John McGinn

[Dr_Regal]

Thought he was extremely poor last night, lost the ball in decent positions and his passing was quite poor. Seemed to make wrong decisions all night. Couple of nice balls and decent turns but we need more from our best player.

[Mantis Toboggan]

It wasn't a game where he got an assist or a goal. Apart from that he was everywhere and trying to make things happen. The original post is reactionary at best.

[truehibernian]

Thought he had a good game, my only criticism would be his tendency this season to get caught in possession too often at the edge of our box when playing out. Against The Rangers he never hid and was a driving force. Always improving and teams now doubling up on him yet he still comes out on top.

[Davy Mac]

Disagree with the original poster, I thought McGinn was very good once again and how teams like Rangers can only dream of having a player like him these days.

I think we can forgive him for a couple of wayward passes but in my opinion that was due to how well organised and hard working Rangers were, which is painful to say.

Finally, that was an example of how good Hibs could be under Lennon and if we just up another signing level of a player and get another striker in, then it's all building nicely for 2018.

[drkhibs]

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Exactly this. He's a fine player and I really like him but as you suggest, he's not perfect.

For the OP to say he's gone backwards though is bizarre

Jonnyboy, I agree he is a fine player but in my opinion he has gone backward in terms of his overall performance so far this season

He has stepped up from playing in the Championship and is now facing more organised teams and better quality opponents. They are more able to read elements of his game, which leads to some of the things mentioned by several posts on here -caught in possession etc.

I agree with other posters that certain of Neil Lennon's team selections and formation have not helped him and he has been left exposed in some games. He would still be my first name on the Hibs team sheet each week.

In terms of bare stats this season I think its played 24 games, 4 goals scored and I'm struggling to find if he has actually had any assists. He has also picked up 9 yellow cards so far. So perhaps some evidence that he is adjusting to a higher level of play and expectation.

Happy to hear from other posters as to what elements of his overall game you think SJM has actually improved in this season from last, rather than just spout the predictable emotional comments of, clueless, pish, pash, drivel etc when you don't agree with something...I'm sure we are all intelligent enough to have a reasoned debate.

[Michael]

I think this has been his best season yet. He's much more consistent and even when he has a bad game he's still pretty decent IMO.

[Smartie]

Things can change very quickly in football.

It might not be very long before we're longing for a player to play as "badly" as John McGinn did on Wednesday night.



I actually don't think it does him (or us) any favours to take our set pieces. In open play he is generally superb, but his set piece deliveries really aren't great at all, so when you look back on a game it is easier to focus on a few ballooned crosses or sclaffed free-kicks than the many good contributions made during open play.

[Baker9]

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SJM is our best player by a mile. When he leaves we will be considerably poorer. Last night was not his best game but very few players are great every game

He can look poor from time to time because he takes on all the difficult stuff with a high risk of failure. We need him to keep doing what he does for however long we can keep him.

[GreenOnions]

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I think this has been his best season yet. He's much more consistent and even when he has a bad game he's still pretty decent IMO.

I agree with this - he's definitely moved his game up this season. He's the real deal now and has been dominant in games against Celtic, Aberdeen, Hearts and The Rangers.

I thought he was excellent on Wednesday night. He doesn't always find a man with his passes but he usually does. When he doesn't - it's generally because his job is to play the final, through ball which is the most difficult.

Obviously I'm not saying he can't improve - but he's doing extremely well for this stage in his career.

I really liked McGeouch's performance against The Rangers too but he played deeper. McGinn was the outstanding player on the pitch for me.

[BSEJVT]

Its like deja vu on the Stokes thread this thread, only slight difference is that SJM has more supporters than Stokes :-)

I bet you could go back to the advent of Hibs net and see similar debates on the best players of that time with some thinking they could do more and others thinking they can do no wrong.

As ever the truth probably lies in the middle.

Seems to me that the more you achieve, the more some folk expect of you to the point that nothing you can do satisfies them and anything less than a 10/10 performance each week leads to criticism.

Conversely for some other folk one good spell of form means you are exempt from criticism for all time.

My view SJM had a pretty up and down game, some very good, some poor and some okay.

Like many the regular sticking out of his arse infuriates me but SJM has a huge heart and balls of steel to try and do some of the things he does.

Its relatively simple to tackle anything and play non threatening passes whilst retaining possession but guys prepared to try something at at a premium and are often unjustly criticised when it doesn't pan out.

My criticism of SJM (and it is more of Neil Lennon) is that he is too often trying to do to many jobs by tracking back and tackling as well as trying to break forward and create things.

I would rather see SJM preserve his energy for forward forays and breaking forward to get beyond strikers which IMO this team badly lacks

I love having SJM at Hibs and probably more than anyone else on the books at present he is responsible for the reconnection between the support and the team.

[Unseen work]

One of McGinns biggest strengths is also one of his biggest weaknesses imo

His strength

In some situations he is fantastic and can hold off boys, turn them and get away from them brilliantly

In others it’s like he is trying to show everyone how strong he is unnecessarily and instead of playing a simple pass he loses the ball, normally in threatening position.

It’s like he thinks no matter what position he is in or who he is against he can protect the ball and no one can get it off him.

[SRHibs]

If we make enough threads about how ***** John McGinn is word should get around that he’s not worth signing. Genius plan guys.

[jacomo]

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Barry Ferguson urges The Rangers to buy Mcginn Newsfeed article today
Is he really so thick and deluded that he thinks The Rangers can afford him and that he would even consider want ing to go there



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I worry that this criticism will turn him into Barry Ferguson - always taking the sideways pass and pointing, rather than taking risks and driving at opponents.

His decision making can definitely improve, but midfielders like him are rare enough already.

[DavidDavidGray]

McGinn has been exceptional this season, made a few dodgy decisions against Rangers (trying to dribble through when a pass was a better option mainly) but also made a few great passes and runs with the ball. Will be a big loss when he goes as nobody else midfield wise seems to have that energy, strength and passing ability that McGinn has. Players like him are difficult to get, can we just appreciate him while he’s here instead of criticising him and saying he’s gone backwards after one dodgy game?

[drkhibs]

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McGinn has been exceptional this season, made a few dodgy decisions against Rangers (trying to dribble through when a pass was a better option mainly) but also made a few great passes and runs with the ball. Will be a big loss when he goes as nobody else midfield wise seems to have that energy, strength and passing ability that McGinn has. Players like him are difficult to get, can we just appreciate him while he’s here instead of criticising him and saying he’s gone backwards after one dodgy game?

One dodgy game??

He is keek again today..mind you so are most of team mates...

Kenny McLean and Graeme Shinnie head and shoulders above our entire midfield.

[Sammy7nil]

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I worry that this criticism will turn him into Barry Ferguson - always taking the sideways pass and pointing, rather than taking risks and driving at opponents.

His decision making can definitely improve, but midfielders like him are rare enough already.

If McGinn turned out to be half as good as the crab we would have a cracking player.

[Johnny_Leith]

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If McGinn turned out to be half as good as the crab we would have a cracking player.

Agreed. Ferguson was a great player.

[Scottie]

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Agreed. Ferguson was a great player.

Aye at passing sideways

[Johnny_Leith]

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Aye at passing sideways

Haha aye, he could do the rest of it pretty well too

[Scottie]

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Haha aye, he could do the rest of it pretty well too

He was a good player surrounded by other good players. Thats what EBT's gets you.

[Ronniekirk]

Willie Miller just loved telling radio listeners how good the Aberdeen Midfield were and how poor S J M was
Calling into question how S J M is international and none of the Aberdeen Midfield are

We just love to try and bring players down when they have been doing well



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[bigwheel]

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Willie Miller just loved telling radio listeners how good the Aberdeen Midfield were and how poor S J M was
Calling into question how S J M is international and none of the Aberdeen Midfield are

We just love to try and bring players down when they have been doing well



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True Ronnie...but on yesterday's performance alone it was fair. Shinnie looked a class above them all - McGinn and McGeouch looked like young boys. During it, I said to my mate that it reminded me of a young Barry Ferguson getting schooled in the art of the game by Sauzee at ER years ago...

Hopefully it will fire them up to do the same back when they come back too our place.

[blackpoolhibs]

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Willie Miller just loved telling radio listeners how good the Aberdeen Midfield were and how poor S J M was
Calling into question how S J M is international and none of the Aberdeen Midfield are

We just love to try and bring players down when they have been doing well



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We are building a team, Aberdeen have had stability for quite a few years. Saying that, Aberdeen are a good side, i got pelters a few weeks ago for saying i'd swap EVERY player they have for ours.

If we did that, we'd be 2nd not 4th.

[JimBHibees]

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I think this has been his best season yet. He's much more consistent and even when he has a bad game he's still pretty decent IMO.

Agree with that think he has been very good. Looks stronger and more consistent performances.

[NAE NOOKIE]

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Its like deja vu on the Stokes thread this thread, only slight difference is that SJM has more supporters than Stokes :-)

I bet you could go back to the advent of Hibs net and see similar debates on the best players of that time with some thinking they could do more and others thinking they can do no wrong.

As ever the truth probably lies in the middle.

Seems to me that the more you achieve, the more some folk expect of you to the point that nothing you can do satisfies them and anything less than a 10/10 performance each week leads to criticism.

Conversely for some other folk one good spell of form means you are exempt from criticism for all time.

My view SJM had a pretty up and down game, some very good, some poor and some okay.

Like many the regular sticking out of his arse infuriates me but SJM has a huge heart and balls of steel to try and do some of the things he does.

Its relatively simple to tackle anything and play non threatening passes whilst retaining possession but guys prepared to try something at at a premium and are often unjustly criticised when it doesn't pan out.

My criticism of SJM (and it is more of Neil Lennon) is that he is too often trying to do to many jobs by tracking back and tackling as well as trying to break forward and create things.

I would rather see SJM preserve his energy for forward forays and breaking forward to get beyond strikers which IMO this team badly lacks

I love having SJM at Hibs and probably more than anyone else on the books at present he is responsible for the reconnection between the support and the team.

The highlighted bit in spades and buckets ...... I have been saying all season that SJM is at times playing far too deep, he is the one guy we have in midfield who can actually shoot from distance, McGeouch's shooting is woeful and Bartley hasn't had a shot in all the time he has been here that I can recall.

The other thing that Hibs have been poor at for season upon season is getting midfield runners beyond the ball carrier .... watch the best teams, when they have a midfielder on the ball guys are sprinting past him looking for a forward pass, in fact Aberdeen did that to great effect more than once on Saturday. That's why in games against the likes of Ross County I would prefer to see Slivka or Fraser Murray on the pitch ... in fact Murray has shown in the games I have seen him play that getting in advance of the ball is something he is very good at, probably the most forward thinking midfield player we have and I would like to see him get a chance to prove it.

[Jim44]

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We are building a team, Aberdeen have had stability for quite a few years. Saying that, Aberdeen are a good side, i got pelters a few weeks ago for saying i'd swap EVERY player they have for ours.

If we did that, we'd be 2nd not 4th.

I think the Cup, promotion and some really good results and performances have raised expectations and hopes. The truth is that we are good side in the making and will do well to re-establish ourselves as a top six Scottish Premiership side, not flirting with relegation.

[-Jonesy-]

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We are building a team, Aberdeen have had stability for quite a few years. Saying that, Aberdeen are a good side, i got pelters a few weeks ago for saying i'd swap EVERY player they have for ours.

If we did that, we'd be 2nd not 4th.

Aye, cos we'd be Aberdeen, not Hibs

[lapsedhibee]

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Claiming to have a ST is my fav defence of absolute slavering pash on this forum

A flimsy defence on its own, certainly, but always convincing if it's been held for 40 years.