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View Full Version : I Want A Winning Football Style And Mentality From The New Manager



smurf
12-10-2010, 12:21 PM
I don't want us to be boring. I don't want ultra defensive tactics in an SPL we realistcally can't win.

Ideally i want an expansive game. An entertaining principle. However, above everything else i want a winning style of football. I want a mentality at Easter Road that is all about winning football matches.

Because unless we develop such we are never going to win that bloody Scottish F.A thing.

In fairness under John Collins particularly early on he absolutely developed a winning football style. The football was still attractive to watch under him but IMHO perhaps less so than under Mowbray. However, football is all about winning. And the facts confirm that under Collins we were more likely to win a game than we were under Mowbray.

He then tried to introduce a 'Winning mentality' but of course the players revolted etc etc. Perhaps Collins went about it in the wrong fashion. But IMHO it can't be debated that he did introduce 'Winning football' (CIS Cup) and he attempted to introduce a 'Winning mentality'.

That's all history of course but today you only need to read and listen to the comments of players before and after fixtures to absolutely detect very little 'Winning mentality'. They will come out with from time-to-time a "...we are a big club and should be up there..." but sorry i don't believe it. There's no conviction of that within Easter Road/East Mains IMHO. No genuine belief that we are a club of such stature that without doubt absolutely should win more SPL matches than it loses.

Too many IMHO see us as really no different from St Johnstone/Motherwell/Hamilton/St Mirren.

And it's not just our players. With our budget up at the top end does our board really do enough to ensure such investment generates the expected results? If so why can Mixu talk of a "Fantastic" achievement in finishing 6th? How can Hughes talk of a 4th place finish as "Overachievement"?

It suggests to me that our board are hardly excercising too tough a target on our Manager. I've heard that our Manager is given a financial incentive based on finishing top six. Is this true? If so it's a ridiculous target to give. A club with our budget should expect top six not target for it.

In fairness our board have in recent times supported whoever is our Manager. Support that ought to have generated better results. Why hasn't it? Is it a culture thing? What are the targets and objectives issued from the top. Do we need to raise the bar and expectation to push us on further?

And us the fans. Of course we know full well we are not going to win the SPL. Finances mean it's just not realistic. At all. We pretty much know that it's extremely unlikely that we can split them. But deep down i think we also believe that we ought to be challenging much better and competitively. But we perhaps keep quiet about that from fear of ridicule?

We can't and won't finish as the winner of the '..best of the rest..' in the SPL every single year. But why don't we expect it? Neither Celtc or the Huns can win the SPL each year but both their respective bigots expect it? And as a result of that i honestly believe that's exactly why with such expectation given we have an SPL table as we have today with the results for position 1 and 2.

IMHO expectation generates pressure and a correct mentality with it generates results. In all walks of life.

So i really do hope that the new man is who we think it is. A guy on record with not being particularly impressed by the SPL. A guy with a background in winning. A mentality around winning. A guy who will look at the infrastructure in place at ER/EM and say "I'm going to surround this place with winners". Guys who will look at the SPL and say "Within THAT league. THIS SPL i want no mediocrity. This club. Hibs. ARE going to be right up there competing. Winning."

So i say from Boardroom to the Manager. From Manager to the Players. We want winning football and a winning mentality.

And from us the fans. A message to the board. We expect (within reason and justification) a winning mentality starting from you guys right at the top. And let that spread from the boardroom through ER/EM onto the park and that marvellous stadium we have Easter Road.

Beefster
12-10-2010, 12:36 PM
It suggests to me that our board are hardly excercising too tough a target on our Manager. I've heard that our Manager is given a financial incentive based on finishing top six. Is this true? If so it's a ridiculous target to give. A club with our budget should expect top six not target for it.

Good post, Smurf. As with you, one of the reasons that I wanted Clarke last time and again this time is because he will have the right mentality. He's worked under Gullit, Mourinho, Grant, Scolari and Zola so will know how things are done at the top end of the game. You don't get guys like Mourinho, Lampard, Terry, Zola and co singing your praises without being good at your job.

If there is a 'top six' target for the manager (as opposed to higher) then, as usual, it will be for purely financial reasons. The difference between finishing in the bottom or top six (i.e. home game against OF, possible home game against Hearts) will be greater than the (monetary) difference between finishing sixth and finishing in a Europe spot (an extra 1% or so of SPL prize money and, usually, one home game in Europe).

Phil MaGlass
12-10-2010, 01:11 PM
:take thatwinning mentality:take that

smurf
12-10-2010, 01:19 PM
:take thatwinning mentality:take that

Lets hope the new guy introduces it.:greengrin

Jonnyboy
12-10-2010, 01:21 PM
I don't want us to be boring. I don't want ultra defensive tactics in an SPL we realistcally can't win.

Ideally i want an expansive game. An entertaining principle. However, above everything else i want a winning style of football. I want a mentality at Easter Road that is all about winning football matches.

:top marks K.

Re the bit in bold I think it's important to accept that the desired style may not be evident from day one and I'm sure you'll agree with that. Whoever the new manager is must first stop us leaking silly goals, especially from set pieces and must bring some width and purpose to our game by abolishing once and for all the 8749 passes because it makes us look like a Dutch side :wink:

smurf
12-10-2010, 01:33 PM
:top marks K.

Re the bit in bold I think it's important to accept that the desired style may not be evident from day one and I'm sure you'll agree with that. Whoever the new manager is must first stop us leaking silly goals, especially from set pieces and must bring some width and purpose to our game by abolishing once and for all the 8749 passes because it makes us look like a Dutch side :wink:

Agreed.

I was amazed at ER sitting in my usual seat watching a home side play the ball on the carpet but getting the ball forward to the front players with pace....

Sometimes by 8745 fewer passes than the usual home team.

oregonhibby
14-10-2010, 05:37 AM
It is also important to note that managing the football team is more than training them, setting them up and sending them out to play. The manager has to have key man management skills, skills to manage the Board, media skills and an ability to communicate exactly what he is trying to achieve across the entire - to use management speak - stakeholder group.

Add this to the winning mentality then you do have a chance of success.

For me, some of these additional areas are what John Collins lacked. Yes he won a cup - remember the semi though - but he hadn't acquired the skills to manage the entire team, their expectations and/or to deal with individuals. Part of this is because he had no management experience before - most of which is about learning from others and learning from your mistakes.

I do not think we should go for an "experienced manager" like many of those out of a job at the moment, but look for someone that has the desired winning mentality and experience of management. Clarke is an obvious candidate - expensive, and before people say he is out of a job and will take the money at all costs, successful people know their value and will not undersell themselves - but I would do a real research job and identify assistants across the Premiership and Championship who are looking to break into management. Also, assistants and coaches who have their badges and qualified through a proper system (England - 4 years University course essentially).

I want to see football played the Hibernian way. The Famous Five way, the Turnbull Tornadoes way, the McLeish way or the Mowbray way. Add more of a winning mentality (hard to beat Hugh Shaw tho - 3 championships) and we supporters will be happier for it!

Just a view.

PS Passing with a purpose is no bad thing! But it does need a purpose - I doubt, apart from Barcelona and Spain, that any team could pass the ball that many times and definately NOT a Scottish team.

Hibby Bairn
14-10-2010, 06:45 AM
Just buy him a Brian Clough book on day one. Job's a good 'un.