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View Full Version : are we expecting too much too soon ?



mully_bear
23-11-2009, 01:24 AM
we have had a great start to the season but have been very fortunate in a few games (teams going down to 10 men and 9 against the sheep).

i think due to the start (points / league position) people get a tad carried away.

we have a few new players who i think have still to gel properly / players in new positions. (i do think that we are going to give a team a hiding at some point). we havent played really well for 90 mins this season.

i would like to see deeks playing as a striker. he will never be a left mid. He isolates out left back. he does track back but to good effect ??

i think hughes has to try and find his preferred strike force and stop playing stirkers in midfield. if deeks plays up front i can see him scoring 20+ goals this season. thats where he should play as thats what he does best. he should drop stokes on saturday and try deeks and benji with galbraith on the left.

Have read from some posters on here that we dont "majorly" need a right back. i completely disagree. I think thats a priority in january.

Just Jimmy
23-11-2009, 01:48 AM
I said before the season started we need a right back, left back, a 'number 9' and a right midfielder.

Zemmama came back, but will he stay fit?

Right back, I still maintain is a massive must. As you noted.

Left back, I like Murray in Midfield, it also means there will be less pressue on McBride should he have a few dodgy games. Lewis has done ok but I'm not convinced he's the answer.

A number 9 is obvious since people are now crying out to sign Kevin Kyle... Nish is garbage!

brydekirk
23-11-2009, 08:25 AM
we should put Galbraith left mid and play 442 until january.:agree: then yogi might be able to fill in the gaps.

number 27
23-11-2009, 01:57 PM
Yes we are expecting too much too soon. After where we were at the end of last season the progress has been exceptional.

We always struggle at St Mirren and I reckon they are a better team now than for a good while. A point was not disastrous at all especially since only Dundee United really gained on us. If we continue to progress at this rate then maybe soon we can go to Paisley expecting to win comfortably but for the time being lets not be too unrealistic.

Keith_M
23-11-2009, 06:39 PM
I think so. We don't yet have the strength in depth that's the sign of a really good team but the improvement over last season can't be understated.

I think it's human nature that people are never satisfied or maybe want everything right away. The point for me is that Hibs are at least heading in the right direction and, in fact, are already a team worth watching.

AK86
23-11-2009, 08:02 PM
we are learning to walk
in the new year we will be running

next season .....Bolt:wink:

ahibby
23-11-2009, 08:42 PM
I am not so sure. 13 games or whatever in to the season and we should have gelled I think. We have some good players but some are asked to play out of position and that is one of the reasons we aren't going throught with it. Yogi says horses for courses and yet there was a time when we finished third and only changed the team because of injuries and not because of who we played against. I think Yogi is having to tinker with the team because of injuries and changing conditions and despite what he said about horses for courses I don't think he would have changed the winning side if he didn't have to. So injuries and tinkering are costing us the full three points recently but if we don't lose many and pick up draws in what we believe are our hardest games then mustn't grumble.

offshorehibby
23-11-2009, 08:47 PM
Yes i think we are getting a bit carried away. After last season most of us would have been happy with playing good football and keeping up the challenge for Europe till the end of the season. Now we are talking about splitting the old firm.
Hughes is still building his side and there will be a lot of changes before he has got us where he wants us.
Lets just take it nice and easy

PaulSmith
23-11-2009, 08:49 PM
we should put Galbraith left mid and play 442 until january.:agree: then yogi might be able to fill in the gaps.

And what has Galbraith done to justify us changing the shape of team that's doing well.

HFC 0-7
23-11-2009, 08:49 PM
I am not so sure. 13 games or whatever in to the season and we should have gelled I think. We have some good players but some are asked to play out of position and that is one of the reasons we aren't going throught with it. Yogi says horses for courses and yet there was a time when we finished third and only changed the team because of injuries and not because of who we played against. I think Yogi is having to tinker with the team because of injuries and changing conditions and despite what he said about horses for courses I don't think he would have changed the winning side if he didn't have to. So injuries and tinkering are costing us the full three points recently but if we don't lose many and pick up draws in what we believe are our hardest games then mustn't grumble.


I think Yogi is trying to accommodate our 'best' players. IMO Benji, Stokes and Riordan shouldnt be on the pitch at the same time. One of them should be dropped, possibly benji, although I wouldnt mind seeing benji up top.

I have said it before, an average midfielder playing in midfield is better than a good forward playing in midfield (Benji). Also, I think this must be hard to take for some of the midfielders at the club, as Benji is being played out of position ahead of the natural midfielders.

I like Yogi and think he has done great things already, however, I think he doesnt like to rock the boat in terms of dropping the players that could throw a strop (Riordan, Stokes and Benji).

In summary I dont think we are expecting too much, I think that we know we have good players and have seen what they are capable of previously, however, the formations and team choices are not allowing them to show properly. Miller in midfield, although has looked good seems stranded at times and over run stopping him from doing what he does best. Stokes needs to be close to the likes of Deek in a front 2. Benji needs to be up top on the last defender as he is good at taking the ball in, turning and making that bit of room to shoot.

offshorehibby
23-11-2009, 09:04 PM
And what has Galbraith done to justify us changing the shape of team that's doing well.

While we are playing well at times we are hardly firing on full cylinders for a full 90mins. Any time i've seen Galbraith he looks like a player with a bit of skill at his feet why shouldn't he be given a chance.

Hibby Bairn
23-11-2009, 09:16 PM
Main problem is we do not create enough chances for our "strikeforce". In fact we create very few chances. But we are very good at keeping the ball up to and around the half way line when we have 5/6 players v 2/3 opposition.

Just like Falkirk last season, for example. :wink:

Most teams have sat back against us. Apart from St Johnstone who swept us out the cup.

Bishop Hibee
23-11-2009, 09:31 PM
With McCann injured and no sign of Darren McCormack then a right back is a priority. I'm sure Yogi will bring in a centre half as well.

Although we aren't firing on all cylinders, we are a lot better tactically than under Mixu and playing better than the unbeaten run under Collins.

We need a fit Zemmama for as many games as possible though.

ahibby
24-11-2009, 09:29 AM
[QUOTE=hibs13681;2251642]I think Yogi is trying to accommodate our 'best' players. IMO Benji, Stokes and Riordan shouldnt be on the pitch at the same time. One of them should be dropped, possibly benji, although I wouldnt mind seeing benji up top.

I have said it before, an average midfielder playing in midfield is better than a good forward playing in midfield (Benji). Also, I think this must be hard to take for some of the midfielders at the club, as Benji is being played out of position ahead of the natural midfielders.

QUOTE]

Looking back at the Motherwell game the midfield was Zemama, Miller, McBride and Riordan and that worked very well. Wotherspoon, Hogg, Bamba and Murray at the back. We started with Stokes and Nish up front. I think that was one of the best performances I have seen from us for a long time and Yogi stuck with that formation for as long as he could. IMO Benji doesn't feed a forward or forwards effectively and therefore shouldn't be playing behind a front line but I understand that Yogi has to do it this way for the time being. Our best line up is the one we played against Motherwell IMO and the front two of Stokes and Nish could be changed or substituted using either Byrne or Benji, or later in a game moving Riordan up front and bringing on a sub midfielder. We have the players to carry a real goal threat but all three of Miller, McBride, and Zemama have or are carrying injuries which has meant we can't field our best. The possibilities of Stevenson, Cregg, Rankin, or even Murray playing in midfield arises. I haven't seen enough of Galbraith to comment but I think he would have more of a chance of getting on if Deek gets injured and heaven forbid that.

Dashing Bob S
24-11-2009, 09:46 AM
[QUOTE=hibs13681;2251642]I think Yogi is trying to accommodate our 'best' players. IMO Benji, Stokes and Riordan shouldnt be on the pitch at the same time. One of them should be dropped, possibly benji, although I wouldnt mind seeing benji up top.

I have said it before, an average midfielder playing in midfield is better than a good forward playing in midfield (Benji). Also, I think this must be hard to take for some of the midfielders at the club, as Benji is being played out of position ahead of the natural midfielders.

QUOTE]

Looking back at the Motherwell game the midfield was Zemama, Miller, McBride and Riordan and that worked very well. Wotherspoon, Hogg, Bamba and Murray at the back. We started with Stokes and Nish up front. I think that was one of the best performances I have seen from us for a long time and Yogi stuck with that formation for as long as he could. IMO Benji doesn't feed a forward or forwards effectively and therefore shouldn't be playing behind a front line but I understand that Yogi has to do it this way for the time being. Our best line up is the one we played against Motherwell IMO and the front two of Stokes and Nish could be changed or substituted using either Byrne or Benji, or later in a game moving Riordan up front and bringing on a sub midfielder. We have the players to carry a real goal threat but all three of Miller, McBride, and Zemama have or are carrying injuries which has meant we can't field our best. The possibilities of Stevenson, Cregg, Rankin, or even Murray playing in midfield arises. I haven't seen enough of Galbraith to comment but I think he would have more of a chance of getting on if Deek gets injured and heaven forbid that.

Good analysis there - agree with every word.

Expecting Rain
24-11-2009, 10:07 AM
Yes the expectations are probably too high at the moment, Hibs don`t have a strong squad yet it is still difficult to keep everybody happy, i think Yogi is giving most of the players a fair crack at establishing themselves as first team regulars ( minus Cregg) at the expense of a few potential points and the formation is suffering at times as a consequence but in fairness when is the right time to do this and if you want to move players on at some time in the future you have to put them in the shop window, when we lose Zemmama, Bamba, Riordan,Miller,Murray or the likes of McBride our standards drop, we also like to think of ourselves as a passing team but the weather in this country puts paid to that and both examples of this were highlighted at Tynecastle where three key players were missing at the start and weather wise the game at St Mirren was a lottery which usually suits the home team, these are not excuses but reasons and why we shouldn`t be over critical or too optimistic in our attempts to steamroller the opposition, just look at the old firm this season they`re not that convincing away from home without their millions.

basehibby
24-11-2009, 10:45 AM
we have had a great start to the season but have been very fortunate in a few games (teams going down to 10 men and 9 against the sheep).

i think due to the start (points / league position) people get a tad carried away.

we have a few new players who i think have still to gel properly / players in new positions. (i do think that we are going to give a team a hiding at some point). we havent played really well for 90 mins this season.

i would like to see deeks playing as a striker. he will never be a left mid. He isolates out left back. he does track back but to good effect ??

i think hughes has to try and find his preferred strike force and stop playing stirkers in midfield. if deeks plays up front i can see him scoring 20+ goals this season. thats where he should play as thats what he does best. he should drop stokes on saturday and try deeks and benji with galbraith on the left.

Have read from some posters on here that we dont "majorly" need a right back. i completely disagree. I think thats a priority in january.

No - not for me. We may be HOPING for plenty but we aren't expecting too much.
We all hope to see the team challenging at the top end of the table and keeping in touch with the OF right through the season - but I think most of us know that, even with an understrength OF, and with Dundee Utd in great form, even clinching 3rd place will be a tough nut to crack.
Regarding selections/formations, I'm inclined to agree with you - Yogi should be playing more nidfielders in midfield - at least when Zemama is out of the team. When Zemema is in the starting line up he causes so many problems to the opposition that he creates room for others and hence our four pronged attack see more of the ball. When Zemama has been out though our midfield has struggled to impose themselves - mainly due to being outnumbered since the likes of Benji & Riordan - even if they're trying hard - are not natural ball winners.
PS - agree that a quality RB is the priority signing target.