This is how it feels (St Mirren 27 08 2022)

[Jonnyboy]

I despair, I really do. A woeful performance from a team that gets nowhere near resembling where we should be. With the exception of a few minutes, St Mirren pretty much bossed the rest of the ninety plus the extra five and but for incredible misses on their part, Hibs would have been given a real hiding.

Lee Johnson brought Cabraja and Doidge into the starting eleven what with Bushiri being injured and Henderson being dropped to the bench. Teasingly, Hibs seemed to start the game brightly enough and I enjoyed the first five minutes but from there onwards, we were simply shocking. Minute six brought the only goal of the game. Cabraja lunged into a tackle and missed the ball which then found its way to Ryan Strain wide on the St. Mirren right. His cutback was slammed home by Baccus from about eight yards with not a Hibs central defender in sight. The scorer was in the centre of the goal and his run was not matched by Newell, who was simply sauntering back. Soon after, Main set up Ayunga whose shot was blocked by Cadden.

Hibs were struggling already, and Newell let his frustration get the better of him, earning a yellow card for a poor challenge on O’Hara and a couple of minutes later, Youan was booked for a trip on Ryan Strain, the Hibs man being over eager in trying to win possession back. Youan was in action again and attempted a shot from just outside the box but having three or four defenders in front of him led to an inevitable block.

It was alarming just how poor Hibs were in terms of winning second ball. In fact, I’d go as far as to say we never competed for many of them. A Campbell cross was headed wide by Cadden before the hosts had two efforts in as many minutes with first Ayunga and then Main failing to hit the target. We were poor in midfield and at times even poorer at the back with both Porteous and Hanlon finding Ayunga and Main a bit of a handful. Just past the half hour, Ayunga was booked for a foul on Doyle-Hayes and then right on the whistle, Youan flashed a shot just wide of the target.

Given the quite dreadful performance in the first half I expected Lee Johnson to make changes at the break, but it was the same eleven that trotted out. Within sixty seconds of the restart, Hibs should have been level when a cross from the right by Cadden found its way to the unmarked Youan at the back post. The striker just needed to stroke the ball into an unmarked net but contrived to screw his shot past the far post. It was just incredible to see that miss and I’m pretty sure Youan will have nightmares about it. Soon after, we witnessed a rarity when Joe Newell actually had a shot at goal from just outside the box and to be fair, Carson got down quickly to his right to push a decent effort away.

The home side seemed happy to defend and then try to hit Hibs on the break and unsurprisingly, Hibs failed yet again at breaking down a team that sits in. Ten minutes in to the second half, goal scorer Baccus had a brilliant chance to add a second but fired wildly over the bar. Main then tried his luck with a header but couldn’t find the target and then Youan was lucky to avoid a second yellow for a trip on Tait. Youan was immediately withdrawn and replaced by Melkersen and then Cadden had two efforts that barely fit the description of shots on goal. At the other end, Ayunga went close and was then replaced by Brophy. I thought Porteous and Hanlon might have been pleased to see Ayunga go but they were soon struggling instead to deal with Brophy.

With twenty minutes left, Lee Johnson replaced Cabraja and Campbell with Stevenson and Henderson and only moments later Porteous tried to be clever by dribbling his way out of trouble when a simple pass to Marshall was on. Brophy took advantage of the error and struck a shot at goal that hit the far post and flew back towards the striker, but Marshall was able to collect. Main then got across Porteous at the near post and should have scored from just six yards. With only a one goal lead, St Mirren replaced Main and Erhahon with Gogic and Kiltie. Gogic would help provide cover for the defence and Kiltie’s fresh legs would trouble the Hibs defence. The hosts really should have put the game to bed when Baccus raced clear, but his shot sailed high over the bar.

A double substitution saw Bojang and Miller replace Doidge and Cadden but with the clock ticking down to ninety minutes, Hibs were toiling to offer any real threat to the hosts and in fact St Mirren had two glorious opportunities to finish Hibs off once and for all. Brophy and Baccus both spurning good opportunities. Five minutes of added time simply prolonged the agony for me.

The players – No man of the match for me as this insipid performance was simply awful.

Marshall – Had no chance with the goal and performed well otherwise.

Cadden – Very poor throughout.

Porteous – I’m getting fed up watching Ryan fall over trying to win free kicks and trying to dribble his way out of trouble, only to lose possession.

Hanlon – Like his central defensive partner he struggled the whole game.

Cabraja – Badly at fault in the lead up to the goal and really wasn’t at it for the time he had on the park.

Doyle-Hayes/Newell – I’m grouping these two together because they were quite frankly as bad as each other. I’m very much in the camp now that insists they cannot and should not play together.

Campbell – From the euphoria of last week to the drudgery of today.

Boyle – Well marked but even when he did break free his distribution was awful.

Doidge – Just pay off his contract, Hibs and bring a decent number nine in.

Youan – His naivety was there for all to see today and that miss ….. horrendous.

Melkersen – Ran about a lot just about sums it up.

Stevenson – Joined a sinking ship.

Henderson – Anonymous.

Miller – Anonymous.

Bojang – Anonymous.

Lee Johnson – Can’t wait to hear/read what he thought about that. All the pre match talk from Jamie McAllister about competing from the off and imposing our style on St Mirren sounded good but never materialised.

Referee – Graham Grainger is a new guy on the block, and I thought he handled the game well enough.

[The Captain....]

More effort probably went into writing the OP than any outfield player showed for Hibs today.

Jaded senior players who've been here too long, poor signings and our better players (about 3 in total if I'm generous) either out of form or well shackled by St Mirren. Again the chasm between what the manager says he is asking the players to do and the little they are capable of doing in reality was starkly apparent.

A strange kind of disillusionment has settled over the support, its like we cant even be arsed to get angry about the continuing pish we are regularly subjected to.

I don't see it improving.

[Northernhibee]

When Porto fell over trying to buy a free kick and allowed their attacker a run at goal If have subbed him off there and then. Unforgivable.

[Ronniekirk]

That’s one Depressing read Johnnyboy
But the reality is we are all over the place as a club just now with the exception of increasing commercial income
Recruiting potential is fine if they realise that but some of the players brought in ain’t going to
Midfield issues not been addressed Back to being reliant on Boyle scoring
But it’s the attitude of players and manner we got beat today that is really disappointing
The late goals have probably papered over the cracks
Don’t know Whete we go from here but we are bottom six club as things stand

[BT58]

Thanks for your honesty JB. Ive posted elsewhere that 9 of the 11 where of last seasons failures. The new manager is picking them and getting no performance, if he carries on picking them he wont last long. This so called high press we where promised, whats happened ??. This team is cheating the fans with trying against the huns and hertz but failing miserably against Livi abd St Mirren. We dont have the right to claim 3 points as we are not a big team anymore. Bottom 6 again this season beckons. Sorry John.

[BILLYHIBS]

Unacceptable Hibs

[HUTCHYHIBBY]

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A strange kind of disillusionment has settled over the support, its like we cant even be arsed to get angry about the continuing pish we are regularly subjected to.

I don't see it improving.

It does already feel like here we go again.

[WillieP]

Why Campbell, Newell and JDH were played in midfield is baffling. Get Doidge gone!!!

[He's here!]

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Unacceptable Hibs

The problem is that it clearly IS acceptable as these sort of displays have by and large become the norm for a good many months now.

[Smartie]

Just finished watching it in Alba having avoided all mention of the game all day. I was quite interested to see how my opinion would compare to others having watched it on my Tod, at home, in Gaelic without being influenced by anyone.

I thought it was an utter abomination of a performance. Looking at the starting line up it was always going to happen, being an ABC of Hibs selection mistakes. In fairness to Johnson though, he didn’t exactly have bucketloads of options.

Defensively we were poor, the midfield was dreadful and we offered little up front.

Around the edges we look fine but we simply lack a spine to the team, exactly what we needed to add over the summer and exactly what we’ve neglected to address. Aye, but the development team is decent, eh?

Doidge is an embarrassment. Porto needs to give himself a serious shake. I feel a bit sorry for Newell now as he battles away, makes the odd bad call but is getting hung out to dry every week.

We’re lucky that wasn’t 4 (was it 3 1 on 1s that they missed?) and we’re lucky Youan didn’t see a second yellow.

Huge week for Hibs. We’ve got some good players there - sadly we’re very weak right through the middle and that might sink this season the way it sunk last season.

At least 2 big signings needed, arguably 4 needed.

[Wull]

I as I suppose everybody else never likes to lose. This game however takes a humping to new levels, could have been 3 or 4, and they were pretty sh#t themselves. Porteous needs a good kick in the bawz, what has he turned into, started wi throwing a tumbler at a lassie in a pub, then downhill from there. Our legend SDG what is he paid for, certainly not to improve our defensive abilities. I better stop here as.. we’ll it’s just no worth it. GTTH
PS thanks for your very accurate report JB.

[Benny Brazil]

Was interested to see who you would pick as MoM. Fully agree none of the players on the pitch deserve it- fans get it from me for turning up in numbers yet again - these players don't appreciate or deserve the support they have had this season

[Kojock]

Cabragi was absolutely woeful and should’ve been hooked long before he was. Porto needs to stop acting the Billy Big Baws and concentrate on his game. Doidge offers nothing and is as good as a man short. That team on performances so far is bottom six material but not to worry we have big TV’s cracking advertising boards and great hospitality facilities. Pity the team is not of the same standard.

[GreenNWhiteArmy]

Painfully accurate (you always are in fairness but never easy to read when we were that bad)

Porto/Hanlon
JDH/Newell/Campbell
Doidge

A spine more than capable of having us cemented to the bottom six once again

Worrying

[Bostonhibby]

Another respectable summary of what I partially saw and intermittently heard via our paid Hibs media coverage, which is about as professional and consistent as our football team.

Should probably sent you £65 a year instead JB.

Sent from my SM-A750FN using Tapatalk

[loanheadhibby]

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More effort probably went into writing the OP than any outfield player showed for Hibs today.

Jaded senior players who've been here too long, poor signings and our better players (about 3 in total if I'm generous) either out of form or well shackled by St Mirren. Again the chasm between what the manager says he is asking the players to do and the little they are capable of doing in reality was starkly apparent.

A strange kind of disillusionment has settled over the support, its like we cant even be arsed to get angry about the continuing pish we are regularly subjected to.

I don't see it improving.

And yet another fantastic turn out by the support to be let down again.

Queue a week of players saying they need to do better etc.

[Northernhibee]

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Was interested to see who you would pick as MoM. Fully agree none of the players on the pitch deserve it- fans get it from me for turning up in numbers yet again - these players don't appreciate or deserve the support they have had this season

Josh Campbell or Chris Cadden as they looked like they were busting a gut to make things happen. Nothing came off for them (though Cadden should have an assist if Youan could hit the target from two ****ing yards out like a five year old could).

[Conj]

Youan’s miss was a shocker but he was flagged as being offside so wouldn’t have counted anyway. The goal scorer peeled off Paul Hanlon to be free in the centre of the box so although Joe Newell should have been back helping out, I would blame Hanlon more for the goal. Agree with everything else including no MOTM. If a team is sitting in and you are trying to break them down by all means move the ball from side to side but FFS move it a million times quicker than Hibs did all last season and all afternoon today.

[The Harp Awakes]

If Porteous thinks he's going to just run down his contract and get a big deal down South he's got another think coming. He's a shadow of the player he was. His passing and decision making is abysmal. Something is not right with his attitude at all.

The scattershot approach to recruitment has crippled us. We're doing what Hearts did 2 or 3 seasons ago with poor recruitment which ended up relegating them. We're taking chances signing players of questionable quality. I sincerely hope Marshall and Boyle, who are the 2 exceptions, can bring us enough points to avoid relegation.

Our recruitment failure starts at the top unfortunately. Ron is a decent guy and wants the best for Hibs, but sadly he has not got a clue how to run a successful football club.

[NAE NOOKIE]

Waited until 11pm to watch that on ALBA, spending all day avoiding the result, and all I got for it was a roasting from my partner for waking her up shouting at the telly.

That woeful effort matched the depth of anything we managed under Ross, Maloney or even the current manager .. if that's acceptable to anybody at this club we are going down.

Marshall .... 7 ..... Did nothing wrong and even the greatest keeper in the world wont keep a clean sheet if his defence stands watching allowing the opposition the freedom of the 6 yard box to pop the ball into the net.

Cadden .... 4 .... Got into their half often enough, creating almost literally nothing with the possession he had.

Porteous ...2 .... A performance that he should be utterly ashamed of. Diving to win free kicks and then a petulant push on the guy he claimed pushed him a minute later that should have conceded a needless free kick 25 yards from our goal. lazy careless passing that should get a player hooked in training, never mind a top league football match. His decision near the end to try and play out of trouble when he had an easy pass to the keeper should earn him a boot up the arse from the manager and he should have been booked, or worse, for a needless arm into the face of a St Mirren forward near the end .... this guy needs to reevaluate his attitude and bloody quick .... after a performance like that he can thank his lucky stars Rocky is injured.

Hanlon ... 4 .... Struggled throughout and the fact that the cameras didn't show him giving Porteous an absolute bollocking for his stupidity in not passing to Marshall in the incident I mentioned will be grist to the mill for folk who say he isn't and never has been captain material. I know he isn't the captain on the park, but he is club captain so my opinion stands on that.

Cabraja ... 4 .... Contributed very little and I cant recall a single cross into the box of any note from him.

Doyle - Hayes ... 3 .... Contributed absolutely nothing, lucky to get 3

Newell .... 4 .... At least he tried to get involved in the 2nd half and for once actually managed to get a shot on target, but it was a lot of huffing and puffing to pretty well no affect.

Campbell .... 4 .... His usual effort, with the usual result.

Youan .... 3 ..... A shocking miss, the only thing Johnson got right in that game was hooking him before he was sent off.

Boyle ... 4 .... A day to forget, contained easily by the St Mirren defence and his delivery from the free kick in injury time straight into the keepers arms was abysmal.

Doidge ... 3 .... I mean come on, this guy just hasn't got it any more and if Forest Green Rovers offer a pack of meat free chicken and some lentils for him before the month is out we should snap their f'ing hand off.

Subs:

Stevenson ... 5 .... At least he tried to get us up the pitch, probably the oldest guy on it and still showed more energy and dynamism than every single one of his lackluster colleagues.

Melkersen .... 3 .... Might as well have stayed on the bench, but in what universe is Doidge a better option through the middle than him, the kid must be frustrated as hell not to at least be given the chance when he watches Doidge.

Henderson ... 3 ..... Made absolutely no difference.

Miller .... Exactly what difference is he supposed to make in 5 minutes?

Bojang ... See Miller.

Lee Johnson. He has to carry the can for what was an utterly woeful performance that let down a big travelling support, where the hell was the high press he talked about, I can't remember a single time we pressured the home defence into an error. Tomorrow morning he just has to batter down the door of the board room and bang the table demanding we get a midfield player a centre half and a striker, even if its on loan.

How many of our supporters will get up tomorrow asking if they can take yet another season of the same *****?

[Forza Fred]

I thought Cadden was our least worst outfield player.

Unrelated but I will mention it anyway…St. Mirren had two ex A League players in their team..

Baccus, who scored the winning goal and Ryan Strain who played right back.

Strain is the grandson of former Hibs centre forward Gerry Baker, and I think that makes him the great nephew of the legendary Joe Baker.

[BILLYHIBS]

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I thought Cadden was our least worst outfield player.

Unrelated but I will mention it anyway…St. Mirren had two ex A League players in their team..

Baccus, who scored the winning goal and Ryan Strain who played right back.

Strain is the grandson of former Hibs centre forward Gerry Baker, and I think that makes him the great nephew of the legendary Joe Baker.

Good St Mirren connection there Fred as Gerry Baker won the Scottish Cup with St Mirren

I like what is happening down Paisley way as the players and fans are really bonding and fighting for each other

Pretty sure the fans now own the club?

Don’t remember hearing that St Mirren fan yesterday that used to constantly give his team abuse underneath the cameras win lose or draw

[Highwayman]

Good report as always JB.
Unfortunately,the light you were hoping to see at the end of the tunnel after a decent display against the currant buns turned out to be another train coming down the tracks.
Johnson is facing the same problems as Ross and Maloney which ultimately cost them their jobs.If he can’t resolve them in due course it will also be his downfall.
The continuing injury problem which instead of decreasing continues to increase.The injured players possibly with the exception of Dabrowski,would be first team picks.Their continuing absence is costing Hibs.
The lack of consistency and reliability of all but a few players is letting him down.
This frustration was shown in his post match interview and he says (what exactly ???) he is going to do something about it.
This takes me back to days of the “great”Lexie Miller.
After another crap performance and result,Lexie said “I know the players who are letting me down,they won’t be in the team for the next game”
However he picked the same team for the next game.
That was the point where I thought I would stick to matchb

[500miles]

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Good report as always JB.
Unfortunately,the light you were hoping to see at the end of the tunnel after a decent display against the currant buns turned out to be another train coming down the tracks.
Johnson is facing the same problems as Ross and Maloney which ultimately cost them their jobs.If he can’t resolve them in due course it will also be his downfall.
The continuing injury problem which instead of decreasing continues to increase.The injured players possibly with the exception of Dabrowski,would be first team picks.Their continuing absence is costing Hibs.
The lack of consistency and reliability of all but a few players is letting him down.
This frustration was shown in his post match interview and he says (what exactly ???) he is going to do something about it.
This takes me back to days of the “great”Lexie Miller.
After another crap performance and result,Lexie said “I know the players who are letting me down,they won’t be in the team for the next game”
However he picked the same team for the next game.
That was the point where I thought I would stick to matchb

I think the players who are letting him down would be better if they actually knew what they were supposed to be doing.

[Highwayman]

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I think the players who are letting him down would be better if they actually knew what they were supposed to be doing.

Would agree with you up to a point.But these players seem to be clueless about how to sort things out when things aren’t working out.

[Key West]

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Would agree with you up to a point.But these players seem to be clueless about how to sort things out when things aren’t working out.

Some seem to be clueless about the basics, if they can't be bothered why should the fans, sad to say.

[wookie70]

I have only watched the highlights and that was more than enough. LJ saying good players make good decisions and we made a lot of bad decisions said quite a bit to me. I think he realises that we simply have a squad of very average players. I think it also may have been a wee dig at Porteous who is continuing to make bad decision after bad decision in important areas of the pitch. If we don't sign a couple of starters we will struggle badly this year. There won't be many takers for hospitality if we are getting beat every week

[hibbyfraelibby]

We are going to have to address the Porteous issue sooner rather than later.

1. His judgement has gone
2. His mistakes are never his fault
3. He cant even cheat professionally
4. His close range passes are hit like cannonballs no-one can control.
5. He never looks up and sees either Youan or Boyle in the clear up field begging for the quick ball
6. He needs dropped but with Rocky out we may have to draft big Daz back in and he's not got 90 minutes in him.

[WestStandWillie]

Think we should set up one of those Go Fund Me pages and get some dosh together to:

1) Pay off Doidge’s contract
2) Pay to get Doyle Hayes pals over. Only seems to put a shift in when he’s them over. Inposter

[snedzuk]

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I have only watched the highlights and that was more than enough. LJ saying good players make good decisions and we made a lot of bad decisions said quite a bit to me. I think he realises that we simply have a squad of very average players. I think it also may have been a wee dig at Porteous who is continuing to make bad decision after bad decision in important areas of the pitch. If we don't sign a couple of starters we will struggle badly this year. There won't be many takers for hospitality if we are getting beat every week

Thought I might give it a go for Kilmarnock - £190 each for me and the missus - decided to go to the game then have a couple of nights away instead.