Why are Molde so strong?

[Ozyhibby]

Their average gate is only about 8k and yet they are performing better than any of our clubs (except Celtic) in Europe every season?
The Norwegian tv deal is double ours (nice one Doncaster) but that only accounts for an extra £2m per club. That would just about cover the shortfall from their gates but doesn’t explain why they do consistently better? Is there better value to be had getting players from Scandinavia? We could certainly offer them a cheaper cost of living and lower tax.
This isn’t a complaint, just wondering why it is?


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[H18 SFR]

Good coach, players that fit their system, half way through their season, play as a team, few unforced errors.

[SRHibs]

I don’t think they are. If we’d been half way through our season with a settled squad we would have won. They have a huge advantage in Europe with their match sharpness being so high.

Or maybe Gordon Strachan is right. Genetics. 🤔

[makaveli1875]

We lost our Star man on the eve of the 1st leg , they kept theirs and he was the difference in the end .

If we had kept SJM and they lost him its a different story . Thems the breaks i suppose

[GreenArmy1875]

Much more comfortable on the ball than our players. Movement is also very good.

[JohnM1875]

I honestly think the main thing is when they start their season. We noticeably tired towards the end of the first leg and I think again tonight.

[Ozyhibby]

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Much more comfortable on the ball than our players. Movement is also very good.

I know they have good players, I’m just wondering how they can afford them with those crowds?


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[Pretty Boy]

I know there has been talk of them being half way through their season but on the results pages I can find it seems there was no games between 9th July and 5th August and they only played 1 league game between that gap and playing Hibs with a further game between the home and away leg.

Do they have a summer break of some kind? Cup games?

[Viva_Palmeiras]

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I know they have good players, I’m just wondering how they can afford them with those crowds?


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Do they not have a sugar daddy type bod who paid for their stadium? Bit of an extravagance but fair play capacity is 11k no?
I’d imagine Livi’s cost a fraction (I know I know) and for only 1k less capacity.

[truehibernian]

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I know they have good players, I’m just wondering how they can afford them with those crowds?


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Double the television money (each season) that Scottish top league gets, they play many of their games on synthetic pitches which gives advantages to the home side (with astro), they have far better facilities (indoor) throughout the country for youth football, and lastly they don't have a horrible relationship with alcohol that many of our footballers have in the top flight and in the lower leagues.

[TheCabbage]

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I know there has been talk of them being half ea6 through their season but on the results pages I can find it seems there was no games between 9th July and 5th August and they only played 1 league game between that gap and playing Hibs with a further game between the home and away leg.

Do they have a summer break of some kind? Cup games?

Possibly a break so as not to clash with the world cup?

[Keith_M]

Sad to say, but Scottish players, on the whole, just look to be less skillful than their counterparts in a lot of other countries.

How many times have we seen players 'trapping' a ball five yards in the past few weeks? The two teams I've watched us play in Europe this season just seem to have that bit more skill.

That has to be related to the kind of coaching kids receive.


Also, Hibs have, for quite a few years now, been making so many many chances in a game and only scoring small number of those... only for the opposition to score with over half their paltry number of shots at goal. If anybody has an answer to that problem, I'm sure we'd love to hear what it is.

[Pretty Boy]

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Possibly a break so as not to clash with the world cup?

I thought that might be the case.

[Fife-Hibee]

Attitudes, health and living standards make a huge difference also. Not to say that the attitudes and health of our players are rotten, but theirs are just simply better. Health is at the forefront of many scandinavian countries, it's in their culture. Molde are a team made up of predominantly Norwegians and Swedes, which together make up a population of around 15 million. They have better options closer to home than what we have.

[Fife-Hibee]

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Also, Hibs have, for quite a few years now, been making so many many chances in a game and only scoring small number of those... only for the opposition to score with over half their paltry number of shots at goal. If anybody has an answer to that problem, I'm sure we'd love to hear what it is.

Because it's not just about how many chances a team creates in the game, but the standard of the chances created. Teams who score from a higher percentage of their chances, generally do so because they create better quality chances. Where as we create plenty of poor to average chances, which still register as chances, even although they're more difficult to score from.

[Hi Heid Yin]

It's really not rocket science:
Molde are a good team half-way through their season.
They have increased fitness, sharpness and momentum, as demonstrated in their 5-1 win against the league leaders last Sunday.
They also, crucially, have a settled team and play to a system that they are absolutely comfortable with on their "Plastic pitch!".
Oh yes, not forgetting they have a potential "world class", future superstar in their ranks, who proved his worth by netting a double against us tonight.
They had so many advantages over our side, it's laughable.
Our team is not up and running fully, has numerous players who are just through the door, who are adjusting to their new team-mates and the brand of football Neil Lennon wants us to play. We additionally have rustiness en-masse running through our entire squad.
Quite simply, we were also beaten by the ridiculous situation faced by Scottish clubs every year - timing! European games come too soon in our season and give our clubs next to no chance to get up to speed.
Little wonder then that even Maltese minnows (such as faced by The Jambos) can turn over our sides.
Put us up against Molde in, say, January, and then let's see who is the better team.

As a wee footnote: I'm more than happy with our wee run in Europe as it gave us some extra and much needed revenue and a wee taste of something different.

[LancsHibs]

We haven’t even got our team sorted for the season ahead yet! That’s the difference, they have a settled team

[neil7908]

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Much more comfortable on the ball than our players. Movement is also very good.

That's what I noticed. They always tried to pass the ball and every player looked pretty comfortable doing so and moving into space. They are tied that with being a big, physical team who could get stuck in and win headers. They aren't world beaters but much better than anyone in Scotland bar Celtic. They might even give them a run for the their money this season.

The Scottish football authorities have a lot to answer for. Their absolute singles minded obsession with the Ugly Sisters has ruined ourselves game and resulted in zero interest internationally which is reflected in our TV deals.

[CMurdoch]

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I know they have good players, I’m just wondering how they can afford them with those crowds?


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Have they bought players or do they just farm their own and bring others in much as we do?

A credible TV deal would definitely help clubs like ourselves when combined with our healthy income from our home support..

Their passing was fantastic in both matches and made us look a bit hit and hope.

[RoxburghHibs]

Much bigger budget due to TV deal. Scottish football really is a third rate country as far as TV income is concerned.

[SouthMoroccoStu]

18 games into their season vs 2 games into our is the big factor here

Give our guys time to get match fit, match sharp and get to know each other.

Would love to see the roles reversed

And not playing on a plastic pitch

This isn’t excuse making, they are still a great team, probably better than we’ll face all season in Scotland

[truehibernian]

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Sad to say, but Scottish players, on the whole, just look to be less skillful than their counterparts in a lot of other countries.

How many times have we seen players 'trapping' a ball five yards in the past few weeks? The two teams I've watched us play in Europe this season just seem to have that bit more skill.

That has to be related to the kind of coaching kids receive.


Also, Hibs have, for quite a few years now, been making so many many chances in a game and only scoring small number of those... only for the opposition to score with over half their paltry number of shots at goal. If anybody has an answer to that problem, I'm sure we'd love to hear what it is.

Interesting points you re. youth football mate - my own view having watched some of the Performance School kids is that they all think they've made it already at the age of 13 and 14. The coaching system is geared towards 'positive coaching', some of which I fully understand - but kids need to know that even if they sign with a pro club they've nowhere near made it. You cannot coach humility sadly, I think that's innate. Added to which they don't do nearly enough work when coached. I'd love to know how many clubs in Scotland make their young players do morning and afternoon sessions, and not purely physical work but tactical work, healthy lifestyle coaching, and wellbeing coaching.

Far far too many of our youngsters with talent fall away. For me that's because coaches aren't coaching kids properly, and not just football, but how they lead their life on and off the pitch (and trust me I know as I've had to help a lot of young players through non-footballing issues which could have been prevented with far better 'life' coaching from football coaches - in other words, football coaches themselves need to 'diversify' and see coaching youths as more than just football on a pitch).

[neil7908]

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Sad to say, but Scottish players, on the whole, just look to be less skillful than their counterparts in a lot of other countries.

How many times have we seen players 'trapping' a ball five yards in the past few weeks? The two teams I've watched us play in Europe this season just seem to have that bit more skill.

That has to be related to the kind of coaching kids receive.


Also, Hibs have, for quite a few years now, been making so many many chances in a game and only scoring small number of those... only for the opposition to score with over half their paltry number of shots at goal. If anybody has an answer to that problem, I'm sure we'd love to hear what it is.

I think this is closer to getting it right. I'm not totally convinced fitness is such an issue. We'd played 7 competitive games before tonight, surely we shouldn't be that far behind them? Other posters are also suggesting they had a month break for the World Cup.

[rcarter1]

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Because it's not just about how many chances a team creates in the game, but the standard of the chances created. Teams who score from a higher percentage of their chances, generally do so because they create better quality chances. Where as we create plenty of poor to average chances, which still register as chances, even although they're more difficult to score from.

Totally agree, 20 shots on goal from 25 yards into a throng of defenders and a goalie that can see it coming, vs 3 chances from 5 yards with the attacker running at speed into the space. Id take the 3 to win most times.

We may struggle in the first set of 11 matches. Lets hope we can work out an effective system by the time we go to Tynecastle..

Agyepong to join, Horgan,Mallan and Hyndeman to gel - with each other and the front players. Porteous gaining experience, and Ollie Shaw knocking on the door. McLaren, Kamberi and Boyle to (re) develop an understanding in attack.

I think we can have a really decent season if we can work out how to make the best of what we have..

[Chorley Hibee]

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Sad to say, but Scottish players, on the whole, just look to be less skillful than their counterparts in a lot of other countries.

How many times have we seen players 'trapping' a ball five yards in the past few weeks? The two teams I've watched us play in Europe this season just seem to have that bit more skill.

That has to be related to the kind of coaching kids receive.


Also, Hibs have, for quite a few years now, been making so many many chances in a game and only scoring small number of those... only for the opposition to score with over half their paltry number of shots at goal. If anybody has an answer to that problem, I'm sure we'd love to hear what it is.

Technically, I think we always look inferior to most European opposition. Things such as control of the ball, player movement, composure - and the speed in which they move the ball amongst themselves, always seem to leave us chasing.

[A Hi-Bee]

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We haven’t even got our team sorted for the season ahead yet! That’s the difference, they have a settled team

An they can all lift heavy weights.

[Chorley Hibee]

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Interesting points you re. youth football mate - my own view having watched some of the Performance School kids is that they all think they've made it already at the age of 13 and 14. The coaching system is geared towards 'positive coaching', some of which I fully understand - but kids need to know that even if they sign with a pro club they've nowhere near made it. You cannot coach humility sadly, I think that's innate. Added to which they don't do nearly enough work when coached. I'd love to know how many clubs in Scotland make their young players do morning and afternoon sessions, and not purely physical work but tactical work, healthy lifestyle coaching, and wellbeing coaching.

Far far too many of our youngsters with talent fall away. For me that's because coaches aren't coaching kids properly, and not just football, but how they lead their life on and off the pitch (and trust me I know as I've had to help a lot of young players through non-footballing issues which could have been prevented with far better 'life' coaching from football coaches - in other words, football coaches themselves need to 'diversify' and see coaching youths as more than just football on a pitch).

Great post.

[Smartie]

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We haven’t even got our team sorted for the season ahead yet! That’s the difference, they have a settled team

That's what it looked most like to me.

I thought they looked a far more cohesive unit, experienced, streetwise and well-drilled.

We look like a team in transition, still trying to work out what each player offers and which combination to play.

Funnily enough, I also think they carried a bit of luck. They weren't always defensively brilliant and if one of the balls we flashed across their goal connected with someone along the way then we'd have had our away goal and the entire tie would have looked different.

Goals change games.

[calumhibee1]

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I don’t think they are. If we’d been half way through our season with a settled squad we would have won. They have a huge advantage in Europe with their match sharpness being so high.

Or maybe Gordon Strachan is right. Genetics. 🤔

I’m not sure I buy into the match sharpness thing that a lot of people have mentioned. Were now 8 games into our season, were at peak match sharpness surely? I think we were probably just beaten by a better more clinical team.

[Smartie]

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I’m not sure I buy into the match sharpness thing that a lot of people have mentioned. Were now 8 games into our season, were at peak match sharpness surely? I think we were probably just beaten by a better more clinical team.

I don't think it's fitness or match sharpness.

We've lost McGinn, McGeough and Allan from the midfield. It is impossible to have a new unit in place of them and up to speed at this point.

Kamberi has been injured, McLaren is just in the door and not yet up to speed.

The back 3 haven't played many games together.

Horgan is ineligible, we haven't seen Agyepong yet. Who know how fit anyone we sign will be, and how long it will take them to get settled in the team.