We must win next week

[Hibbyradge]

I'm pleased with our start to the season, but for a team with so many goal threats, we don't score anywhere near enough. In addition to Celtic and Rangers, St Johnstone have scored more than us and Dundee U are just one behind.

There has definitely been progress, however. We're 7 points better off than after 12 games last season and our goal difference is +8 compared to -4.

But I'm still not convinced we're the real deal. Yet.

A good solid performance and a strong win on Saturday, is vital. It will be a springboard for the end of the year and give us a great chance to consolidate in the top 4 by Christmas.

Anything less than that, and I think we could easily start to slip backwards.

[Dibben]

I'm pleased with our start to the season, but for a team with so many goal threats, we don't score anywhere near enough. In addition to Celtic and Rangers, St Johnstone have scored more than us and Dundee U are just one behind.

There is definitely been progress, however. We're 7 points better off than after 12 games last season and our goal difference is +8 compared to -4.

But I'm still not convinced we're the real deal. Yet.

A good solid performance and a strong win on Saturday, is vital. It will be a springboard for the end of the year and give us a great chance to consolidate in the top 4 by Christmas.

Anything less than that, and I think we could easily start to slip backwards.

:agree:

We're starting to get more draws, albeit in games that we may have lost last season!

We still need to score more with our 'potent' strikeforce!

BH.

[forthhibby]

if we lose and kilmarnock and hamilton win next week, i might still be smiling next saturday night :wink:

[Dashing Bob S]

if we lose and kilmarnock and hamilton win next week, i might still be smiling next saturday night :wink:

It's very tempting, but I think we should keep piling up the points. However, it would nice if that 0-2 loss to Hamilton ended up saving their bacon at the expense of our Gorgie chums.

[hibbie02]

:agree:

We're starting to get more draws, albeit in games that we may have lost last season!

We still need to score more with our 'potent' strikeforce!

BH.

I think that our potent strikeforce isn't very potent at the moment and there always seems to be one passenger up front. We would be better off with Riordan and Zouma/Spoony (either) plus one striker and play an extra man in midfield rather 2 additional strikers.

We need more in midfield to provide the ammo and not have too many forwards fighting over a limited supply.

[Hibercelona]

Falkirk is an excellent opportunity to pick up all 3 points.

We need to make it count. Especially with it being at home.

I think we're starting to make ER a bit of a fortress. Hopefully we can keep it up. :agree:

[GloryGlory]

:agree:

We're starting to get more draws, albeit in games that we may have lost last season!

We still need to score more with our 'potent' strikeforce!

BH.

:agree: I'm not convinced that the blend up front is right yet. Riordan/Stokes/Benji/Nish are individually good quality SPL-level forwards to a greater or lesser degree. But to my mind, they still play too much as individuals who contribute individual moments of brilliance. The best strikeforces always worked as a team IMO. I think Hughes and Rice need to look again at the blend up front and look at coaching players as partnerships, rather than as individuals. Is there a Gordon/O'Rourke partnership lurking there, two players that complement and play off each other to the greater benefit of the team?

[hibbie02]

:agree: I'm not convinced that the blend up front is right yet. Riordan/Stokes/Benji/Nish are individually good quality SPL-level forwards to a greater or lesser degree. But to my mind, they still play too much as individuals who contribute individual moments of brilliance. The best strikeforces always worked as a team IMO. I think Hughes and Rice need to look again at the blend up front and look at coaching players as partnerships, rather than as individuals. Is there a Gordon/O'Rourke partnership lurking there, two players that complement and play off each other to the greater benefit of the team?

Sublime! :top marks

[BT58]

interesting article in N.O.T.W.,,,,,,,,,, deeks has stated that he had target
of over 20 goals this season, but as he is playing wide left he will be happy if he hits double figures
methinks with a guy who defo has potential iof scoring goals yogi should get deeks up front
hb
if we can keep momentum going till january, then if JH could bring in 2/3 new faces who knows

[ronaldo7]

These games have been our banana skins over the last few seasons. Playing the bottom of the league, and thinking we're the billy big baws.

I think yogi will have them up for it though:thumbsup:

[ancient hibee]

The desire of coaches to play Riordan out of position never ceases to amaze me.Maybe it's because so many of them are not out and out goal scorers themselves and don't understand that swanning around the edge of the penalty area while popping in 20 goals for Hibs takes just as much effort as running around with your eyes bulging pretending you're a left back.This nonsense about defending from the front means you end up with an international team like Scotland playing a non scoring single"striker".The best way to keep opposing defences on their toes is to score goals.It's like Ritchie Benaud used to say on the cricket"thebest way to keep the run rate down is to take wickets-then they've nobody to make any runs".Rant over.

[Toaods]

one of the reasons I'd gladly take someone like Kevin Kyle at ER is that he is exactly what we don't have - a big man with lots of power and presence qwho wants to play up front in the middle of the park and wreak havoc whenever a cross is coming into the box.

To my mind if we played like this, opoosition defences would be more scared than our current any 4 from 5 permutation seem to give. I'd also see more space for those coming in from the flanks.

[greenlex]

We are ordinary without Zemamma. If he plays we play, if he doesnt we dont. :boo hoo: We will be top six no problem but top four will be a struggle.

[blackpoolhibs]

one of the reasons I'd gladly take someone like Kevin Kyle at ER is that he is exactly what we don't have - a big man with lots of power and presence qwho wants to play up front in the middle of the park and wreak havoc whenever a cross is coming into the box.

To my mind if we played like this, opoosition defences would be more scared than our current any 4 from 5 permutation seem to give. I'd also see more space for those coming in from the flanks.

100% right. For all our decent play, and good results, we are still seeing a lot of what was happening for the last couple of years, mainly the ball not sticking up front, and coming straight back. We dont have one player in the squad, who can hold the ball up well. We have lots of forwards who like to play off a tall strong centre forward, but there's not one at the club.

It needs addressing, and Kyle fits the bill.:agree:

[TheMentalHibees]

Kinda like putting money into a puggy. We keep creating chances, but we aren't getting the big return we should be. It's only a matter of time though, all of our strikers are capable of scoring goals. The only fear is that we look slightly one dimensional when Zemmama isn't playing, there's nobody providing that creative spark thats needed.

[Hibees Reunited]

We do need the win so let's get as many Hibs fans along as possible.

(That'll be a shameless plug for Hibees Reunited :greengrin)

[CorrieHibs]

Falkirk is a must win if we are gonna keep tabs on the old firm and Dundee Utd. In my opinion stokes should be dropped and deek should be up front with Galbraith playing left wing. We are crying out for a good target man. Don't think nish is the answer.

[Hibbyradge]

The St Mirren result was disappointing and it'd be hard to say that was one of the games we would have lost last year.

To try and judge against what might have happened last year is a bit of a cop out.



It's also inaccurate.

We drew with them in the corresponding fixture last season.

[--------]

It's also inaccurate.

We drew with them in the corresponding fixture last season.


Aye, but the game just before the break last spring was 1-1 going on 5-1 - for them. It was absolute daylight robbery.

I think part of the problem is that Yogi has a team, but he's still to build a squad. We're without Zouma, and we lost Kevin McBride early on yesterday. Kevin McCann hasn't made the progress we hoped - he's still injured. We ARE better than last year, IMO. It's just that whenever we see an improvement, we immediately look for something more.

Never satisfied, football fans. :devil:

[Billy Whizz]

It's also inaccurate.

We drew with them in the corresponding fixture last season.


And we were really dire that night too!

[NAE NOOKIE]

Cant see what harm it would do to give Stokes or Benji a ' rest ' and have a go at 442. For all of our forward players we are making just over 1 goal a game.

Stack

Wotherspoon Hogg Bamba Murray

Zemmama McBride Miller Galbraith

Stokes Riordan

[Kaiser1962]

:agree: I'm not convinced that the blend up front is right yet. Riordan/Stokes/Benji/Nish are individually good quality SPL-level forwards to a greater or lesser degree. But to my mind, they still play too much as individuals who contribute individual moments of brilliance. The best strikeforces always worked as a team IMO. I think Hughes and Rice need to look again at the blend up front and look at coaching players as partnerships, rather than as individuals. Is there a Gordon/O'Rourke partnership lurking there, two players that complement and play off each other to the greater benefit of the team?

Riordan/Kyle come January? Anyone? I do believe we need more from Stokes.

[Liberal Hibby]

It's also inaccurate.

We drew with them in the corresponding fixture last season.

Indeed - and last season our manager was also critised for supposedly playing 4-3-3 as a way of shoehorning too many forwards into a team not creating enough chances when Zemmama wasn't available.

We've had a good start - but I fear it's simply the third of season when we play OK and/or get the breaks. When we stop playing OK and/or don't get the breaks - that's when we'll see what (if any) progress has actually been made...

[shamo9]

Aye, but the game just before the break last spring was 1-1 going on 5-1 - for them. It was absolute daylight robbery.

I think part of the problem is that Yogi has a team, but he's still to build a squad. We're without Zouma, and we lost Kevin McBride early on yesterday. Kevin McCann hasn't made the progress we hoped - he's still injured. We ARE better than last year, IMO. It's just that whenever we see an improvement, we immediately look for something more.

Never satisfied, football fans. :devil:

And long may it continue. The day we become 'satisfied' with ourselves will be a dark day indeed. If we finish third we should push for second. If we win the CIS we should then look towards the Scottish. Upwards and onwards. If you have nothing to strive for then you've one foot in the grave already. Although if we win the Scottish Cup I'm not sure if I'd mind:wink:

[monktonharp]

I do believe Stokes should be stuck on the bench for a couple of games,bring him on in the last 20 mins,but put deeks up where he is best.I also get a tad annoyed at talk from the manager about "we wont split the old firm". deep down we probably dont expect that,but hey that glesga pair are at their lowest ebb in many a year so why not tell the team/world that we are going for it? looks like Harry Potter is getting his boys into the right mindset,when it comes to playing the OF. Alex McLeish came out with that stuff too,a day after we went top,and the huns got beat the same day with St.Johnstone. we can all see that we have an excellent squad of players,maybe needing a few adjustments,and a couple of additions but I cant see us suddenly falling off ,this side of christmas.

[Steve20]

We don't seem to be as good as some people think. Without Zemmama, we hardly create a thing. As someone has already said, I think we will struggle to get a top 4 position unless we start showing these players are as good as they get hyped upto be.

[PaulSmith]

Personally I think we'll still pick up lots of points between now and the end of the season. Even when we have to go to places like Paisley on a terrible day we now have the mental strength to keep it tight, compete and not get beat. It's what quite a lot on here have been crying out for over a number of years.

We now go into two home games which I'm convinced will see us pick up 6 points out of 6. Where that will leave us is still a minimum of 3 points from top place after 14 games.

In a nutshell on the basis that we've only lost 2 out of 12 so far, where we currently are in the league and the fact that no one is capable of winning every game I am delighted with the season so far.

[ahibby]

If we have ambitions of staying in our position in the league, which I am sure we have, then yes we have to win on Saturday. Opponents know about our strike force and it's obvious that they will take steps to cancel it out as much as poss, therefore we may not be as potent as we could be. That is until we score and teams have to take more of a chance and then our ability up front should tell. We need a creative midfield to draw players and make good passes and if that doesn't happen and our strikers don't get good balls then we won't score often. Miller, Zouma, and McBride can be creative when fully fit but none of them are at the moment which is bound to cause us problems in the scoring dept, no?

[Exiled Hibby]

Cant see what harm it would do to give Stokes or Benji a ' rest ' and have a go at 442. For all of our forward players we are making just over 1 goal a game.

Stack

Wotherspoon Hogg Bamba Murray

Zemmama McBride Miller Galbraith

Stokes Riordan

couldnt agree more. did consider saying Benji instead of Stokes - but feel he (Stokes) has to do something soon - and when better than against his former club