Are we too relentless?

Thinking about our recent home games, what had really impressed me is how we have been able to almost totally pin opponents back into their own half / own box. We used to do it in championship, but i didnt expect us to be able to do it so much in the top league.

I think its partly as a result of the quality of our ball players, but we also seem to put a ring of players around the box about 30 yards out that help to pen opponents in.

However i wonder if this is part of our problem with turning pressurr into chances, never mind goals.

Firstly, by penning opponents in, in forces them to defend deep and puts them in a defensive 'mode'.

Secondly, part of the reason for being able to pin them back, that ring of players who operate 30 yards from goal, means that those players are not getting into the box.

I wonder if we need to let teams have more posession and territory, to allow them to make more space for us to attack?

We seem to make very few good chances for all our domination, and seem to struggle more at home - especially in second halves. Maybe we are nullifying ourselves at times?

More like a lack of creativity and players afraid to shoot, and trying to walk the ball in and over complicating play

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Originally Posted by Baldy Foghorn

More like a lack of creativity and players afraid to shoot, and trying to walk the ball in and over complicating play

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Yeah, although i was pleased to see Swanson play yesterday - thought he was good, and will be a big part in adding goals and creativity i think.

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Originally Posted by SouthsideHarp_Bhoy

Yeah, although i was pleased to see Swanson play yesterday - thought he was good, and will be a big part in adding goals and creativity i think.

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Hopefully. We really need to improve in the final 3rd, and with our final ball and decision making:aok:

We have good forwards but the service into the box from midfield has been woeful in recent weeks. No-one can cross the ball with any degree of accuracy or guile, corners are like a clearance for their defence in the main and we pussy foot around the box instead of firing the ball in. I actually think we are missing a James Keatings type. Begining to look stale and predictable at times.

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Originally Posted by hibbyfraelibby

We have good forwards but the service into the box from midfield has been woeful in recent weeks. No-one can cross the ball with any degree of accuracy or guile, corners are like a clearance for their defence in the main and we pussy foot around the box instead of firing the ball in. I actually think we are missing a James Keatings type. Begining to look stale and predictable at times.

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Boyle and barker have put many good balls into the box recently our strikers just can’t finish or aren’t up with play. Even Stevenson as sent in a good few balls.

If Stokes isn’t an out and out striker Lennon needs to bring in 2 more. One for Dave and one for Stokes. Stokes can then either play in the hole or not play at all. He should be doing so much better than he has been there is no question of that, and I’m a fan of his but even I’m getting fed up defending him.

Why did we have someone who can hit a dead ball like Swanson can yet persist on stokes & McGinn hitting set pieces?

If Stokes was ever in the box we'd be fine!

I get what you mean Southside. In away games its a lot easier to create space for the likes of Boyle and Murray because the opposition are more attack minded.

But teams are not going to come to ER and throw caution to the wind and if Hibs were to start playing a style that gave them more of the ball in an attempt to draw them out I can only imagine the crowds reaction when we drop back into our own half and don't try to press, they will get frustrated watching it and get on the players case pretty quickly I would imagine.

I know what you mean about our midfielders being too far back, but when we are in possession IMO we just need to be a wee bit more brave in making runs into the box, I don't see how our 'style' is preventing them from doing that when we actually have the ball .... and as me and a few other guys have said, yesterday Stokes could have had a great opportunity to score if he had gambled on Shaw winning the ball out on the touchline instead of standing still watching and consequently being nowhere as Shaw played a super ball across the 6 yard box.

Stokes hasn't been the only player either in the midfield or up front who hasn't capitalised on decent balls into the box this season by failing to make the run they should when they should make it, for me that's more to do with a lack of awareness, or being brave enough to gamble that the ball will make it into the box, than it is our actual style of play.

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Originally Posted by NAE NOOKIE

I get what you mean Southside. In away games its a lot easier to create space for the likes of Boyle and Murray because the opposition are more attack minded.

But teams are not going to come to ER and throw caution to the wind and if Hibs were to start playing a style that gave them more of the ball in an attempt to draw them out I can only imagine the crowds reaction when we drop back into our own half and don't try to press, they will get frustrated watching it and get on the players case pretty quickly I would imagine.

I know what you mean about our midfielders being too far back, but when we are in possession IMO we just need to be a wee bit more brave in making runs into the box, I don't see how our 'style' is preventing them from doing that when we actually have the ball .... and as me and a few other guys have said, yesterday Stokes could have had a great opportunity to score if he had gambled on Shaw winning the ball out on the touchline instead of standing still watching and consequently being nowhere as Shaw played a super ball across the 6 yard box.

Stokes hasn't been the only player either in the midfield or up front who hasn't capitalised on decent balls into the box this season by failing to make the run they should when they should make it, for me that's more to do with a lack of awareness, or being brave enough to gamble that the ball will make it into the box, than it is our actual style of play.

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Agree with all this. 👍🏼

I feel like if Lennon wanted stokes to get into the box and on the end of the crosses he would instruct him to do so. I don't understand why he doesn't but in the mean time it's probably not stokes fault most of the time. If the manager tells him to drop back and wait for a loose ball (a bit like how Boyd scored yesterday) then that's what he's gonna do.

Gary Parker repeated almost word for word a point I made on one of the threads yesterday. Boyle puts a great ball in and Stokes stands behind two defenders when he had a tap in with any decent run across the defenders. It's not only Stokes but as he is the other forward it is most obvious.

Our problem is we don't get men into the box. Look at Shaw's non goal against Hearts. Boyle and Stevenson play that ball in regularly and are derided for hitting the first man. It only hits the first man because nobody, barring Shaw, ever makes a front post run.

Two strikers, one makes a front post run the other a back post, mid goal run with midfielders coming in for a cut back. It isn't difficult but we never do it.

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Originally Posted by Baldy Foghorn

More like a lack of creativity and players afraid to shoot, and trying to walk the ball in and over complicating play

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Lost count of the times someone could have shot but took another touch and the chance was gone .
They are doing the hard part in making the space, only to waste it by not getting a shot away .

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Originally Posted by Baldy Foghorn

More like a lack of creativity and players afraid to shoot, and trying to walk the ball in and over complicating play

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Totally agree. We have this unhappy knack of taking that extra unnecessary touch/pass when it’s not required. We do by and large have more shots on goal than the oppo but most are in a crowded box packed with defenders. A bit more of the surprise element of shooting early when it’s unexpected might pay better dividends. OK, it might not come off every time but is an alternative to trying to walk the ball into the net every time.

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Originally Posted by Baldy Foghorn

More like a lack of creativity and players afraid to shoot, and trying to walk the ball in and over complicating play

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said the very thing over and over again, we also make about 10 passes just to get to the halve way line
we must be slowest team going forward
killie had 10 men behind the ball by the time we get into dangerous areas ( apart from the carthorse )

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Originally Posted by Michael

If Stokes was ever in the box we'd be fine!

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why is he taken corners he should be on the end of them

As others have correctly stated, Stokes needs to actually be in the box not hanging around on the edge or taking corners.

To me the biggest problem is we are way too slow getting to relentless. We might pin teams in at times, even the top teams in the league, but we take so long getting the ball up the park that it is almost impossible to score. I'm beginning to think Bartley should play every week and the other midfielders should be told to be as cavalier as they think the situation demands. That might get us that elusive late runner whilst Marv shores up the defence.