Well Played Spoonie - That's more Like It

[MB62]

Didn't realise the U21's were on telly last night and only saw the 2nd half. I am delighted to say though that in that 2nd half I thought Wotherspoon was excellent. I have given this laddie a hard time recently for his performances with the Hibees, lazy both physically and mentally, but last night he was everywhere and scored a very good goal and was most unlucky not to have got another.
The energy he had last night was just unrecognisable from the laddie that strolls about the park in a Hibs jersey, I thought he was outstanding, I wonder if our fitness levels under B.B. are starting to improve.
Looking forward to seeing Spoonie doing the same for us on a Saturday now, well done last night.

[Golden Bear]

David Wotherspoon's fitness, work rate and enthusiasm were unquestionable last night and it goes to prove that he is an undoubted talent providing that he is fully aware of the role he is supposed to be playing in the team.

Incoming Hibs Manager please note!

[frazeHFC]

Spoony > Spoonie :na na:

He was brilliant last night. :agree:

[greenlex]

Thougjt he struggled first half but had a decent second. His goal helped keep him going.

[Golden Bear]

Thougjt he struggled first half but had a decent second. His goal helped keep him going.

Granted he had a few slack passes but the player who doesn't make a mistake is just as likely to be doing nothing.

[PeeJay]

Didn't realise the U21's were on telly last night and only saw the 2nd half. I am delighted to say though that in that 2nd half I thought Wotherspoon was excellent. I have given this laddie a hard time recently for his performances with the Hibees, lazy both physically and mentally, but last night he was everywhere and scored a very good goal and was most unlucky not to have got another.
The energy he had last night was just unrecognisable from the laddie that strolls about the park in a Hibs jersey, I thought he was outstanding, I wonder if our fitness levels under B.B. are starting to improve.
Looking forward to seeing Spoonie doing the same for us on a Saturday now, well done last night.

Didn't see the game, but I assume he wasn't playing at right back then, if he had such a good game.

[frazeHFC]

Didn't see the game, but I assume he wasn't playing at right back then, if he had such a good game. He started at CM but was playing like RM for a lot of it.

[MWHIBBIES]

Really pleased for him, hopefully it gives him some much needed confidence and the new gaffer gives him a run of games in midfield. There is obviously a player in there somewhere :agree:

[O'Rourke3]

He was pretty good at getting forward but was lucky not to have received a yellow card early doors and then a second yellow for a clear foul at the start of the second half. The boy really needs to learn how to tackle.

Took his goal well and was really unlucky with the half volley later in the game.

[Craig_in_Prague]

Appeared to me he was playing advanced CM, more or less behind Rhodes, the only striker... but they had great width in Wylde and Forrest.

He's a bit slower than most players, but did have a good game and almost scored a 2nd with a tremendous effort after he read Rhodes winning a flick and ran onto it.
He has the footballing brain and also technique, I think sooner or later he will need a position to grow into longer term.

Like the rest of the side last night, worked his socks off and the work off the ball was just as important as the attacking threat they posed when with the ball.

A well drilled side, not lacking in quality. :aok:

Hanlon done well too, well played boys!

[Andy74]

Didn't realise the U21's were on telly last night and only saw the 2nd half. I am delighted to say though that in that 2nd half I thought Wotherspoon was excellent. I have given this laddie a hard time recently for his performances with the Hibees, lazy both physically and mentally, but last night he was everywhere and scored a very good goal and was most unlucky not to have got another.
The energy he had last night was just unrecognisable from the laddie that strolls about the park in a Hibs jersey, I thought he was outstanding, I wonder if our fitness levels under B.B. are starting to improve.
Looking forward to seeing Spoonie doing the same for us on a Saturday now, well done last night.

I wouldn't be too quick to think there has been some transformation or that Hibs haven't given him an opportunity to play that role, which they have. He was playing against good players but ones that were also 19 to 21. He still has some way to go to prove he can really play when he is up against players that aren't under 21s.

Age group football is a funny thing because its teams selected fom that narrow age band. Senior football has a group of players that have made it from all those groups over probably a 20 year span.

[Tha Cabbage Kid]

the lad is maybe just going through a large drop in form and confidence. im sure once there is alot more stability at the club we can see this prospect become what he should be, a very good player and potential international.

[PeeJay]

the lad is maybe just going through a large drop in form and confidence. im sure once there is alot more stability at the club we can see this prospect become what he should be, a very good player and potential international.

I wonder if that is the case - maybe there is something wrong with the coaching abilities at the club, something that is vital with young players: why do our youngsters seem to stall in their development? I think Wotherspoon is a great prospect, but he's been pretty poor for some time now that's more than just a dip in form surely? At some point he may well miss the step up to the next level.

[Septimus]

Ran hard throughout and showed enthusiasm for the game. Well done.

[patlowe]

I don't necessarily think last night's performance means he has somehow been coached badly by Hibs, it may just be that the fresh environment of the 21s and playing with people his own age gave him that little bit more confidence and freedom to perform. Hopefully he carries that forward at club level as there is no doubting his talent.

[brog]

Appeared to me he was playing advanced CM, more or less behind Rhodes, the only striker... but they had great width in Wylde and Forrest.

He's a bit slower than most players, but did have a good game and almost scored a 2nd with a tremendous effort after he read Rhodes winning a flick and ran onto it.
He has the footballing brain and also technique, I think sooner or later he will need a position to grow into longer term.

Like the rest of the side last night, worked his socks off and the work off the ball was just as important as the attacking threat they posed when with the ball.

A well drilled side, not lacking in quality. :aok:

Hanlon done well too, well played boys!


Agree 100% but he actually showed great speed early in 2nd half when he chased back & caught the Dutch left winger who was a rocket. His commitment & energy was 1st class last night & his occasional slack pass was more than compensated for by his winning goal.

[--------]

I wonder if that is the case - maybe there is something wrong with the coaching abilities at the club, something that is vital with young players: why do our youngsters seem to stall in their development? I think Wotherspoon is a great prospect, but he's been pretty poor for some time now that's more than just a dip in form surely? At some point he may well miss the step up to the next level.




:agree:

I've wondered about this for some time. We have the players - the age-group teams at Hibs always seem to do well - but something seems to go wrong between reserve/age-group football and the first team.

Maybe some of the youth coaches aren't really up to the job?

[scoopyboy]

Maybe he didn't have the Hibs boo boys to contend with and this let him concentrate on playing without fear.

Same with Hanlon.

Young Hibs players need encouraging.

[CyberSauzee]

With Scotland attacking it looks like he was told to get up and support Rhodes at every opportunity. He gambled on a lot of runs, one almost paid off in the second half after Rhodes headed on a hoofball to Spoony and his half volley from 25+ yards was inches over.

Time and again he was spotted in the box as crosses came in from both sides. Wonder if our new manager sees him in a very attacking role as Billy Stark did last night? He certainly didn't look out of place getting forward through the middle and he's certainly not afraid to have a shot. No doubt he'll be played at right back as soon as the new incumbent takes the manager's seat.

[AlbertK86]

what about maybe billy stark as assistant to the new manager, hopefully davies or strachan. could bring the rest of the young boys at ER on and still do the 21s job

[Big Frank]

Maybe he didn't have the Hibs boo boys to contend with and this let him concentrate on playing without fear.

Same with Hanlon.

Young Hibs players need encouraging.

:rolleyes:

[Jones28]

Hopefully it'll give him the confidence to re-discover the player the we all saw when he first broke into the team, what a prospect he looked. Hopefully if he sticks in the one position as opposed to the four various ones he has playing in of late then it will help.

[Andy74]

:agree:

I've wondered about this for some time. We have the players - the age-group teams at Hibs always seem to do well - but something seems to go wrong between reserve/age-group football and the first team.

Maybe some of the youth coaches aren't really up to the job?

1 or 2 coming through every year or two is a great return actually.

Being the best in your age group is kind of irelevant when you step up to the first team level as you have the best that are still around from about 20 years worth of age groups.

We've seen Spoony play well in spells and score decent goals and I bet we would see even more of it if he was playing 19 to 21 year olds every week.

I don't think the atmposphere or the coaching at the club has much to do with it.

[Hibeescott]

1 or 2 coming through every year or two is a great return actually.

Being the best in your age group is kind of irelevant when you step up to the first team level as you have the best that are still around from about 20 years worth of age groups.

We've seen Spoony play well in spells and score decent goals and I bet we would see even more of it if he was playing 19 to 21 year olds every week.

I don't think the atmposphere or the coaching at the club has much to do with it.


I agree with your first comment, but disagree with the second.

For me the atmosphere around the club, mainly created by some of the fans, is a big problem, certainly of late.

Yogi did well at Falkirk, failed with us.
Mixu failed with us, fantastic with killie.
CC had a good record, failed with us.
Players play well in international games, not for us.

We are the common factor there. For example, fans at ER regularly have a go at players shooting from outside the box, happened on numerous occasions against Dunfermline. The players are clearly scared to play at ER, in fear of having abuse shouted at them. Wotherspoon last night played with so much more freedom and confidence than I have seen in a hibs shirt.

[Argylehibby]

Maybe he didn't have the Hibs boo boys to contend with and this let him concentrate on playing without fear.

Same with Hanlon.

Young Hibs players need encouraging.

:top marks What was the comment at the AGM about Easter Road being intimidating?

[scoopyboy]

:rolleyes:

Thanks for the educated reply.

[macd123]

Definitely a talented player and did well in poor team performances against Motherwell and Dunfermline. Hasn't helped that the fans are restless after 1 home win in 9 months. It was a lot easier being a young player under Mowbray when the team was confident and fans were being entertained. Hopefully we'll get the right manager who will get the best out of him, Booth and Hanlon.

[Tricla]

:rolleyes:

Don't know what you're rolling your eyes at?

The abuse I've heard Hanlon and Spoony getting from some of the :trumpet: who spectate at ER is quite embarrassing. THese are two young guys needing encouragement.

It's hardly surprising that they perform well for the U21's (as they have done more often than not) as they are playing in an arena which is free of this abuse an negativity.

This is also why, IMO, we have seen Hibs do better away from home this season.

[scoopyboy]

Don't know what you're rolling your eyes at?

The abuse I've heard Hanlon and Spoony getting from some of the :trumpet: who spectate at ER is quite embarrassing. THese are two young guys needing encouragement.

It's hardly surprising that they perform well for the U21's (as they have done more often than not) as they are playing in an arena which is free of this abuse an negativity.

This is also why, IMO, we have seen Hibs do better away from home this season.

I don't get to as many away matches as I used to but always discuss with IMO good students of the game if I miss a game.

They agree that some of the away performances have been excellent, most of the shockers have been at home.

Osbourne has been outstanding at Ibrox and Parkhead, yet most people who attend home games (and there is nothing wrong with only attending home games) haven't seen that type of performance from him and therefore think he is crap.

I think its to the detriment of the club that our home support is so fickle these days, as a unit we need to give the team better backing at home. The quicker we do, the quicker we will turn the corner. I'm not saying by any manner that the fans are at fault for everything that is wrong at ER but at times it doesn't help.

[Nailrod]

There's no better way of guaranteeing that you put the skids on a promising young player's career than bringing him into a team packed with second rate journeymen and struggling at the bottom of the league. Which has been the case for most of Spoony's sojourn in the first team at ER. And Galbraith's

[Argylehibby]

I don't get to as many away matches as I used to but always discuss with IMO good students of the game if I miss a game.

They agree that some of the away performances have been excellent, most of the shockers have been at home.

Osbourne has been outstanding at Ibrox and Parkhead, yet most people who attend home games (and there is nothing wrong with only attending home games) haven't seen that type of performance from him and therefore think he is crap.

I think its to the detriment of the club that our home support is so fickle these days, as a unit we need to give the team better backing at home. The quicker we do, the quicker we will turn the corner. I'm not saying by any manner that the fans are at fault for everything that is wrong at ER but at times it doesn't help.

If any fan really believes that the negativity from the stands doesn't have a bearing on how the team plays then they are blind. How often have we heard about fans lifting teams when they are down? That hasn't happened at ER for a long long time.

There are many elements causing the problems with team performances just now and unfortunately we,the fans, are one of those elements.

[Big Frank]

Thanks for the educated reply.

Come on Scoops! Blaming Spoonys crap performances for Hibernian week in week out for the last 12months, his apparent blowing out his erky from minute 60 in a match on a few fed up fans is a lot of nonsense. and lazy imo. He's a big boy.

[Big Frank]

Don't know what you're rolling your eyes at?

The abuse I've heard Hanlon and Spoony getting from some of the :trumpet: who spectate at ER is quite embarrassing. THese are two young guys needing encouragement.

It's hardly surprising that they perform well for the U21's (as they have done more often than not) as they are playing in an arena which is free of this abuse an negativity.

This is also why, IMO, we have seen Hibs do better away from home this season.

The only time you even post on Hibs.net is to berate your fellow supporters. Boring. You come across as more of a trumpet than the fellow Hibbys you constantly bleat about.

But yeh, spoony and hanlon were fabulous week in week out, a few of your fellow fans thought " we cannae have this" and resorted to abusing them. Then the produced crap performances. Aye, thats how it works. Its been like than since 1980 when I first started going to see the cabbage, its us fans' fault. We are responsible for it. The players shoulder no blame, they are not responsible.

Heres is another :rolleyes:.

[scoopyboy]

Come on Scoops! Blaming Spoonys crap performances for Hibernian week in week out for the last 12months, his apparent blowing out his erky from minute 60 in a match on a few fed up fans is a lot of nonsense. and lazy imo. He's a big boy.

That's a better response BF, you could have said that in your first reply. It's not as if you can't put your point of view across in a reasoned manner.

I agree that Spoony has been poor over the last year and he does indeed appear to puff out. However I still think the fans should be encouraging our laddies rather than berrate them. It's not just D but Hanlon, Booth, Galbraith and now Griffiths. It can be argued they are men at 21 but when I look at some of the laddies on our suppoters bus that have turned 21 I think my god they are the same age as Hibs players we shouldnae be shouting at guys so young.

It certainly won't encourage players to sign for us either, word spreads fast amongst players.

[Andy74]

I don't get to as many away matches as I used to but always discuss with IMO good students of the game if I miss a game.

They agree that some of the away performances have been excellent, most of the shockers have been at home.

Osbourne has been outstanding at Ibrox and Parkhead, yet most people who attend home games (and there is nothing wrong with only attending home games) haven't seen that type of performance from him and therefore think he is crap.

I think its to the detriment of the club that our home support is so fickle these days, as a unit we need to give the team better backing at home. The quicker we do, the quicker we will turn the corner. I'm not saying by any manner that the fans are at fault for everything that is wrong at ER but at times it doesn't help.


There is a more obvious reason for being 'better' away from home.

We don't have any creativity and we live off being able to sit in, ride our luck and see if Garry O or Griffiths can nick something.

This is an acceptable tactic away from home and I suppose getting a couple of draws and two away wins in comparison to our home form seems decent.

We have also been horsed by Kilmarnock and totally done over by Hearts as well as chucking away a two goal lead at Dunfermline.

Guys like Osbourne look far better sitting in and soaking stuff up against teams that aren't harrasing us when we have the ball like Celtic and Rangers.

Given the results at home I think the home crowd have been very patient. About a year ago there was agreat atmosphere with the whole East singing green and white army. February too was quite good. After a while thugu you get dragged down by yet another slap in the face from the team.

So, this along with the fact they were playing fellow under 21 players for Scotland and I think the stuff about Hibs or ER being to blame for them not playing so well for us just about covers it.

[scoopyboy]

There is a more obvious reason for being 'better' away from home.

We don't have any creativity and we live off being able to sit in, ride our luck and see if Garry O or Griffiths can nick something.

This is an acceptable tactic away from home and I suppose getting a couple of draws and two away wins in comparison to our home form seems decent.

We have also been horsed by Kilmarnock and totally done over by Hearts as well as chucking away a two goal lead at Dunfermline.

Guys like Osbourne look far better sitting in and soaking stuff up against teams that aren't harrasing us when we have the ball like Celtic and Rangers.

Given the results at home I think the home crowd have been very patient. About a year ago there was agreat atmosphere with the whole East singing green and white army. February too was quite good. After a while thugu you get dragged down by yet another slap in the face from the team.

So, this along with the fact they were playing fellow under 21 players for Scotland and I think the stuff about Hibs or ER being to blame for them not playing so well for us just about covers it.

Let me see if I am understanding you here.

You reckon we should give the players a hard time.

Because we are playing against under 21 players from other clubs it doesn't matter that we give our players a hard time.