McBride - we need an Understudy

[down-the-slope]

Rather than go on in .net fashion about last nights performance (or lack of it) for me the major issue we have is the lack of an 'understudy' for McBride.

With out him a number of players suddenly look lost, and we lose our shape most of the time - and a defence that looks ( in Hibs terms:wink:) solid suddenly looking like they have not been introduced.

Problem is the way we play is so relient on him that when he has been out we just don't adapt.

So who will be his understudy - either within or outside the club? and in what timescale

For me young Matty Welch could in 12/18 months be the understudy..but have no idea in the mean time as no one we currently have is that type of player and so the balance is still upset.

So important is it that I think how succesfull this season ends up will be dependant on McBrides fitness & match time.......

[Leith Green]

Rather than go on in .net fashion about last nights performance (or lack of it) for me the major issue we have is the lack of an 'understudy' for McBride.

With out him a number of players suddenly look lost, and we lose our shape most of the time - and a defence that looks ( in Hibs terms:wink:) solid suddenly looking like they have not been introduced.

Problem is the way we play is so relient on him that when he has been out we just don't adapt.

So who will be his understudy - either within or outside the club? and in what timescale

For me young Matty Welch could in 12/18 months be the understudy..but have no idea in the mean time as no one we currently have is that type of player and so the balance is still upset.

So important is it that I think how succesfull this season ends up will be dependant on McBrides fitness & match time.......



Surely it'll be either Sean Welsh or Lee Currie ....

[Tyler Durden]

Rather than go on in .net fashion about last nights performance (or lack of it) for me the major issue we have is the lack of an 'understudy' for McBride.

With out him a number of players suddenly look lost, and we lose our shape most of the time - and a defence that looks ( in Hibs terms:wink:) solid suddenly looking like they have not been introduced.

Problem is the way we play is so relient on him that when he has been out we just don't adapt.

So who will be his understudy - either within or outside the club? and in what timescale

For me young Matty Welch could in 12/18 months be the understudy..but have no idea in the mean time as no one we currently have is that type of player and so the balance is still upset.

So important is it that I think how succesfull this season ends up will be dependant on McBrides fitness & match time.......

Others might not agree but Thicot can defo play that role as can Cregg. I would have 1 of them in for Saturday.

For me, Zemmama coming back into the side has lead to Miller's form dipping. I would get back to Rankin and Miller flanking a holding midfielder. Zemmama can always play in the central supporting role, especially now Nish is suspended and Benji surely back to the bench.

[hibeeleicester]

I think we need to put bamba there when mcbride is out :agree:

We seen what he could do last season and his mistakes are not as costly:agree:

[down-the-slope]

Surely it'll be either Sean Welsh or Lee Currie ....

I would have agreed 12 months ago as he look excellent - but injury and time has meant he has gone backwards and i'm less hopefull, but like KT he may come back stronger.

As for other suggestions - none are a patch on McBride, and are different types of players, in that role

[hibsbollah]

Thicot. Has played there before.

[down-the-slope]

Thicot. Has played there before.

Is that a statement of past fact, or suggestion for future role :rolleyes:

[MrRobot]

I reckong Stevenson would do well in that position. Isn't afraid to get in the way of the ball, can sit infront of the defence and try to bring others into play. Worth a try.

[jacomo]

Ian Murray can also play that role.

We have plenty of players who can "hold" the midfield, in fact, but a lack of cover elsewhere limits our options.

My preference would be Bamba, because Hanlon has looked good at centre back.

[Mibbes Aye]

Think it's fair to say that the way Yogi tends to like his sides to play makes a couple of positions crucial. There's a need to have full-backs who are comfortable pushing up and there's a need for somebody to do what McBride does effectively.

I don't think Bamba or Thicot quite offer the same thing (and I like both players). Cregg not sure about TBH. And it's too big an ask of Welsh, Welch or Currie at this stage I suspect.

Before Yogi, and thus before McBride, I think there were maybe some of us who thought Kevin McCann could effectively perform in front of the defence. He's still working his way back but from memory he had the right sort of qualities for the position.

[HibbyKeith]

I'd give Thicot a shot in there, come on against dundee united and did'nt put a foot wrong, (all be it in defence) but he kept it simple, mcbride has kept him out with decent form and rightly so, but right now we are crying out for help in midfield and if thicot cant get in now he never will. miller and rankin are NOT that type of player, and both are by far more effective when they have the protection on a sitting player behind them.

[Hainan Hibs]

Far too quick to let go of Chisholm who would have excelled in this role:agree:








:greengrin

[thebakerboy]

On another thread about this problem I said I thought Murray or Bamba could do the job but I had forgotten about Thicot who could step in and do a job with minimum upset to team. In the summer Yogi has quite a few things to sort out and this is 1 because we need another specialist for this job , and allow Miller to show us how good he could be:notworthy:

[down-the-slope]

On another thread about this problem I said I thought Murray or Bamba could do the job but I had forgotten about Thicot who could step in and do a job with minimum upset to team. In the summer Yogi has quite a few things to sort out and this is 1 because we need another specialist for this job , and allow Miller to show us how good he could be:notworthy:

:agree: thats the crux of it...plenty od decent players who could be given a try but none a specialist in this pivitol role..

If anyone has the full match from first game against St Johnstone at ER take a look...we were getting an absolute roasting - yet KM almost single handidly bailed us out when we were in danger of getting the humping we have now had

[500miles]

Thicot or Stevenson for me. Not Cregg - he would step in for Rankin if anything, but mini-hulk has been playing well IMO.

[HFC 0-7]

Rather than go on in .net fashion about last nights performance (or lack of it) for me the major issue we have is the lack of an 'understudy' for McBride.

With out him a number of players suddenly look lost, and we lose our shape most of the time - and a defence that looks ( in Hibs terms:wink:) solid suddenly looking like they have not been introduced.

Problem is the way we play is so relient on him that when he has been out we just don't adapt.

So who will be his understudy - either within or outside the club? and in what timescale

For me young Matty Welch could in 12/18 months be the understudy..but have no idea in the mean time as no one we currently have is that type of player and so the balance is still upset.

So important is it that I think how succesfull this season ends up will be dependant on McBrides fitness & match time.......

I dont think its really a new signing that needs to be made. The problem when McBride is out is Yogi. He doesnt seem to put someone into McBrides role, he instead plays different tactics and IMO thats the problem. Yogi seems to think that when a player is out we cant play the same formation or tactics with a replacement, perhaps they wont be as good but it will still be better than changing a lot of things.

[archiebald]

Got one Lewis Stevenson :greengrin

[Franck is God]

I dont think its really a new signing that needs to be made. The problem when McBride is out is Yogi. He doesnt seem to put someone into McBrides role, he instead plays different tactics and IMO thats the problem. Yogi seems to think that when a player is out we cant play the same formation or tactics with a replacement, perhaps they wont be as good but it will still be better than changing a lot of things.


I agree with this. I would say that Thicot, Stevenson and Cregg could all play a part in a three man midfield alongside Miller & Rankin.

My hope is that by the summer McCann will be back in at right back and Wotherspoon can play alonside Miller & McBride in what would be my first choice midfield three.

[down-the-slope]

I agree with this. I would say that Thicot, Stevenson and Cregg could all play a part in a three man midfield alongside Miller & Rankin.

My hope is that by the summer McCann will be back in at right back and Wotherspoon can play alonside Miller & McBride in what would be my first choice midfield three.

:agree: - any chance of ressurecting the Rack and stretching then a few inches though:wink:

[Franck is God]

:agree: - any chance of ressurecting the Rack and stretching then a few inches though:wink:

If Liam Miller was good enough for SAF to sign him for Man Utd as a potential replacement for Roy Keane then I'm going to accept that he is big enough already.

If we have three good midfielders in the middle of the pitch that have good touch, movement and a bit of vision then how tall they are is irrelevant.

[thebakerboy]

If Liam Miller was good enough for SAF to sign him for Man Utd as a potential replacement for Roy Keane then I'm going to accept that he is big enough already.

If we have three good midfielders in the middle of the pitch that have good touch, movement and a bit of vision then how tall they are is irrelevant.
Yes but SAF admits his mistakes and gets rid fast Liam is a lovely class footballer but not what SAF thought he was and he left. You just need to look at games when both Miller and McBride play Miller is a far better player with a minder beside him:greengrin

[down-the-slope]

Yes but SAF admits his mistakes and gets rid fast Liam is a lovely class footballer but not what SAF thought he was and he left. You just need to look at games when both Miller and McBride play Miller is a far better player with a minder beside him:greengrin

:agree: ..... back to McBrides importance

[since90plustwo]

I think we need to put bamba there when mcbride is out :agree:

We seen what he could do last season and his mistakes are not as costly:agree:




i dont think that would be a good idea, fair enough he will win the ball, but his passing is awful and mcbrides in brilliant, we are better off keeping sol at the back :wink:

[Hibernating (Im a stoopid yam tramp)]

If we were to go to the 352 system I want, I'd agree. But I don't think we need any back up just now. Murray could play in there with Hanlon taking over left back if needs be.