defeat, you know the sort of things that get right up your average football supporter's nose!

The latest round of anger is mainly being aimed at Rod Petrie it seems, this time because Rod is responsible for not yet employing a new manager, five weeks after the departure of the old one (the one many fans were demanding was removed).  Last week, it was revealed that talks between Petrie and Grant Brebner had ended, contrary to how most people thought was about to happen, with Brebner putting pen to paper on a new deal.  The reaction for the most part was great, but not by any means all as some question the sense in Petrie sanctioning the signing while the club were without a manager.  Yesterday we learned that Mathias Doumbe was off to Plymouth, and this time the vitriol was pouring out in the direction of Petrie again, because he did not do all possible to sign Doumbe, even though we still don't have a manager in place.  There may be some sense in these counter arguments, some reasoning that Petrie can point to and try and retain his sanity.  Good luck to him, I don't see it.

Mathias Doumbe - never like him anyhow! (sns)

I've never met Mr Petrie, and yet as a fan I don't like him.  No sense in that either is there?  It's a strange thing this football following business, and I've got to admit there are times when I don't even understand my own logic!  I've gotta say that writing these wee articles does force me into a position of more lateral thinking, I'm no master of words or anything but if they are going to make sense I've got to think a little more about what is going on.  So looking at the Doumbe situation, if I was on a jury I'd have to find him guilty of being a right little mongrel.  If reports are to be believed, and I've don't have a reason not to, Doumbe was walking around Saturday evening telling everyone he did not know his future and anyway was signed to Hibs until the end of June.  Aye, right, and it was only on Monday you decided to visit Plymouth then Mathias?  Naw, I don't think so.

Hibs it seems offered Doumbe their best, they put a 3-year contract on the table at the highest affordable rate.  Doumbe stalled, prevaricated, stalled a little more, and then scuttled off to join his mentor, you know the guy who not nine months ago was happy to punt him off in the direction of Dundee United.  Football is indeed a strange business, I sure as hell am glad I don't ever have to play poker with these guys.

Anyway Doumbe is gone, Brebs is staying, others are in the melting pot.  I've a wee bad feeling that we are going to have a cart load more bad news before anything gets better, and that will mean more pain on the message boards, in the pubs, in the office.  Christ I hate this waiting, I hate the thought of not knowing, I hate reading all the hate.  But in the troubled world, does it matter a damn?  Really does it?  End of the day we will get a new manager, it might or might not be 'sensational' news we all crave, it's all very uncertain.  Except one thing at least, we can be certain that whatever happens Rod Petrie will get it in the neck.  Ah well, at least some things are predictable!

Thanks again for reading my jumbled thoughts, sorry if I've just confused you even more but shit guys, that's being a Hibs fan, it's what it's always been like.  Who knows, by the time I come back next week, we might all be celebrating the fact that all this delay was down to some clause in Gordon Strachan's old contract with Southampton that he could not talk openly about another job or take up another job until it was over on 1st June.  So I can dream, right?  See you when I wake up!