Hibs Midfield Shape - A Polo Mint?

[RIP]

Since we played Brown, Thomson, Stewart and Beuzelin - have we had a single midfielder who has been able win possession and dominate that area of the park? All I've seen is players of the Noubissie/Kerr/Rankin/Cregg/McBride/Wotherspoon standard - lightweights

Most games I've seen we have completely given up the centre circle and the line between the goalies. On Saturday the midfield was Stevenson, Miller, Towell and then Wotherspoon who despite their best endeavours looked like they had escaped from an U14 team. Aluko and Maguire were running through unchallenged and this put undue pressure on the defence

The word is out. If you want to beat Hibs you just run at pace and through them. Hearts, Arabs, Aberdeen, Motherwell and the rest only need this one tactic

Any chance you will sign us a big, hard tackling midfielder this summer Mr Lindsay?

[Franck is God]

On Saturday the midfield was Stevenson, Miller, Towell and then Wotherspoon who despite their best endeavours looked like they had escaped from an U14 team. Aluko and Maguire were running through unchallenged and this put undue pressure on the defence

That's not even a little bit true, Aluko played on the touchline the whole game and was up against Taggart on his home debut. Maguire played on the shoulder of the last defender and chased over the top and down the channels the whole match.

And all sides struggle against players that run well with the ball not just Hibs.

[eastmainsmsh]

A Matty Jack type would be ideal

Agree midfield is to small and lightweight

Ian Murray is good in the holding role but we do need someone with a bit of dig

Wonder if De Graff could be the holding player next year

[Baldy Foghorn]

Since we played Brown, Thomson, Stewart and Beuzelin - have we had a single midfielder who has been able win possession and dominate that area of the park? All I've seen is players of the Noubissie/Kerr/Rankin/Cregg/McBride/Wotherspoon standard - lightweights

Most games I've seen we have completely given up the centre circle and the line between the goalies. On Saturday the midfield was Stevenson, Miller, Towell and then Wotherspoon who despite their best endeavours looked like they had escaped from an U14 team. Aluko and Maguire were running through unchallenged and this put undue pressure on the defence

The word is out. If you want to beat Hibs you just run at pace and through them. Hearts, Arabs, Aberdeen, Motherwell and the rest only need this one tactic

Any chance you will sign us a big, hard tackling midfielder this summer Mr Lindsay?

Did we not sign Palsson, Scott and Thornhill to do the job of being tougher in midfield?

[Mikey]

Did we not sign Palsson, Scott and Thornhill to do the job of being tougher in midfield?

He did. One started on the bench, one is injured and one was one booking away from a suspension next season so was left out of the last three games.

[Baldy Foghorn]

He did. One started on the bench, one is injured and one was one booking away from a suspension next season so was left out of the last three games.

Scott came on as a sub at Inverness Mikey

[Mikey]

Scott came on as a sub at Inverness Mikey

Sorry, I was asleep :greengrin

[truehibernian]

I see it a wee bit differently and the fault lies in two things (as far as the midfield is concerned).

Firstly, the balance and shape is wrong because we have no natural left midfielder at the club. We have recently experimented with Booth, Stevenson and inter-changing DW and Liam Miller. As such, these players are used to playing more centrally (other than Callum) which brings me to the second point, we play far to narrow.

Any side that plays with wide men, like Hearts with Driver and Templeton, Utd have Conway and Swanson (and Goodwillie does drop out wide to collect too), or Well with Humphreys and Jones will have a field day going forward as there is space to exploit and no midfielder to close down the initial space, hence our full backs are drawn to the attacker far more quickly than perhaps they should be.

By holding our shape in midfield, and hopefully by getting in a pacey left midfielder, we could see a better balance. Just holding your lines can make the world of difference.

Lastly I would say that if we do get players playing their positions and holding their shape, we also need a couple of players with experience, who can talk throughout a game, lead by example, but most important of all, educate the young players like Spoony and Booth (and Hanlon). The team becomes disjointed through a chronic lack of real experience, someone with real knowledge of the game. I have to say I am still unhappy with CC's assessment of an 'experienced player' being at the expense of something else. If anything it's why we implode the way we do.

The whole spine of the team, from keeper to striker, for me, needs experience, and you work off that with pace and width and youth. Just my humble opinion of course......we shall see who CC brings in.

[NAE NOOKIE]

Bang on with the Polo Mint discription mate. But the problem for me in that hole is not about stopping the other lot, its that we never seem able to play through the midfield coz whenever a Hibs player wants to play the ball into that area there is never anybody there.

What happens .... we hoof it over the top or down the flank from 50 yards instead of building anything.

So yeh, we need to fill that hole, but with a ball player who can spot a pass E.G Boozy, not a cruncher.