The unworkable legacy and the new strategy

[RIP]

Back when Rod Petrie was overseeing the football department at Hibernian FC we saw regular changes of management, complete squad overhaul every year, loan players coming in and going back to their clubs and a stifling of youth development. Successive first-team coaches appeared to be granted licence to bring in a whole new team of players and throw the old ones in the bin. Apart from costing us a fortune in signing on fees and paid off contracts this was a legacy that was unworkable for the future. With every new manager the results deteriorated.

Nobody with a shred of football acumen would set this out as a strategy for success. In fact it was madness. The best, most cohesive teams are those who build to a longer term plan, factoring in replacements from youth teams and from the marketplace as contracts expire.

However from this season, it would seem, changes are afoot:-

• Fife Hyland has taken over from Scott Lindsay as Chief Executive of the Non-Football Operation
• Scott Lindsay has moved to East Mains to oversee the Football Operation
• Rod is increasingly taking a back seat
• Alastair Stevenson has been promoted to First Team Coach with a focus on youth development
• Derek Adams has not been (and I believe will not be) replaced
• Experienced Hibbies and ex-Hibbies as regular starts - Garry, Ivan, Ian and Lewis S
• Former under 19s such as David W and Callum as regular starts
• Youngsters used in big games - Scott S, Scott T, David C, Lewis H building on previous signings - David S, Danny
• Other players from Calderwood's career or sourced as signings - Akpo, Junior, Matt and Victor
• A possible aversion to loan signings? (Sheridan?)

So the question is whether this does reflect a sea change in approach under Lindsay and Stevenson and how much time will we, the supporters, give it to mature?

[RIP]

Now that many of us have watched Scott Lindsay's excellent interview explaining his role, should Hibs.Net readers now accept that:-


If we don't sign players it's Scott to blame and not Rod :greengrin
If the club are silent on the Calderwood situation it's because Scott's decided not to comment 'cos it's simply a distraction from the job in hand
He, Calderwood and Stevenson ARE operating a deliberate youth policy now supplemented by experience
We are not going to continue the madness of signing a new team of players each year - no matter what some fans want
We are only keeping or signing players who WANT TO PLAY FOR HIBS - not journeymen, flypasts and mercenaries
Scott is our Director of Football.........Or Football Director.........whatever way you want to look at it
As usual Hibs are going about these changes quietly - so quietly it seems that most posters have failed to notice

[Shaggy]

I agree, its time to change strategy but I am concerned that the one chosen already.
A new team every year isnt good... but we seem to have everybody on one year deals.

That isnt going to have any stability, or anything to build on.
Just the scrimping round the bins looking for scraps to fill the team with, as is the case this year.

The existing players with previous longer contracts, will run down another year and 100 % of the squad will end up considering there future around xmas.

The season run in will be poorer than the start.

[smurf]

I'm concerned that we don't have an asst manager. I was listening to Alex Ferguson going on recently of the importance of the role. Seems strange to my mind cc doesn't have one.

[snooky]

I'm concerned that we don't have an asst manager. I was listening to Alex Ferguson going on recently of the importance of the role. Seems strange to my mind cc doesn't have one.

Maybe he'll just read Hibsnet :greengrin :tin hat:

[Cropley10]

So giving regular starts to Garry Ivan Lewis and Ian as they're Hibees is part of our strategy?

And who are these 'mercenaries' you refer to?

I get the sense we're just making it up as we go along. Last week it was the fans fault for not buying more STs, now we're playing Hibs fans and the kids is some sort of plan. Bizarre.

[Forza Fred]

Now that many of us have watched Scott Lindsay's excellent interview explaining his role, should Hibs.Net readers now accept that:-


If we don't sign players it's Scott to blame and not Rod :greengrin
If the club are silent on the Calderwood situation it's because Scott's decided not to comment 'cos it's simply a distraction from the job in hand
He, Calderwood and Stevenson ARE operating a deliberate youth policy now supplemented by experience
We are not going to continue the madness of signing a new team of players each year - no matter what some fans want
We are only keeping or signing players who WANT TO PLAY FOR HIBS - not journeymen, flypasts and mercenaries
Scott is our Director of Football.........Or Football Director.........whatever way you want to look at it
As usual Hibs are going about these changes quietly - so quietly it seems that most posters have failed to notice


Not looking for a confrontational answer here., and it is down to nothing other than my ignorance.

But what are Scott Lindsay's qualifications/experience that make him the appropriate choice for the "Director of Football 'role?

[Cropley10]

Not looking for a confrontational answer here., and it is down to nothing other than my ignorance.

But what are Scott Lindsay's qualifications/experience that make him the appropriate choice for the "Director of Football 'role?

He's a Chartered Accountant? :dunno:

[RIP]

[
I get the sense we're just making it up as we go along

Sense - you are not making any sense. Are you really trying to get us to believe that the Director reorganisation at Hibs was some sort of accident?


Last week it was the fans fault for not buying more STs.

:faf:So one post from a Hibs.Net Admin and you think we're viewing that as some kind of Club Announcement?


Now we're playing Hibs fans and the kids is some sort of plan. Bizarre.

Scott Lindsay said that several times. Scott recruited Alastair Stevenson as an Assistant Manager to look after youth transition into the first team. Stevenson, Calderwood, and Lindsay make constant references to youth development, supplementing with experience and players who want to be here

You're trying to con us into thinking that's all one big coincidence. Bizarre!!

[Mikey]

Last week it was the fans fault for not buying more STs

Who said that? I must have missed it.

[Mikey]

Scott is our Director of Football.........Or Football Director.........whatever way you want to look at it


If you say it often enough.................

[Cropley10]

If you say it often enough.................

Sorry, are you saying he's not?

[BEEJ]

He, Calderwood and Stevenson ARE operating a deliberate youth policy now supplemented by experience.



I'm concerned that we don't have an asst manager. I was listening to Alex Ferguson going on recently of the importance of the role. Seems strange to my mind cc doesn't have one.
The question in my mind is whether these recent developments are the product of having naturally transitioned into the next phase of the club's longer-term development strategy or whether in fact they have been driven by shorter-term financial necessity.

[basehibby]

I'm concerned that we don't have an asst manager. I was listening to Alex Ferguson going on recently of the importance of the role. Seems strange to my mind cc doesn't have one.

Agreed - I've been scratching my head over this one as well. Derek Adams was an unusual appointment in that he didn't seem to be Calderwood's choice and maybe it should be no surprise that it didn't work out for him. I can understand why noone was appointed over the summer what with all the speculation, but it is an unusual situation to continue with - a manager apparently carrying on without an assistant of his own choice.

I've no doubt that Stevenson and Evans are valuable assets to the club in their capacity as youth/reserve(?) coaches but it is a departure from convention at least for the manager not to appoint his own assistant.

[Harpandcastle]

Agreed - I've been scratching my head over this one as well. Derek Adams was an unusual appointment in that he didn't seem to be Calderwood's choice and maybe it should be no surprise that it didn't work out for him. I can understand why noone was appointed over the summer what with all the speculation, but it is an unusual situation to continue with - a manager apparently carrying on without an assistant of his own choice.

I've no doubt that Stevenson and Evans are valuable assets to the club in their capacity as youth/reserve(?) coaches but it is a departure from convention at least for the manager not to appoint his own assistant.

I find it a strange choice also, although given the costs of an assistant would come out the overall wage budget maybe Calderwood would rather run with what he has on the coaching staff and put the extra wage into the playing side?

Its clear and has been stated we are going to operate on a smaller squad, which in turn looks like he feels it can work with one fewer on the coaching side.

If paying less guys to sit the the stand every week and requiring a smaller coaching staff means we can pay a bit more to increase the quality on the park then I'm all for it.

[Andy74]

Nothing changed. CC has been allowed to sign a whole new team too.

When he leaves the next guy will do the same. The secret is just to stick with a manager for a bit.

[CiscoKid]

Nothing changed. CC has been allowed to sign a whole new team too.

When he leaves the next guy will do the same. The secret is just to stick with a manager for a bit.

I agree this is now CC's team, I have my doubts about it but we need to give it a chance.

Funny thing about the talk about the importance of an assistant manager is that we maybe already have a very good one in CC but I'm wondering how good he is as the Manager. Regardless of the Manager the biggest problem is that the production line of young talent is currently and hopefully only temporarily a bit dry, CC has tried to address that by initially bringing in a few young players and bargain experienced players. I don't think that's left us with a good enough team (by that I think we should always be targeting 3rd) but I don't know how CC could have done much better given the finances available. The board/Director of Football should really realise that, a bit more finance for immediate signings with a bit of quality even on loan would probably even finance itself by putting more bums on seats.

[RIP]

Nothing changed. CC has been allowed to sign a whole new team too.

When he leaves the next guy will do the same. The secret is just to stick with a manager for a bit.

Semantics maybe but only 4 of the 14 players used last week were signed by Calderwood