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View Full Version : Extra man in midfield on Saturday?



3pm
02-11-2009, 12:30 PM
As well as the results have gone so far, I still have my concerns about the strength of our midfield. As good as Miller and McBride are, I'd like to see us go to Tynecastle and be more competitive in the middle of the park. Some will point to Ibrox and say we should stick with the front 4 which I understand but I think this is different....

I always think that in these games, we win the battle first then worry about the performance later. If we can win the midfield against the Gorgie grafters (polite term for 'hackers') then we are in with a shout.

With that in mind, I'd take out Benji and bring in Cregg. Benji and Nish can come on and influence the game once the cloggers are beginning to run out of steam.

Views? :blah:

Andy74
02-11-2009, 12:49 PM
I'm not seeing how our 442 is any different to anyone else's and why they keep calling it a 424?

Riordan and Zemmama are playing as wingers, just like an ordinary 442.

Wouldn't change a thing for that lot, any other bottom 6 team we'd be changing for when we didn't change for the current champions?

Let them worry about us.

Tinyclothes
02-11-2009, 01:00 PM
I'm not seeing how our 442 is any different to anyone else's and why they keep calling it a 424?

Riordan and Zemmama are playing as wingers, just like an ordinary 442.

Wouldn't change a thing for that lot, any other bottom 6 team we'd be changing for when we didn't change for the current champions?

Let them worry about us.

Agreed, if anything we should be even more attacking and scare the sh*t out of them.

Edinburgh Green
02-11-2009, 01:02 PM
I'm not seeing how our 442 is any different to anyone else's and why they keep calling it a 424?

Riordan and Zemmama are playing as wingers, just like an ordinary 442.

Wouldn't change a thing for that lot, any other bottom 6 team we'd be changing for when we didn't change for the current champions?

Let them worry about us.

:agree: We play a 442 the 424 tag just sounds 'sexier'

Dr Jimmy
02-11-2009, 01:04 PM
As well as the results have gone so far, I still have my concerns about the strength of our midfield. As good as Miller and McBride are, I'd like to see us go to Tynecastle and be more competitive in the middle of the park. Some will point to Ibrox and say we should stick with the front 4 which I understand but I think this is different....

I always think that in these games, we win the battle first then worry about the performance later. If we can win the midfield against the Gorgie grafters (polite term for 'hackers') then we are in with a shout.

With that in mind, I'd take out Benji and bring in Cregg. Benji and Nish can come on and influence the game once the cloggers are beginning to run out of steam.

Views? :blah:

I agree, as I can only see them causing us problems at set pieces and on their left hand side ie. Wallace & Driver getting at young Wotherspoon, as Zemama cant offer the protection he may need. That said if Zemama is fit we have to play him, but maybe with a free reign with Cregg covering on the right.
I would also have Stokes and Nish (yes I did say Nish) up front with Benji & Riordan on the bench.
My reason for Nish instead of Riordan is they are apparently powder puff through the middle of defence and a physical option of Nish might be enough for Zemama and Stokes to feed of.
I defo think we need to change from the last few weeks, as we struggle against teams that flood the mid field (D Utd, Aberdeen, Killie) and lets face it, Hearts will have 5 battlers in there.

jonny
02-11-2009, 04:48 PM
It doesnt matter too much what formation we play so long as its relatively sensible. We're far too good for that lot.
I normally get a wee bit nervous in the week leading up to a derby game but im not getting the jitters this time.
I'm very (perhaps slightly over) confident that we'll turn them over. We showed against the sheep that we wont be bullied and we've showed in other games that we've got plenty class.

Comfortable win for the Hibees and a 14 point gap after the 1st round of games.

HibbyAndy
02-11-2009, 04:50 PM
Extra man

Why dont we let Hearts start with 12 men on Saturday to give them a chance?

As a side not, Csabla Laslo has asked the SFA for another football on Saturday prior to the Hibs game, his plea was 'Well Hibs will be playing with the other one'.

:cool2:

jonny
02-11-2009, 04:53 PM
Extra man

Why dont we let Hearts start with 12 men on Saturday to give them a chance?

As a side not, Csabla Laslo has asked the SFA for another football on Saturday prior to the Hibs game, his plea was 'Well Hibs will be playing with the other one'.

:cool2:

:faf::faf::faf:

truehibernian
02-11-2009, 05:30 PM
Celtic (second half) effectively played 4-2-4 for the whole 45 minutes and carved them open time and time again. Why change the system which has seen us go unbeaten for 5 games ? If anything, even if they score first, the team has that edge and confidence to battle back and score more than the opposition. How many times have you seen us go to Ibrox, equalise, and go for the win ? Against Motherwell, even at 3-1 we were bombing forward at every opportunity and there was still over half an hour to play. Same against Falkirk. This team has no fear at present and it would be quite foolish to change a system against a team notorious for playing only one up front (home and away), no real goal threat other than Driver, and a weak defence. Yep, we may be too cavalier and they capitalise and bore us all to tears with a grinding win if they take the lead. But as ever I would always hope we stick to the footballing principals and play attractive attacking stuff from first minute to last. Their attacking focus will come from Wallace and Driver so you limit their forays into our half/box, you have a real chance of a good away win. Riordan and Zooma have to not only track back but really test their full backs and work them. Would love to see Galbraith get a shot at their young full back though as he has the pace to get round people.

HibbyAndy
02-11-2009, 05:33 PM
Celtic (second half) effectively played 4-2-4 for the whole 45 minutes and carved them open time and time again. Why change the system which has seen us go unbeaten for 5 games ? If anything, even if they score first, the team has that edge and confidence to battle back and score more than the opposition. How many times have you seen us go to Ibrox, equalise, and go for the win ? Against Motherwell, even at 3-1 we were bombing forward at every opportunity and there was still over half an hour to play. Same against Falkirk. This team has no fear at present and it would be quite foolish to change a system against a team notorious for playing only one up front (home and away), no real goal threat other than Driver, and a weak defence. Yep, we may be too cavalier and they capitalise and bore us all to tears with a grinding win if they take the lead. But as ever I would always hope we stick to the footballing principals and play attractive attacking stuff from first minute to last. Their attacking focus will come from Wallace and Driver so you limit their forays into our half/box, you have a real chance of a good away win. Riordan and Zooma have to not only track back but really test their full backs and work them. Would love to see Galbraith get a shot at their young full back though as he has the pace to get round people.


Great post.

And would like to see the bit ive highlighted :agree:

Cropley10
02-11-2009, 08:22 PM
I'm disappointed that wee Susan won't be playing... he really is a piece of work. I'm also looking forward to seeing Miller vs Mikey.:thumbsup:

However - I'm not at all confident, it's got all the hallmarks of a banana skin fixture, pride coming before a fall etc. Yes they're pash but they don't concede easily at all and they're a much more physical side.

A draw and 21 points from the 11 games will do me OK. Keeps them a massive 11 back too.

I hate Derby's - I'll probably take the dug a long walk at 12.25!

Danderhall Hibs
02-11-2009, 08:33 PM
They're a big physical side so an extra man in the middle might be an idea. I'd be tempted to drop Benji and play Riordan "in the hole" off Stokes, put Rankin on the left hand side.

BTW I think our formation is a 4-2-3-1.

shagpile
02-11-2009, 11:01 PM
They're a big physical side so an extra man in the middle might be an idea. I'd be tempted to drop Benji and play Riordan "in the hole" off Stokes, put Rankin on the left hand side.

BTW I think our formation is a 4-2-3-1.

Your thinking is spot on.
Lets play another midfielder on Saturday though.:agree:
Move Wotherspoon forward & play 3-3-3-1:cool2:

Wotherspiniesta
02-11-2009, 11:12 PM
We didn't change our formation for anybody else, including Rangers at Ibrox and we shouldn't change it for Hearts either. If Zemmama is out, I'd push Wotherspoon to RM and move McCann into RB. Apart from that, I'd keep the same starting XI as Saturday.

Jack
03-11-2009, 12:05 AM
TBH I’d have Nish on AND I’d have an extra midfielder, probably Rankin!

Nish in for Benji but I’m not sure who I’d sacrifice for Rankin, BTW did anyone else see the long bangers he was pinging in before the Kilmarnock game? – beat TWO goalkeepers, t!ts up, from the half way line. I was late on Saturday and only just made the kick off so he might have been doing it again.

These thoughts were even before I saw the Hahahearts report in the Scotsman – extract …


Motherwell captain Mark Reynolds admitted his manager had watched videos of their opponents and identified Hearts' weaknesses and the way his team "should play".

"What he was saying watching the games was that maybe Hearts were a bit weak in the two centre-half areas and, if we went direct and played balls up to our strong centre-forwards, we could fight for scraps and second balls. Build a base from there, as opposed to building a base from the back four. It worked a lot better and we played a lot more on the front foot."

I’m sure Yogi has done his homework and in Yogi I trust, Jim Gannon is, however, growing respect :cool2: