Should Andrew Shinnie be offered a contract?

[BegbieHSC]

EEN reporting that he is open to signing next season. What're your thoughts?

It may be the last game of the season, but Andrew Shinnie is reluctant to concede tomorrow’s clash with St Mirren might be his last for Hibs.

The former Inverness Caley midfielder arrived at Easter Road last summer on loan from English Championship side Birmingham City for the 2016/17 campaign. And with a year remaining on his contract, he is due to return to the Black Country although, he admits, his future remains uncertain.
The Blues go into their own last game of the season away to Bristol City two points away from the relegation danger zone, but with no margin for error with both Nottingham Forest and Blackburn Rovers breathing down their necks.
But while his entire focus will be on ensuring one final victory for Hibs as they prepare to celebrate winning the Championship title and promotion to the Premiership, Shinnie admits City’s fate could well have a bearing on where he is playing football next season. Depending on what transpires over the next few weeks, the 27-year-old revealed he wouldn’t dismiss a return to the Capital if the chance were to arise.

He said: “I’ll have to see over the summer. There’s a lot of stuff to go on and although I have another year on my contract with Birmingham, they’ve got a big weekend coming up down there and whatever way it goes there’ll be a lot to think about. “It will get sorted out over the summer. I don’t know what will happen, but I wouldn’t rule out coming back to Hibs. I jumped at the chance to come here when they were in the Championship, so being in the Premiership would be even better.”

Shinnie insisted he’d had no misgivings at joining a club facing a third successive season in the second tier of Scottish football, even if he was puzzled as to how they’d found themselves in such a situation, that capitulation in the second half of the season which brought relegation even more confusing given it happened with Terry Butcher, his old boss at Caley, in charge.

He said: “I always liked Hibs as a team when I played in Scotland. I don’t know why, but it’s a great club, a big stadium and they always had a good team, a great team back in the day. “It’s obviously been disappointing for them to go down and to be honest – I do not know how it happened. “I was down the road and not paying too much attention to it, but to my mind Hibs should never have been in the Championship. I was with Terry at Caley and while he probably won’t be the most popular guy down Easter Road way because he was manager when it happened, he was great with me. “I was surprised because you don’t expect a team of his to fold like that and go under. You never think you’ll be relegated, but when you go on a downward spiral it’s hard to get out of it as Caley are finding right now.

“You can have good success as they had but one bad season can end it all for you. “But I’ve loved it here, it’s been a great season. I said when I came up I was excited to be in a title race as I’d never been in one before. It’s great to have come out the other end. We’re a bit unfortunate not to be in the Scottish Cup final again, but I’ll take the title.”

Finally clinching the promotion, admitted Shinnie, prompted a mixture of relief and satisfaction but, he insisted, it would be even sweeter for players such as Paul Hanlon, Lewis Stevenson and Jason Cummings who were at the club when that play-off defeat by Hamilton consigned them to the drop.

He said: “When you come to the end of the season as we have, you think it has flown i,n but at the same time it’s gone a bit slower than you feel. “There have been a few hard times, but we’ve been top most of the season and been pretty solid. There were a few draws, times when the boss was unhappy but at the end of the day they were draws, not defeats, and we won the league quite comfortably. “We’ve put in a lot of hard work over the season and it has paid off. “I think that for the lads who have been here and seen the ups and downs like Paul and Lewis, it has been a big relief for them. There’s been quite a bit of pressure and now a bit of relief and satisfaction for everyone, but we are delighted and excited to have played our part in winning the league and taking Hibs back up.

“I’d think the likes of Paul, Lewy and Jason will feel they’ve probably righted a wrong. Jason has been crucial, he said he’d stay until Hibs were back in the Premiership, although he’ll hopefully be here longer, while Lewy has probably played almost every game since relegation. “Paul, too, has been great. He’s had this annoying injury of late but he was brilliant in the first half of the season so I am very happy for them in particular.”

Hibs finally returning to the Premiership will, argued Shinnie, be good for Scottish football in general, pointing to the crowds he and his team-mates have enjoyed with the attendance tomorrow predicted to touch 19,000 and the fact that over the past couple of seasons they have more than held their own when drawn against top flight competition in the cups.

Even the disappointment of seeing the Scottish Cup wrested from their grasp having given Aberdeen a huge fright could, he claimed, be seen in a positive light. He said: “I think it’s been bad for the image of Scottish football Hibs being out of the Premiership for such a prolonged period. I think we should be up there competing for top six, top four. “We have a good squad and I am sure the gaffer will have a few irons in the fire. He’s brought in Danny Swanson, a great player, and I’d imagine he’s going to add a few more to go with the bulk of the squad we have already. “We got off to a bad start against Aberdeen the other day but could have won a game against a team that’s been second best in the country for the last few years competing with Celtic. We did well against them and Hearts who have been comfortably in the top six. “I think it will be exciting for the fans, a lot of big games, a lot of big away matches. I have to admit Edinburgh is a bigger football city than I thought. It’s a massive football city with loads of fans out there. A few of the lads hang out together away from the game and there are always supporters coming up wanting to speak to you. “The fans have backed us massively throughout the season and it would have been a travesty had we not gone back up. Now we want to win our last game and enjoy the day. St Mirren might be hoping we’ll be in party mode and not interested. They have a lot to play for, it will be a tough game but we’re looking to sign off by turning in a good performance.”

Read more at: http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.co...hibs-1-4437460

[supermcginn]

No thanks, swanson is a significant improvement on him.

[Slavers]

Yes I would keep. We don't have many in the squad with his attacking midfield attributes. I think he put in a lot of effort during his time and showed he wanted to be at Hibs. 2 year deal for me.

[bigwheel]

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No thanks, swanson is a significant improvement on him.

..not for me...I'd take Shinnie if I had to choose...I hope they both have a role to play tbh.

[JDHibs]

Yes i would keep him. All depends on what happens with Birmingham though and hwere they play next season.

Top assister in the team and a handy player to have around.

[Godsahibby]

Earlier on in the season it would have been a no from me but the more I have seen him the more I have liked him. Would definitely be an asset to the team.

No reason we can't have Swanson and shinnie.

[My_Wife_Camille]

Definitely not

[IAmLee]

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No thanks, swanson is a significant improvement on him.

Why not both? Swanson plays from the left wing and Shinnie's best position is just behind the striker.......

[Speedy]

Depends on who the alternatives are and how much he'd cost.

He would add to the squad imo but we can't have everyone.

[Unseen work]

I would sign him.

good player who improved as the season went on

[green with envy]

To inconstant for me - would hope we could attract better.

[SChibs]

Really depends on other signings. I like him but I'd take Henderson over him for example.

[Big_Franck]

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Depends on who the alternatives are and how much he'd cost.

He would add to the squad imo but we can't have everyone.

Agree with this. He'll be on a good wage at Birmingham so if he's looking for anywhere near that I wouldn't sign him. If he would be one of our highest earners I don't think his performances this season have merited such an investment on our part. If he would come in on an average Hibs wage then i'd take him. He'd be a good squad player.

[GreenNWhiteArmy]

I'd be more than happy to have Andrew back permanently in the summer. We talk about consistency but how many players have truly played to their form this season? Jase, Lewy and Mcgregor are probably the only players to really consistently performed. To suggest we should bring Henderson back is completely contradictory because he was no different in his time here.

He can split a defence with one pass and seems to have the right attitude. I'd rather Shinnie than Scott Allan (although I'm sure that's not a popular view) so if he comes, great if not then he gets a thanks and best wishes from me

[Hibs90]

In a heartbeat, we would do well to get better tbh.

[Is It On....]

I would have thought Birmingham would have to pay him off before any deal could be done (with any Scottish team excl Celtic) as I suspect he will be getting far more than can be afforded by everyone excl Celtic.

[J-C]

If asked this after his 1st few games, I'd say no but he has started to come onto a game and looking like the player he was at Inverness. Lennon has spoken about wanting Commons and with Swanson signed, would Shinnie get a game? It really all depends on who Lennon's targets are and if we can sign them, Shinnie might not be one of them.

[snooky]

It's a from me.

[yonder1875]

Absolutely.

[Pretty Boy]

I'd keep him. Definitely a good squad player. If it was a straight choice between him and Keatings for that role behind the striker(s), and I'm aware it's not, I'd choose Shinnie every time.

[Diclonius]

Would be happy if he signed but not bothered if he doesn't.

[we are hibs]

No. Nowhere near consistent enough.

[snooky]

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No. Nowhere near consistent enough.

Kinda like SJM.

[Spike Mandela]

At this moment it's a game of cat and mouse between club and players.

Players will be looking at what offers are out there and the club will be trying to get better in before offering the likes of Shinnie a better deal.

Some players the club will be desperate to hold on to and offered deals accordingly but I don't think Shinnie is one of those. However if Hibs can't lure better and Shinnie doesn't get a better offer elsewhere I would have no qualms about him getting a contract.

[NAE NOOKIE]

Yes I would take him. He had a slow start but has improved a great deal as the season has gone on.

Of all the loan players we have had Liam Henderson has been by far the best so far as attitude goes, but the difference between him and a player like Shinnie is that Liam's aim was to impress enough that his parent club would see him as 'one for the future' ... in the case of a player like Shinnie he was on loan because his parent club clearly didn't rate him, even though they were rubbish.

That must play on a players mind and make it difficult to concentrate on the task in hand .... I think Shinnie has shown enough to give an idea of the player he can be and I cant help thinking that if he was made a Hibs player permanently we would see the best of him.

[rodhibs55]

Good player deffo would sign him.

[Green Badger]

I would offer him a contract. He definitely started slowly but improved as the season went on.

[ian cruise]

Would be very happy if he stayed, I'm a big fan. Struggled a little with consistency the first half of the season but he was in a new team in a new league with new players and style to adapt to which is understandable. When he's been good he's been excellent and I only see him improving.

[Vault Boy]

He's put in some really decent performances this season and works much harder than I thought he would, I think he cares about the club. Would be very glad to keep him, he's got a lot more to give and playing in the Premier will help him IMO.

[B.H.F.C]

Thought he'd be a really good signing when we got him but have been disappointed with him.

Gets in to some good positions but the end product, be it a pass or finish, hasn't been anywhere near good enough for me.