'Gallant losers are losers'...Was Lennon right to blast the players?

[wookie70]

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I think its a bit unfair to say we didn't have a game plan. I think the intent was to play the ball on the deck through midfield and get it wide to McGeough and Boyle. None would argue with that intent however McInnes sat up his team to counter that by closing us down so that our midfield was stifled. On top of that we gave away two soft goals. were in danger of losing a third killing the game and having Fyvie sent off. Flashes of 2012 were coming to mind.
By bringing on Holt we bypassed midfield and Aberdeen didn't know how to deal with that, thus we were in the ascendancy. Credit to Lennon to make that change when he did.

Don't think I did say he didn't have a game plan but it certainly didn't work and from the looks of it the players had no idea what was going on from the first whistle. You are having a punt at what the game plan was but I never saw us playing at all and we looked outnumbered in every area of the park in the first half hour. I would argue with that intent as it is different to the way we have played all year and we were going to leave Cummings up front on his own for long periods. If that was the plan I would have said it wasn't a very good one. As it is we have no idea what the plan was because it was so badly implemented by the players that it is impossible to know what it was.

The good news from today was that Lennon eventually out-thought his opposite number albeit we had to go two down for it to happen. He also did it with enough time for us to win. If he gets credit for the change, rightly so, he has to take some responsibility for the start.

[houstonhibbee]

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Don't think I did say he didn't have a game plan but it certainly didn't work and from the looks of it the players had no idea what was going on from the first whistle. You are having a punt at what the game plan was but I never saw us playing at all and we looked outnumbered in every area of the park in the first half hour. I would argue with that intent as it is different to the way we have played all year and we were going to leave Cummings up front on his own for long periods. If that was the plan I would have said it wasn't a very good one. As it is we have no idea what the plan was because it was so badly implemented by the players that it is impossible to know what it was.

The good news from today was that Lennon eventually out-thought his opposite number albeit we had to go two down for it to happen. He also did it with enough time for us to win. If he gets credit for the change, rightly so, he has to take some responsibility for the start.

we've endured plenty games where we have bypassed midfield and lumped it up to Holt and Cummings to little effect. At least as he stated he played all the ball players today but it didn't work

[AgentDaleCooper]

we'll never know if lennon had the right game plan or not, because it went out the window in about 20 seconds. we played brilliantly for 60 minutes, but until holt came on we were a disgrace.

lennon is trying to instill a winning attitude in this team, and i think he knows what he's doing. i've never had so much trust in a hibs manager as i do neil lennon

[Dunbar Hibee]

He ****ed up with the way he set up today. You live and learn.

[Baldy Foghorn]

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Imo no one can slag off Lennons tactics when we concede after 10 seconds and the whole game plan goes to pot.

Correct......

[Cabbage East]

Lennon was spot on. His mentality is what we need to do something special, instead of be a mediocre mid table club.

[QMU-1875]

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Not really a like for like comparison is it? Aberdeen have a significantly bigger budget than us. Celtic have a significantly bigger budget than them. Would Celtic fans be applauding there team if they came from 2-0 down in say a Europa League semi final, and only lost out to a deflected goal to a team who have been significantly better than them for a long time now, say a team like Lyon, Napoli, something along those lines, would be a much fairer comparison. There fans are roasters, so I don't know/care if they would, but the idea you can't appreciate the teams efforts today is daft.

Id disagree that Aberdeen have a significantly higher budget to the extent that you mention, no matter who we were up against today the first 30 minutes were pathetic and tactics can never legislate for the kinds of simple mistakes they were making.

[QMU-1875]

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You don't get three points or to cup finals just because you have a winning mentality. It helps but you needs the players, the tactics and a shape that works for the groups of players. I'm not meekly accepting defeat I was fuming about the way we played, personal responsibility and the shape of the team in the first 30 minutes. I wasn't blaming just Lennon as some of the players looked half asleep. I don't think anyone is worried Lennon called out the players for the first 30 minutes it is the point that he, yet again, took no responsibility. He didn't have to take all the responsibility but he should have shouldered some of the burden imo. Time will tell if he is the man management genius that some on here think or if he pisses players of by his lack of support.

It's certainly a massive part of winning games and getting to cup finals, I never said anywhere that it's the only thing. It's been one of the aspects we have sorely missed for years. I'm all up for congratulating players for their efforts but I want to see this club win trophies as regularly as they deserve and would much rather be celebrating genuine success than losing in style. The fact is we should have beat Aberdeen yesterday and if it wasn't for a pathetic first 30 minutes that tactics could never account for (IMO) then we would be celebrating reaching yet another cup final.

[Onceinawhile]

The tactics cost us the first goal imo.

Start holt and our kick off is one pass back followed by a diagonal. We knew cummings wouldn't get near it so tried passing it back, which cost the goal.

[marinello59]

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The tactics cost us the first goal imo.

Start holt and our kick off is one pass back followed by a diagonal. We knew cummings wouldn't get near it so tried passing it back, which cost the goal.

I not so sure you can blame tactics. It was just a comedy of errors by the players before shape etc had any bearing on things.

[blackpoolhibs]

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Stop slavering? You think they **** themselves until the sub, then seen Holt coming on, were 2-0 down and then totally changed there mindset because of him coming on, yet I'm the one that's slavering? Bringing on Holt was pretty much an admission that his tactics weren't working. It wouldn't have worked even if we hadn't conceded after 12 seconds, Cummings was never going to be able to hold onto the ball up there on his own and it was just going to keep coming back at us. When you can't keep the ball against a free scoring team who have won 16 of there last 20 games it's only ever going to lead to one outcome and that's defeat. Did the players perform poorly in the first 30 mins? Yes. Were the goals that we conceded Neil Lennon fault? No, they were individual errors. Was the overall flow of the play in the first 30 minutes absolutely nothing to do with tactics like Neil Lennon suggested? No, his tactics played a huge part in how poor we were. If you can't see that playing Cummings upfront on his own against the 2nd best defence in the country was a major reason for the way the first 30 mins played out then you know nothing about football I'd suggest.

100% spot on

[SouthsideHarp_Bhoy]

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Correct......

This was all of the boys i was with's take on it too.

Game plan wad goosed afrer 12 seconds.

Plus people forget Aberdeen arent just going to let us implemrnt a game plan - they also had one, and are a better team.

[Jones28]

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Imo no one can slag off Lennons tactics when we concede after 10 seconds and the whole game plan goes to pot.

Agree to an extent. Terrible starts and individual errors can't really be legislated for especially so early on.

Holt should have started the game however, which was my thoughts pre match.

[Jones28]

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The tactics cost us the first goal imo.

Start holt and our kick off is one pass back followed by a diagonal. We knew cummings wouldn't get near it so tried passing it back, which cost the goal.

Someone here mentioned that we kick off like that a lot and Aberdeen were ready for it.

Still makes me shudder watching that goal back.

[danhibees1875]

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The tactics cost us the first goal imo.

Start holt and our kick off is one pass back followed by a diagonal. We knew cummings wouldn't get near it so tried passing it back, which cost the goal.

I'm very critical of that kick off approach. The diagonal punt to give them a throw in is frustrating to watch. Trying something different wasn't an awful idea, Mcginn just came across a wall of red after beating the first man. Bartley done well to win it back before McGregor made a mess of the situation.

[Since90+2]

Lennon is accusing the players of "not taking responsibility".

There's someone else I can think of that may apply to , Neil.

[mjhibby]

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Id disagree that Aberdeen have a significantly higher budget to the extent that you mention, no matter who we were up against today the first 30 minutes were pathetic and tactics can never legislate for the kinds of simple mistakes they were making.

They do have the third biggest budget in scotland and have a lot more than us due to a difference of £1.5m for finishing second in the spl and winning the championship. Even the team finishing bottom of the spl gets double what the championship winners get in revenue. That's how clubs like Hamilton survive on tiny crowds. Plus you have the TV money as well. Our income next year will jump by roughly £900,000 if we finish 6th in the spl plus our share of the TV money. It's the fans and the cup runs that have sustained us these last couple of seasons and should we maintain our crowds around the 14 - 15,000 then our income will be as much as the dons. We kept the players on spl wages in the championship and the negotiating on the new deals is probably around how much the wage will be increased. The huge increase in attendances this season after the cup final means we are able to get guys like Swanson and will be able to get more of our targets than before as money is what counts to most players. We have a good squad but with efe and Marciano away after their loans and the likes of McLean Graham etc being let go we have a great chance to get a really competitive squad together for years to come.

[WhileTheChief..]

If Holt has started the game and we'd lost the goal in 12 seconds you would all still be blaming Lennon's tactics and game plan etc.

Wanna blame someone? Blame McGregor and McGinn etc. They cost us our place in the final, not Lennon.

It was a good game that we lost by an incredibly flukey goal. It happens. Sometimes you just gotta take a sore one, learn from it and move on.

[B.H.F.C]

Doesn't matter how you set up, it wouldn't stop you losing a comical goal like that.

But I thought his team selection was wrong. There was no balance for me with four central midfielders in the team. We didn't have an out ball at all. When we were in possession we just had nowhere to go until the change was made.

[makaveli1875]

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If Holt has started the game and we'd lost the goal in 12 seconds you would all still be blaming Lennon's tactics and game plan etc.

Wanna blame someone? Blame McGregor and McGinn etc. They cost us our place in the final, not Lennon.

It was a good game that we lost by an incredibly flukey goal. It happens. Sometimes you just gotta take a sore one, learn from it and move on.

[mjhibby]

I thought lennons interview summed it up perfectly. Didnt realise the issue with efe but Everything he said was true. The difference with his and Stubbs approach when analysis of defeats is striking and maybe he is a wee bit ott at times but players have to accept when they've not played well. What they need to do is then go and produce the goods in the next big game. McGinn and Cummings didn't play well but Lennon didn't name them as he didn't have too. The team showed great character to comeback and we looked most likely to win. Yes the team will be annoyed at how we lost but but should be immensely proud of their efforts. Lennon praises the players when they play well and sure he backs them in the dressing room. Every team playing us now knows they will have a battle and that wasnt always the case previously.

[northstandhibby]

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I thought lennons interview summed it up perfectly. Didnt realise the issue with efe but Everything he said was true. The difference with his and Stubbs approach when analysis of defeats is striking and maybe he is a wee bit ott at times but players have to accept when they've not played well. What they need to do is then go and produce the goods in the next big game. McGinn and Cummings didn't play well but Lennon didn't name them as he didn't have too. The team showed great character to comeback and we looked most likely to win. Yes the team will be annoyed at how we lost but but should be immensely proud of their efforts. Lennon praises the players when they play well and sure he backs them in the dressing room. Every team playing us now knows they will have a battle and that wasnt always the case previously.

Great post.

Just about sums up the situation. The team deserved both criticism and praise for the unfortunate errors for both Dons goals yet the fightback was fantastic and bar the fluke from the Dons and possible intervention from beaton I'm certain we would have won the match overall.



glory glory

[Greenworld]

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His suggestion that it wasn't down to tactics is a total cop out. Yes, the goals were individual mistakes and he can't do anything about that, but the overall flow of the first half hour was down to him playing Cummings up top on his own.

Can't agree with that first two goals were player errors .mcgregor should have passed back to keeper to clear for first . Mcgeoch broke from the wall for second if he had stood still would have hit him.
Nothing to do with tactics

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[Danderhall Hibs]

Lennon's interview on hibs tv is excellent.

[Borderhibbie76]

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how can anyone say the tactics were wrong when we never got a chance to see if they were correct!!! mcginn trying to be Ronaldo from the kick off!!!! imo NL WAS QUITE RIGHT TO SLATE THEM!!! they regrouped and done well but the damage was already done

What the hell was Mcginn trying to do there....absolutely shocking mate

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[Borderhibbie76]

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The tactics cost us the first goal imo.

Start holt and our kick off is one pass back followed by a diagonal. We knew cummings wouldn't get near it so tried passing it back, which cost the goal.

Nonsense mate Mcginn thought he was Messi and it went Tits up...no tactics can legislate for that I'm afraid. I agree the team set up was wrong from start but u can't blame the 1st goal on the team.set up

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[Baldy Foghorn]

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Nonsense mate Mcginn thought he was Messi and it went Tits up...no tactics can legislate for that I'm afraid. I agree the team set up was wrong from start but u can't blame the 1st goal on the team.set up

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[Kato]

Those who think Lennon is in the wrong over statement would have hated having Turnbull as manager.

[dastardly8]

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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39680019

Some hard-hitting stuff in his interview.

He is spot on with his blasting of the players , the first half an hour was awful , remember it is a job and they get paid for it , if any of us in our jobs weren't performing you would get blasted too , it's nice to have a manager who is willing to show the fight and passion to improve our team and can only be commended for it.

[HibernianJK]

First half an hour was poor yet they didn't have any real chances. We were poor but they weren't great either. Think it's very harsh blaming players for that today.