Latapy and the 2001 Cup final

[vercol36]

I bought the Evening News special on Hibs' cup final run this morning, and noticed something which I hadn't realised before. I wasn't such an adamant fan back in the 2001 season, so didn't know that Latapy was sacked just a couple of weeks before the cup final against Celtic. Do folk reckon we would have had a good chance of winning if he had been in the team? Or was it always going to be a bit of a massacre?

[NORTHERNHIBBY]

Wouldn't have made any difference.

[G15 Hibs]

First of all it wasn't a massacre at all. Where the better team and they scored before and after half time to end it as a contest. Goal against the run of play and a free kick that was never a foul.

Secondly I think we would have still lost - plainly because Le God was only a quarter fit.

[Malthibby]

Latapy & Sauzee's injry was the double whammy - at our best that season we could have won the thing but not by the time the final came around.
Was another trip hoping for the best but expecting & getting the worst.
Feel a bit better this year.
GG

[HIBERNIAN-0762]

Wouldn't have made any difference.

Agreed, we toiled in the hot sun against Larsson and co in what was against a pretty good Celtic team.

[davym7062]

I bought the Evening News special on Hibs' cup final run this morning, and noticed something which I hadn't realised before. I wasn't such an adamant fan back in the 2001 season, so didn't know that Latapy was sacked just a couple of weeks before the cup final against Celtic. Do folk reckon we would have had a good chance of winning if he had been in the team? Or was it always going to be a bit of a massacre?

we would have had a better chance thats for sure and if that clown mcleish hadnt played a full team at ibrox the week earlier resulting in sauzee getting stretchered off.

[GoldenEagle]

I bought the Evening News special on Hibs' cup final run this morning, and noticed something which I hadn't realised before. I wasn't such an adamant fan back in the 2001 season, so didn't know that Latapy was sacked just a couple of weeks before the cup final against Celtic. Do folk reckon we would have had a good chance of winning if he had been in the team? Or was it always going to be a bit of a massacre?

Latapy going on a bender and getting sacked plus Sauzee's injury didn't help... Neither did Celtic announcing a move for Marc Libbra in the week leading up to the final but TBF Larrson prob could've won the cup himself that game.

Latapy at Hampden though, we would've had a better chance

[Dinkydoo]

Last Scottish cup final I attended.

[LaMotta]

and if we hadn't made the mistake of failing to tie Didier Agathe to a longer contract at the start of the season, he wouldn't have been able to set up the first Celtic goal:cb

[AFKA5814_Hibs]

Both Latapy and Sauzee played when they humped us 5-2 at ER a few weeks earlier, it was 5-0 with 5 minutes to go when Marc Libra scored 2 late goals.

Sadly, Celtc were always going to win that Cup.

[Matty_Jack04]

Probably the best Celtic team I've seen was that year, always going to be tough, not helped with latapy that's for sure but suazee being nowhere near fit was much more of an effect on the side IMO.

[GlenrothesHibee]

That was a formidable Celtic team going for the treble in Martin O'Neils first season. I dont think Latapy or a fit Sauzee would have made much difference

[LeighLoyal]

It's a shame he didn't play and the sacking was stupid. He left the huns and went to falkirk where he was still better than anything we had in 03.

[G15 Hibs]

The way Hibs were playing in the first half of that season we could have made a decent contest of it. Unfotunately we'd ran out of steam in the months leading up to the final. Latapy's sacking and Sauzee's lack of fitness put the seal on it.

Its a bit of a cliche, but I definitely travelled through for more of a day out than in expectation, especially given the team Celtic had at the time.

[Aldo]

The 2001 Celtic team were excellent and tbh don't think anything would of mattered

[West hamBERNIAN]

The 2001 Celtic team were excellent and tbh don't think anything would of mattered

I was at this game and the game at Easter road when they won 5-2, they were ruthless. The 5-2 game was unbelievably one sided towards us and we found ourselves 5 down from counter attacks, only game I've left early, missed libbras double. :(

[West hamBERNIAN]

​Hibernian 2 Celtic 5
By: Chris Roberts, PA SportLast Updated: July 27 2012, 14:56 BST
Henrik Larsson equalled Brian McClair's Scottish Premier League record of 35


goals in a season as champions Celtic hammered Hibernian in the dress rehearsal


for the Scottish Cup final.


But the day was also special for substitute Alan Stubbs, who marked his first


appearance in a Celtic shirt since being diagnosed with testicular cancer for


the second time in November with a goal and a title-winning medal.


Jackie McNamara sent Celtic on their way with a first-half brace and Lubomir


Moravcik also cashed in on Hibernian defensive frailty.


Not even the late sending-off of Didier Agathe, for his second booking, took


the gloss off the victory.


But Marc Libbra chipped in with two late goals to give his side a glimmer of


hope ahead of the Scottish Cup final on May 26.


The Double-winners also racked up their 97th point with two games remaining in


their bid to become the first side ever to reach the 100 points barrier in the


SPL.


Celtic understandably started with a swagger after last week's victory at


Rangers and made a dream start after just four minutes.


Alan Thompson hit a fierce drive after a Moravcik corner and his shot took a


wicked deflection off McNamara before looping over Hibernian goalkeeper Nick


Colgan.


But Hibernian almost grabbed an equaliser in the 14th minute when the recalled


John O'Neil floated a high cross to the back post and Stuart Lovell out-jumped


former Hibs star Agathe, but headed into the side netting.


The home side paid for that miss as Celtic again showed their cutting edge in


front of goal to double their lead four minutes later.


Agathe hit a powerful drive from the left which Colgan failed to hold and


McNamara capitalised on a mix-up between the keeper and Dirk Lehmann to stab


home from just 10 yards.


Hibernian were by no means being outclassed and created another glorious


chance in the 24th minute.


Marc Libbra flicked the ball to Lovell, whose right-foot volley left Dmitre


Kharine stranded, but bounced just inches past the post.


Celtic had the ball in the net moments later when Thompson fired home


Larsson's cross, but the strike was ruled out for offside.


The home side looked uncharacteristically out of sorts in defence, but their


forwards were doing there best to keep them in the game.


A moment of brilliance from Libbra in the 31st minute almost gave them a


lifeline when he wriggled past Ramon Vega and Joos Valgaeren in the box, but


Kharine came off his line to make a decisive block.


Kharine, in his first start of the season, again did well to save Franck


Sauzee's low drive after Libbra had played him into space on the right of the


area.


In the final seconds of the half Libbra fired just wide of the upright after a


scramble in the Celtic goalmouth.


But Stubbs, who was still one game from claiming a championship-winners medal,


got his wish to play again before the end of the season when he replaced


Valgaeren and got a great reception from both sets of fans.


Moments later Agathe went into the book for a foul on Lehmann to destroy the


harmony in the crowd.


Hibernian refused to throw in the towel after the restart and Kharine again


kept them at bay with a save at full stretch in the 51st minute to deny Mixu


Paatelainen from Russell Latapy's cross.


The home side continued to dominate and were unfortunate not to get back into


the game in the 56th minute.


Agathe first blocked Libbra's fierce drive and then Ian Murray thundered his


effort against the foot of the post.


Thompson should have wrapped up the points in the 59th minute when Larsson's


cross fell to him six yards out, but he fired wide of the mark with Colgan


beaten.


Swedish striker Larsson had been kept quiet throughout, but he was celebrating


another record in the 62nd minute when he bagged in 51st goal of the season and


equalled McClair's SPL milestone.


Thompson played Larsson through on goal and he drew the keeper out before


hitting a left-foot shot which Colgan got a touch to, but could not keep out.


Larsson celebrated another day to remember, but his feeling would have been


nothing compared to what Stubbs must have felt when he scored on his return to


the champions' side in the 68th minute.


Stubbs rose above the Hibernian defence to meet Thompson's corner and head


into the top corner of the net to complete a memorable day for the former Bolton


favourite.


Thompson could have made it five soon after, but for a great save at his feet


by Colgan.


The home crowd did come alive in the 79th minute when Agathe, whose every


touch was greeted with jeers by the home crowd, was sent off for a foul on John


O'Neil.


But that did not matter as a minute later Moravcik added the fifth - his


fourth goal in three games - when he fired past Colgan into the bottom corner.


Hibernian will have been left scared to death ahead of the Hampden Park final


on May 26.


But they salvaged some pride with a late double from Libbra.


His first flew past Kharine from 15 yards and his second was a header from


Lovell's cross.


Kharine denied the Frenchman a late hat-trick, but not even that would have


given Hibernian much hope of stopping Celtic's dreams of the Treble at Hampden


Park in three weeks.


Teams:


Hibernian: Colgan, Gary Smith, Sauzee, Lehmann, Lovell, Latapy,


Jack (Arpinion 69), O'Neil, Murray, Libbra,Paatelainen (Zitelli 67).


Subs Not Used: Westwater, McManus, O'Connor.


Booked: Jack, Arpinion.


Goals: Libbra 85, 88.


Celtic: Kharine, Boyd, Vega, Valgaeren (Stubbs 46), Agathe,


Lennon (Healy 46), Lambert (Maloney 66), Thompson, McNamara, Moravcik, Larsson.


Subs Not Used: Gould, Fotheringham.


Sent Off: Agathe (79).


Booked: Agathe.


Goals: McNamara 5, 18, Larsson 62, Stubbs 68, Moravcik 80.


Att: 8,728


Ref: J Rowbotham (Scotland).

[Pretty Boy]

Latapy hadn't performed well for a fair few weeks prior to the sacking.

He was still good but was nowhere near the player he could be at his best. Perhapds a combination of his lifestyle and uncertainty over his future getting the better of him.

[jgl07]

Latapy hadn't performed well for a fair few weeks prior to the sacking.

He was still good but was nowhere near the player he could be at his best. Perhaps a combination of his lifestyle and uncertainty over his future getting the better of him.
To be fair, none of the team had really done anything after the mid-season break. Hibs had enough points to coast into third place despite a dreadful run.

Half the team were out of contract at the end of the season and this did not help with the speculation and uncertainty affecting a number of players.

The West Stand was under construction and the attendances were very poor with all-ticket matches coming nowhere near the reduced capacity. McLeish was pleading for bigger crowds. When this was not forthcoming his mind seemed to drift elsewhere to his next post.

All the vibes were wrong for that final.

[Holmesdale Hibs]

From what I remember, the first half was pretty close although we didn't create any real opportunities. The second half we were well beaten by a good Celtic team. I can't see Latapy being able to make much difference. We lost momentum towards the end of the season and were never going to win that game.

[Winston Ingram]

Latapy had chucked it long before he was sacked. He was pish from Christmas onwards

[HUTCHYHIBBY]

I wonder if he'll be asked his views on this in The Four In Hand next week?

[1two]

That Celtic team was probably the best team since the SPL started IMO. I don't think parapet or even a fully fit sauzee would have made a massive difference.