Turning The Corner?

[Expecting Rain]

Did we do enough to convince anybody on saturday that we could start climbing the league?
In my opinion we got lucky with the win after moaning for so long about being unlucky, i didn`t see any difference against Kilmarnock except for the result which was most welcome nonetheless.

[jonny]

Thought Saturdays performance was a big improvement on the previous week at Perth. If not for the flair and skill on show, at least everyone that played looked interested.

I go to every game thinking we're going to win so I could probably be included in the group that thinks we will start to climb the table.

[Sir David Gray]

I thought there was a bit more workrate and urgency in midfield on Saturday than we had seen for some time, particularly in the second half.

To be honest, I was just looking to end that horrendous run that we had been on since March and I was willing to take any kind of win.

In terms of whether that sort of performance, should it be replicated every week, would be good enough to take us up the league, I'm not sure that it would be, to be honest. Before we equalised, Kilmarnock had chances to score another two or three goals and even in the second half, I would say that Brown was certainly the busier goalkeeper.

Hopefully that win will give the players a lift and the new manager coming in will add to that positivity and we can start to go on a good run. We have a tough four or five games coming up now so it'll be a good test for the players to see if they can keep it going.

[500miles]

Apart from maybe 15 minutes in the second half, we weren't pushed back so deep. Players were looking to win the ball on the halfway line and upwards, and that makes a big difference.

Stevenson brought in players who he believed he could trust to go out and give everything. That says alot about what he believes the problems were. He made a lot of changes, players who weren't regular coming in, a back 4 line up that was forced to have a CH at fullback, a semi -regular 20 year old at centre half, and a laddie that hasn't kicked a ball for some time at left back.

Then you had Rankin on the left who had just started to make more appearances after being left out for the start of the season - and to me, he gives us something extra that contributes to what I said earlier about winning the ball higher up the park.

The number of changes that we made meant we took a good 20 minutes to become anything like settled, and there were parts of our game that were disjointed throughout - but it was a positive step.

[WindyMiller]

20-25 mins. in and I was seriously thinking of leaving at half-time, we were so bad!
2 goals later and I thought the players started to believe in themselves and the fans were starting to believe in the players.

We're still the most pedestrian team in the SPL, with very little imagination, but I think a good manager could get us top six this year.

Hopefully the players will be less scared of playing at E.R. now that we've had a win.

ONWARDS AND UPWARDS!

:thumbsup:

[Famous Fiver]

Just my opinion but I thought that while a lot of the long standing faults were on show the players looked as if they had a bit of a say in what was happening on the park. They looked as if they were thinking for themselves a bit more and had a bit more freedom to act on their instincts.

Perhaps their natural talents had been stifled in the past by them having to stick strictly to Hughes's instructions. Some of them actually seemed to be enjoying themselves.

[heretoday]

They won on Saturday but they could very easily have lost by two clear goals. There's a mountain to climb.

[Keith_M]

I was delighted with the win but there's a long way to go yet before any corners have been turned.

Killie could have been 3 goals up before the Hibs goal. We still have a midget midfield and some players who, quite frankly, shouldn't be in the first team.

That said, I agree with others that Hibs showed a deal more effort than in a lot of other games of late. It's also amazing how much a bit of confidence can change how a team's playing. That really showed after Hibs scored.

[Big90inOz]

They won on Saturday but they could very easily have lost by two clear goals. There's a mountain to climb.

:agree:

[HFC 0-7]

thought the shape of the team looked much better than of late. Couple of moments where we were exposed but overall the shape looked much better and more importantly, the players looked liked they knew what their job was.

Think the personell choices were maybe a bit suspect but I think people were trying a lot harder as well.

[Bristolhibby]

Aberdeen away on Saturday will be more of a test.

Two wounded animals playing well below par set to scrap it out. The Dons will have their fans on their backs.

Who's up for it?

J

[NORTHERNHIBBY]

Didn't see much improvement TBH. What I did see was us getting an overdue bit of luck. The goal we shipped was sunday football stuff and there were a few poor performances. I would hope that with confidence we could get better but I don't expect that near 10 months or drifting will be sorted over night. Happier though. We need to take something against an out of form Aberdeen team next week. Could be a very poor spectacle.

[Stevie Reid]

I think the new manager is well set in every department apart from up front - Deek has his worst game I've seen him have in a Hibs shirt, and as much as I will always defend his ability to finish, Nish's inability to stay onside at the early stages of an attacking move was unbelievable. I know that Riordan is unlikely to play that badly that often, but there are no goals elsewhere - and we won't get 2 goals from a full back every week.

However, with Zemamma and Duffy to come back to fitness and Trakys to hopefully get fit enough to offer us something too, it will hopefully be a very different situation up top in a few weeks time. Still think De Graaf will come good too.

We carried a bit of luck at the weekend and Killie will feel aggrieved to have come away with nothing - but now the home record monkey is off our backs, hopefully the extra confidence we saw on Saturday can become a more regular feature.

[KeithTheHibby]

I didn't think we were up to much and being honest Killie could have been out of sight by the time Hogg equalised.

I was quite impressed with the way Killie knocked the ball about more than anything. Got the feeling that Mixu is going to have a bit of success at Rugby Park.

[KeithTheHibby]

Aberdeen away on Saturday will be more of a test.

Two wounded animals playing well below par set to scrap it out. The Dons will have their fans on their backs.

Who's up for it?

J

Bit off topic however is the game against the Sheep on the box?

[Andy74]

In terms of our home performances we went backwards with that one on Saturday.

We were under pressure every time they went forward and our full backs were dire.

In the other home games we've had at home I think we've looked quite comfortable and have been unlucky that we have drawn games we should have won, or lost the game v Rangers which was also a bit harsh.

It was a bit like Bobby W winning his first home game after Franck was sacked. We'd probably have won it anyway as it was overdue.

There were too many changes in the back four and it showed.

[SneakersO'Toole]

Effort and workrate was there in abundance.

Genuine quality was severely lacking. Killie looked like they had better players than us all over the park. Worrying!

The new manager has a big task ahead of him IMO.

Come of the end of the season our dressing room needs ripped apart as the amount of deadwood in our squad is incredible.

[jonny]

Bit off topic however is the game against the Sheep on the box?

Aye - and it's a 12 o'clock kick off.

[Sir David Gray]

Bit off topic however is the game against the Sheep on the box?

Yep, it's on ESPN. Kick off at 12pm.

[blackpoolhibs]

Effort and workrate was there in abundance.

Genuine quality was severely lacking. Killie looked like they had better players than us all over the park. Worrying!

The new manager has a big task ahead of him IMO.

Come of the end of the season our dressing room needs ripped apart as the amount of deadwood in our squad is incredible.

Nail hit firmly on head. :agree: Under Yogi i was always told we got lucky when we won any game, i think that was certainly the case on Saturday. We have some very bad players who can run about a bit, but have little ability. The new man has a lot to do just to make us average.

[Chuck Rhoades]

Didn't play too well, but 3 points nonetheless. Think Killie will be gutted not to leave with at least a point. I agree with comments made above about the 11 players he fielded appeared to give it their all. Stevenson has been critised in the past and only wished the boy was 6ft. I think hes a cracking player at times, gets stuck in and has a great engine in him.

That performance will not see us even challenge for Europe.

3 points that were arguably undeserved, bit of confidence and belief back, fans backing the team and getting behind them, now travelling to Aberdeen who are also struggling. IMO we have a great chance to get 3 points up there!

[flash]

It was just such a relief to win at home and enjoy my after match pints.

Not sure we would get away with that defence again mind. Regardless of the goals who decided Hogg was a better option at right back than Hart?

Have to say i hoped that the caretakers would have wanted to stiffen up the midfield and shoved big Sol in there.

[Judas Iscariot]

Yep..

Bringing back guys with the quality of Rankin, Stevenson and Hogg is clearly what the team has been missing..

I can't see a place in this current Hibs side for Zemamma when he's back fit! He clearly doesn't have the correct work ethic, is a nice enough guy and doesn't try really hard and gives his all..

Hopefully when Trakys is fit Riordan will find himself on the bench for a while..

Out with technical ability and skill, in with hard triers, nice guys, fan clappers and long distance runners..

[Keith_M]

Yep..

Bringing back guys with the quality of Rankin, Stevenson and Hogg is clearly what the team has been missing..

I can't see a place in this current Hibs side for Zemamma when he's back fit! He clearly doesn't have the correct work ethic, is a nice enough guy and doesn't try really hard and gives his all..

Hopefully when Trakys is fit Riordan will find himself on the bench for a while..

Out with technical ability and skill, in with hard triers, nice guys, fan clappers and long distance runners..


All your suggestions are just stupid!

[blackpoolhibs]

Yep..

Bringing back guys with the quality of Rankin, Stevenson and Hogg is clearly what the team has been missing..

I can't see a place in this current Hibs side for Zemamma when he's back fit! He clearly doesn't have the correct work ethic, is a nice enough guy and doesn't try really hard and gives his all..

Hopefully when Trakys is fit Riordan will find himself on the bench for a while..

Out with technical ability and skill, in with hard triers, nice guys, fan clappers and long distance runners..

I think Saturday was more about getting the win than the performance. That team wont win many games though, but Saturdays win was long overdue. :top marks

[BSEJVT]

Nail hit firmly on head. :agree: Under Yogi i was always told we got lucky when we won any game, i think that was certainly the case on Saturday. We have some very bad players who can run about a bit, but have little ability. The new man has a lot to do just to make us average.

Agree with both this and the OP to which you were replying.

The squad is pitiful as to be honest is the actual make up of it in terms of numbers of players vying for certain positions or not for others as the case may be.

Whilst you could sypathise with Hughes so far in that the budget maybe forced the quality of player upon him, I cant imagine what he was doing in allowing the squad to become so unbalanced.

4 Keepers

Umpteen centre halves or midfielders

[Green_one]

Lots of good aspects
- 3 points - takes us away from the pressure area
- Players got some confidence back , especially at home
- Fans got some relief and less likely to get on teams back
- Bought another week for unfit players to come back
- Players obviously showed fight - lacking previously.
- We used substitutes!!! - lacking previously

So, OK we have a lot of the same problems but at least we have started to do something about it. Its not about luck. Just something to build on. We will suffer set backs and overall our season may not be great but I certainly feel we are moving forward. Key game for me is against the Yams.

[CmoantheHibs]

All your suggestions are just stupid!

I think there was a heavy dose of sarcasm with the post.

[Judas Iscariot]

All your suggestions are just stupid!

:doh:


I think Saturday was more about getting the win than the performance. That team wont win many games though, but Saturdays win was long overdue. :top marks

I don't disagree it was all about the result but to suggest that team is a improvement is ridiculous..

The amount of folk on here creaming themselves over Hogg and Rankin is unbelievable!

Do you think we'd not have won if Yogi was still in charge?

I think we would've, should have gave him until that game before booting him..



I think there was a heavy dose of sarcasm with the post.

Think a big "Whoooooooooosh" smiley is needed :agree:

[superfurryhibby]

No real improvement in the quality of football on display, so very little to suggest that we have turned a corner. What is clear is that we don't really know what our best team is and what formation they should be deployed in.

Until we remedy our soft centre in midfield, get a little bite and creativity in there then we will continue to struggle. Maybe Bamba or Murray sitting in the middle and encourage Miller to try and take the game to the opposition a bit?