Split Loyalties and the myths of our player budget

[creasey]

Hi, as a massive hibbee I've been a daily viewer of .net for years but recent events have finally given me the urge to post for the first time!

My dad is the Berwick Rangers manager, Jimmy Crease, so obviously I was delighted that they drew Hibs in the cup - as a life long hibbee it was a surreal and proud moment to see my old man in the dugout at Easter Road! I should also say my family loyalties only go so far and I was sitting in the West stand cheering on the cabbage...lets face it, we need all the support we can get at the moment!

Through my dad, I got the chance to go along to East Mains recently and it really was impressive. It got me thinking about some media pundids and fans comments and frustrations on the player budget and this has been heightened on radio phone in's, particularly following Sunday's defeat. There seems to be lot of mis-guided views that a low player budget and subsequent downwards spiral to our current position is due to the boards determination to put money into the stadium / training facilities and not invest in the team. I COULD NOT DISAGREE MORE.

I think fans are realistic and accept that the money we have put into our infrastructure will restrict us on the field for a few years but that the benefits will be there in the long run. However, we have invested in players over the summer that should still have us comfortably challenging in the Top 6 and players that the likes of Motherwell, Kilmarnock, Inverness, St Johnstone and even Dundee Utd could not fund i.e. Osbourne, Agogo and especially O'connor. My point is that it is not a restricted player budget that is keeping us at the foot of the table! So why are we struggling so badly against teams that could only dream of a budget, fan base and infrastructure such as our own??!!! I really wish I knew the answer...

[lapsedhibee]

What I'd like to know most about East Mains is whether the first team players go there at the same time, or whether there's some sort of staggered arrangement where one player goes in and practises on his own (eats, shoots and leaves) and then another one comes in on his own, and so on. I ask because for the last couple of years or so it has looked as if the players have only just met 5 minutes before the match starts, if at all.

[Cropley10]

Hi, as a massive hibbee I've been a daily viewer of .net for years but recent events have finally given me the urge to post for the first time!

My dad is the Berwick Rangers manager, Jimmy Crease, so obviously I was delighted that they drew Hibs in the cup - as a life long hibbee it was a surreal and proud moment to see my old man in the dugout at Easter Road! I should also say my family loyalties only go so far and I was sitting in the West stand cheering on the cabbage...lets face it, we need all the support we can get at the moment!

Through my dad, I got the chance to go along to East Mains recently and it really was impressive. It got me thinking about some media pundids and fans comments and frustrations on the player budget and this has been heightened on radio phone in's, particularly following Sunday's defeat. There seems to be lot of mis-guided views that a low player budget and subsequent downwards spiral to our current position is due to the boards determination to put money into the stadium / training facilities and not invest in the team. I COULD NOT DISAGREE MORE.

I think fans are realistic and accept that the money we have put into our infrastructure will restrict us on the field for a few years but that the benefits will be there in the long run. However, we have invested in players over the summer that should still have us comfortably challenging in the Top 6 and players that the likes of Motherwell, Kilmarnock, Inverness, St Johnstone and even Dundee Utd could not fund i.e. Osbourne, Agogo and especially O'connor. My point is that it is not a restricted player budget that is keeping us at the foot of the table! So why are we struggling so badly against teams that could only dream of a budget, fan base and infrastructure such as our own??!!! I really wish I knew the answer...

What is/was your Dad's view on us?

Someone suggested that players who come to Hibs feel like they're doing us a favour. I sort of understood what was meant by that.

[1875STEVE]

Good post.

I don't get this stuff about blaming the board for not investing in the team, they have, we have the biggest transfer budget outside the Old Firm and Hearts.

The Old Firm can afford it, Hearts are taking risks.

I wouldn't want Hibs to take those risks, because even when Hearts were paying out £13m a year in wages, a couple of years ago (now down to £9.1m), they were nowhere near what the Old Firm were spending.

What did £13m get them??? 1 cup win and a couple of qualififcations for Europe, big deal.

In the same time, speding £8m less, we did the same thing.

The board shouldn't get flak for the amount they are speding, they should be getting flak for appointing the managers that are spending the budget unwisely.

We spent money on Ma-Kalambay, O'Brien, Nish, Rankin, Stokes, Bamba, Riordan etc etc, id say on actual transfer fees in the last 3 or 4 years we have probabley spent more on transfer fee's ouitside the old firm.

http://tinyurl.com/3fw4dqm

[HFC 0-7]

People do moan about the amount of money invested back into the team, but I think all the moaning just now is directed at why, with the budget we have, are we rank? I would even say that many are happy with some of the players brought in and think we should be playing well. We arent and that is why people are moaning.

[JustSimplyHibs]

Hi, as a massive hibbee I've been a daily viewer of .net for years but recent events have finally given me the urge to post for the first time!

My dad is the Berwick Rangers manager, Jimmy Crease, so obviously I was delighted that they drew Hibs in the cup - as a life long hibbee it was a surreal and proud moment to see my old man in the dugout at Easter Road! I should also say my family loyalties only go so far and I was sitting in the West stand cheering on the cabbage...lets face it, we need all the support we can get at the moment!

Through my dad, I got the chance to go along to East Mains recently and it really was impressive. It got me thinking about some media pundids and fans comments and frustrations on the player budget and this has been heightened on radio phone in's, particularly following Sunday's defeat. There seems to be lot of mis-guided views that a low player budget and subsequent downwards spiral to our current position is due to the boards determination to put money into the stadium / training facilities and not invest in the team. I COULD NOT DISAGREE MORE.

I think fans are realistic and accept that the money we have put into our infrastructure will restrict us on the field for a few years but that the benefits will be there in the long run. However, we have invested in players over the summer that should still have us comfortably challenging in the Top 6 and players that the likes of Motherwell, Kilmarnock, Inverness, St Johnstone and even Dundee Utd could not fund i.e. Osbourne, Agogo and especially O'connor. My point is that it is not a restricted player budget that is keeping us at the foot of the table! So why are we struggling so badly against teams that could only dream of a budget, fan base and infrastructure such as our own??!!! I really wish I knew the answer...

Maybe the club should look at it's youth policy on how they nurture and develop players. I would assume that Hibs would have their young players aged 8 - 16 in training twice a week with the odd game every few weeks.

The club should look at clubs such as many European and English clubs as a blue print to develop young players even better than what is coming through just now, by helping them in Education, Supporting their families, Coaching them for longer rather than 2 nights, Instilling Respect and Discipline.

Just a thought and something ad be looking to do if i was in that type of role to implement it :wink:

[andudare2]

Hi, as a massive hibbee I've been a daily viewer of .net for years but recent events have finally given me the urge to post for the first time!

My dad is the Berwick Rangers manager, Jimmy Crease, so obviously I was delighted that they drew Hibs in the cup - as a life long hibbee it was a surreal and proud moment to see my old man in the dugout at Easter Road! I should also say my family loyalties only go so far and I was sitting in the West stand cheering on the cabbage...lets face it, we need all the support we can get at the moment!

Through my dad, I got the chance to go along to East Mains recently and it really was impressive. It got me thinking about some media pundids and fans comments and frustrations on the player budget and this has been heightened on radio phone in's, particularly following Sunday's defeat. There seems to be lot of mis-guided views that a low player budget and subsequent downwards spiral to our current position is due to the boards determination to put money into the stadium / training facilities and not invest in the team. I COULD NOT DISAGREE MORE.

I think fans are realistic and accept that the money we have put into our infrastructure will restrict us on the field for a few years but that the benefits will be there in the long run. However, we have invested in players over the summer that should still have us comfortably challenging in the Top 6 and players that the likes of Motherwell, Kilmarnock, Inverness, St Johnstone and even Dundee Utd could not fund i.e. Osbourne, Agogo and especially O'connor. My point is that it is not a restricted player budget that is keeping us at the foot of the table! So why are we struggling so badly against teams that could only dream of a budget, fan base and infrastructure such as our own??!!! I really wish I knew the answer... you should get in touch with monkton harp, he will explain all things are relative:wink: . i know most of your dads, kin, played fitba with charlie, had good bevvy with shug last week. keep the faith pal. wont say youyr da,s leanings though:wink:

[KWJ]

Losing the reserve league has certainly played a part in stunting the growth of young players IMO. Regan was talking about getting an U20 league on the go which seems like a good idea, especially if 3 or so over 20s were allowed to play.

[MB62]

Hi, as a massive hibbee I've been a daily viewer of .net for years but recent events have finally given me the urge to post for the first time!

My dad is the Berwick Rangers manager, Jimmy Crease, so obviously I was delighted that they drew Hibs in the cup - as a life long hibbee it was a surreal and proud moment to see my old man in the dugout at Easter Road! I should also say my family loyalties only go so far and I was sitting in the West stand cheering on the cabbage...lets face it, we need all the support we can get at the moment!

Through my dad, I got the chance to go along to East Mains recently and it really was impressive. It got me thinking about some media pundids and fans comments and frustrations on the player budget and this has been heightened on radio phone in's, particularly following Sunday's defeat. There seems to be lot of mis-guided views that a low player budget and subsequent downwards spiral to our current position is due to the boards determination to put money into the stadium / training facilities and not invest in the team. I COULD NOT DISAGREE MORE.

I think fans are realistic and accept that the money we have put into our infrastructure will restrict us on the field for a few years but that the benefits will be there in the long run. However, we have invested in players over the summer that should still have us comfortably challenging in the Top 6 and players that the likes of Motherwell, Kilmarnock, Inverness, St Johnstone and even Dundee Utd could not fund i.e. Osbourne, Agogo and especially O'connor. My point is that it is not a restricted player budget that is keeping us at the foot of the table! So why are we struggling so badly against teams that could only dream of a budget, fan base and infrastructure such as our own??!!! I really wish I knew the answer...

A very interesting post. However, given that you have said all that, then ask the question in itallics, shirley the obvious answer is, the manager doesn't have a clue.