Mixu Paatelainen

[EskbankHibee]

Was told by a mate he's doing well at Finland, and when I looked him up he has raised them 23 places in the FIFA Rankings.

Mixu was a strange one in that he came in at a time where hibs fans demanded passing, attractive football. Although the football wasn't as good as his predecessors, he didn't have the same calibre of player at his disposal. He also got us into the top 6 in two seasons.

Given his success elsewhere and the demise of our football team since then, do Hibs fans now feel we should have kept him on? Did Petrie actually get that appointment right?

[Cabbage East]

In hindsight, Mixu got a rough deal from the club as a manager really.

[Ronniekirk]

Was told by a mate he's doing well at Finland, and when I looked him up he has raised them 23 places in the FIFA Rankings.

Mixu was a strange one in that he came in at a time where hibs fans demanded passing, attractive football. Although the football wasn't as good as his predecessors, he didn't have the same calibre of player at his disposal. He also got us into the top 6 in two seasons.

Given his success elsewhere and the demise of our football team since then, do Hibs fans now feel we should have kept him on? Did Petrie actually get that appointment right?
Based on what he has gone on to do since he left us, there has to be a question about why he didn't bring that to us but he was still a bit inexperienced when we took him .Was it a step up too quickly or what is it about the working environment that makes Easter road a difficult place to come .Jim Gannon apart Motherwell have managed to bring in managers that have kept them on the course we aspire to so someone there is getting it right . However we seem to agree we now have right team in place,so we really need to back them when we can and see where that takes us.Which has to be a lot better than where we have been over past four years .

[Billy Whizz]

Hopefully be back one day

[EskbankHibee]

Based on what he has gone on to do since he left us there has to be a question about why he didn't bring that to us but he was still a bit inexperienced when we took him .was it a step up too quickly or what is it about the working environment that makes Easter road a difficult place to come .Jim Gannon apart Motherwell have managed to bring in managers that have kept them on the course we aspire to so someone there is getting it right . however we seem to agree we now have right team in place so we really need to back them when we can and see where that takes us which has to be a lot better than where we have been over past four years .

I think timing is also key here. Although we remain optimistic about TB this is the only time we would have been happy with his appointment given his track record. In hindsight, it looks as though Mixu was the one we should have stuck with

[GloryGlory]

Was told by a mate he's doing well at Finland, and when I looked him up he has raised them 23 places in the FIFA Rankings.

Mixu was a strange one in that he came in at a time where hibs fans demanded passing, attractive football. Although the football wasn't as good as his predecessors, he didn't have the same calibre of player at his disposal. He also got us into the top 6 in two seasons.

Given his success elsewhere and the demise of our football team since then, do Hibs fans now feel we should have kept him on? Did Petrie actually get that appointment right?

ISTR he went away after leaving Hibs and studied training methods and tactics at various clubs around Europe. So maybe the Hibs job just came too early for him in his career.

In fact, I recall Petrie saying at the time of Mixu's appointment that he thought that Mixu would be the next Hibs manager but one, but that he had really impressed the appointment panel with his vision and ideas.

[Peevemor]

In hindsight, Mixu got a rough deal from the club as a manager really.

It was the fans, not the club that gave Mixu a rough deal.

[Baader]

The gig just came around too early for Mixu. A real shame as everyone wanted him to succeed. If he got it now it'd be a different outcome but just came too soon in his managerial career. You can see how much he has learned since leaving.

[Speedway]

It was the fans, not the club that gave Mixu a rough deal.

This.

'Get that ****ing fat Finn clown tae ****, useless panty liner *******' x 1000 after every adverse reserve league result.

[The Sea-gull]

I don't know but in the last 10 years, Mixu was probably the first "sacking" by Hibs. I mean this in that it was officially a mutual consent number but you get the feeling it was driven more by Hibs. Mowbray obviously left for another job and it seems Colins resigned.

I think again with Yogi, CC and possibly Fenlon they were essentially sackings and if you compare Mixu's departure to these three, it does seem fair to say that he was harshly treated.

That said, at the time not many seemed to shed a tear when it was announced that Mixu had gone. I include myself in that. We must remember that at times things were pretty bad under Mixu in terms of results and the quality of the product. Nowhere near the depths reached by Yogi, CC and Fenlon though. Maybe the job came too soon for Mixu and we were a club on the slide. Not all the fault of the managers we had but ultimately at sliding football clubs the manager is highest profile casualty.

If Mixu had come after Yogi, CC or PF would he have been sacked for a bottom of the top 6 finish with some poor results and displays? No - it would have been seen as progress. The trouble is, at the time it was regress as we had been in a better place before then, playing better football so expectation levels were different to what they have become. His departure, along with Collins's maybe, was the least expected of our managerial losses in the last decade. In hindsight maybe we should have kept him though at the time while not a universally praised decision there was not mass out cry at his departure either.

What has gone on since then though means I think most would be reasonably happy if Butcher delivers a 6th place finish this season. If he delivered it again next season then not quite so happy.

[Nailrod]

Mixu's tenure as manager coincided with the tenure as first choice keeper of 'Maka' - the worst goalkeeper in the history of the planet to have the best goalkeeping stats of any keeper this century.

Effectively, Hibs defensive record during Mixu's tenure was the best it has been this century in terms of goals conceded and shutouts recorded. Since it has been pointed out to me endlessly that none of this had anything to do with the keeper, who was completely rubbish, then I guess it must have been all down to the defense. As it happens, the core of our central defense all through this period was two chaps called Chris Hogg and Rob Jones.

While Maka was unequivocally hounded out of ER by the boo-boys, it might be a bit of an exaggeration to claim that Hogg and Jones were 'hounded out'. But it can hardly be disputed that by the end of their respective Hibs careers, both of these guys were being given dog's abuse both by the fans at the ground and on these boards.

All of the managers who have followed Mixu have inferior records, and all of the teams likewise. And the parade of anonymous journeymen we've seen traipsing through ER in the interim would match the queue at the Pearly Gates on Judgment Day.

[Inch Hibs]

In hindsight, Mixu got a rough deal from the club as a manager really.

I don't think so. He was backed the job came to soon though and we struggled.

He went away and learned different ways of coaching which he's also stated in the past.

Love the big guy though. Delighted he's doing well.

[EskbankHibee]

The strange thing is that Mixu had a good record with two clubs before he came to Hibs. And the reason the fans didn't take to him was because of his style of play. However, after three managers who couldn't produce any kind of style we are delighted TB now has us playing more direct. The very reason Mixu was ousted.

[Inch Hibs]

Mixu's tenure as manager coincided with the tenure as first choice keeper of 'Maka' - the worst goalkeeper in the history of the planet to have the best goalkeeping stats of any keeper this century.

Effectively, Hibs defensive record during Mixu's tenure was the best it has been this century in terms of goals conceded and shutouts recorded. Since it has been pointed out to me endlessly that none of this had anything to do with the keeper, who was completely rubbish, then I guess it must have been all down to the defense. As it happens, the core of our central defense all through this period was two chaps called Chris Hogg and Rob Jones.

While Maka was unequivocally hounded out of ER by the boo-boys, it might be a bit of an exaggeration to claim that Hogg and Jones were 'hounded out'. But it can hardly be disputed that by the end of their respective Hibs careers, both of these guys were being given dog's abuse both by the fans at the ground and on these boards.

All of the managers who have followed Mixu have inferior records, and all of the teams likewise. And the parade of anonymous journeymen we've seen traipsing through ER in the interim would match the queue at the Pearly Gates on Judgment Day.


I think it was more to do with the way we where previously spoiled with good footballing sides. Watching Van Zanten and Hong Kong Thierry smash the ball up front to Nish wasn't cutting it as he was falling on his arse all the time when Fletch left in that summer.

He was basically a casualty of being manager when we had sold all the players we did!

[.Sean.]

It was absolutely disgusting the way Mixu was treated by many at Easter Road and by numerous posters on here and those should be downright ashamed with their behaviour towards him.

[Peevemor]

I don't know but in the last 10 years, Mixu was probably the first "sacking" by Hibs. I mean this in that it was officially a mutual consent number but you get the feeling it was driven more by Hibs. Mowbray obviously left for another job and it seems Colins resigned.

I think again with Yogi, CC and possibly Fenlon they were essentially sackings and if you compare Mixu's departure to these three, it does seem fair to say that he was harshly treated....

I'm pretty sure that he said in an interview last year that it was his decision alone to leave Hibs.

[jacomo]

The strange thing is that Mixu had a good record with two clubs before he came to Hibs. And the reason the fans didn't take to him was because of his style of play. However, after three managers who couldn't produce any kind of style we are delighted TB now has us playing more direct. The very reason Mixu was ousted.

There were brief passages of play under Mixu that were very good indeed. But he was trying to change our style after the very patient, possession-based mantra from JC and didn't always get personnel and the shape right... we had a lot of (very average) left footers in the squad and often little presence at all on the right of the pitch.

Mixu also looked like he was going to burst a blood vessel every match - he got so furious in the technical area I actually worried for his health. In the end a mix of poor signings (not by any means all his fault) and poor tactics did for him. But overall his sacking was harsh and he should have had more time.

Could have all been different if JJ had delivered - who knew he'd be such a dud?

[Hank Schrader]

It was absolutely disgusting the way Mixu was treated by many at Easter Road and by numerous posters on here and those should be downright ashamed with their behaviour towards him.

I recall some posters on here referring to him as "Mixup". Shameful.

[MrSmith]

Hopefully be back one day


Hope so too! I was one of those who were disappointed when he got edged out!

[jacomo]

I recall some posters on here referring to him as "Mixup". Shameful.

:agree:

Worse - Yammish.

[Dinkydoo]

Undoubtedly, the abuse dished out on here and at ER by some fans towards Mixu was unacceptable however, we mustn't forget that there was valid reason for criticism prior to Mixu being shown the door. He was inexperienced at the time, didn't seem to learn from his mistakes, played a 433 formation without the quality of midfielders to do so for months, persevered with Colin Nish, hoofball, blowing up at referees /other managers/...etc and being sent to the stands on several occasions.

I don't think that (at the time) Mixu was going to take us anywhere other than mediocrity; just because the managers superseding him were 'more of the same' or worse doesn't mean that we should forget that.

[cleanyman]

I recall some posters on here referring to him as "Mixup". Shameful.

blackpool springs to mind.

Minter

[Inch Hibs]

Oh goody, another thread that's turned into ripping other posters and arguements within the support.

[The Sea-gull]

Could have all been different if JJ had delivered - who knew he'd be such a dud?

I know! He could be my biggest ever dissappointment as a signing in terms of what I thought he'd be like and what he actually turned out to be like. I thought we had potentially made a real coup of a signing and he would do really well for us. Potentially we had but in reality we hadn't.

[LaMotta]

I recall some posters on here referring to him as "Mixup". Shameful.

:agree:

Fans moaning after holding both the old firm to draws in the space of a week because we sat in and were "negative". Or maybe just maybe "Mixup" got his tactics right.

Fans also moaning after a two nil home win against Inverness ( 2 goals in first four minutes) - because it was a bit boring after that...

Mixu was a victim of our previous success...if he'd had more time he would have done well. He may have decided to leave of his own accord but there was grumbling from sections of the crowd which no doubt played a part in that.

Had managed to get us up for Derbies as well, winning his last two.

[Paperboy]

I thought he was badly treated by the club and the fans. But I also feel he was inexpereinced at the time too.

I'm sure we played Dundee United. With the game a draw, we gave away a free kick and in the process a player went off injured. For some reason it may have been Ian Murray although I could be having a senior moment.

Mixu didn't put on a sub and as a result there was no guidence during the free kick - players didn't have a clue who to mark and United scored from it to win the game. If we'd made a sub it might have made the differnce.


then againI could be having a senior moment!

[J-C]

Basically right man at the wrong time.

[Hank Schrader]

Oh goody, another thread that's turned into ripping other posters and arguements within the support.

Goodness me you are irritating...

[MrRobot]

At the end of the day, we weren't wrong and it wasn't working with him. Massive credit to him though as he went away, worked on what his failings were and ultimately has become a much better manager as a result. Would love to see him back one day.

[frazeHFC]

It's easy to say this now, it wasn't quite working at the time. I wanted him gone, and don't think he should of stayed. Glad he is doing well though, wonder where he'll end up next.

[ahibby]

Two things strike me about Mixu's tenure. First I think he isn't very good at spotting a good player and I think that's his biggest weakness. Secondly, I thought we got rid of him just as things started to improve under him.

[judas]

In hindsight, Mixu got a rough deal from the club as a manager really.

agreed. Its always mystified me.

[Pretty Boy]

In hindsight, Mixu got a rough deal from the club as a manager really.

Disagree tbh.

Some of the abuse he took was shocking, really bad considering what he had done as a player.

However his style of football was poor, he stuck with the same system that wasn't working week in, week out and he failed to halt a decline that, in my opinion, set in just before the end of Mowbrays tenure. Arguably ever manager after him until PF failed to halt that decline.

Hibs was a huge learning curve for Mixu and to his credit he made sure he went away and learned the lessons. He has grown in to a very good manager but he wasn't a good manager whilst at Hibs.

[Pretty Boy]

I recall some posters on here referring to him as "Mixup". Shameful.

Was piss poor behaviour.

Those who started referring to him simply as 'the Finn' were idiots too.

[Stevie Reid]

Agree the abuse was terrible - Mixup, the Fat Finn etc. were horrible slurs from your own support. Some of the stuff thrown at Yogi for the way talks was just as bad.

I like Mixu and his results were certainly ok, though I do remember the football being brutal for a lot of the time - our poor home record of the last 6 years pretty much began with him too - and I wasn't sad when he left.

He pretty much admitted that it was getting sacked by Hibs that changed his philosophy on football anyway - he went away and watched and studied football in different countries and gained new ideas, which certainly resulted in a very successful and attractive side at Kille. Ian Holloway did similar before he was a revelation at Blackpool - before he went to take in football from around the world, he said that his first instinct as a manager was to not lose a match; when he arrived at Blackpool, he said his teams went all out to win every game.

Mixu's first instinct at Hibs was not to get beat IMO, and we wouldn't have seen the type of football that Killie played had we stuck with him. Will always love the big man though.

[silverhibee]

Disagree tbh.

Some of the abuse he took was shocking, really bad considering what he had done as a player.

However his style of football was poor, he stuck with the same system that wasn't working week in, week out and he failed to halt a decline that, in my opinion, set in just before the end of Mowbrays tenure. Arguably ever manager after him until PF failed to halt that decline.

Hibs was a huge learning curve for Mixu and to his credit he made sure he went away and learned the lessons. He has grown in to a very good manager but he wasn't a good manager whilst at Hibs.

Never forget that day up in Inverness where it seemed the biggest majority of fans were a bit on the drunk side, the abuse that was directed at Mixu before during and after that game was shocking, there was pure hatred being directed at him and i believe after the game he was pretty upset about it and told the players that this would be his last game as he intended to hand in his resignation in to the board, he was talked out of it but there was no Hibs class on show that day.

[SteveHFC]

Never forget that day up in Inverness where it seemed the biggest majority of fans were a bit on the drunk side, the abuse that was directed at Mixu before during and after that game was shocking, there was pure hatred being directed at him and i believe after the game he was pretty upset about it and told the players that this would be his last game as he intended to hand in his resignation in to the board, he was talked out of it but there was no Hibs class on show that day.

Remember that day!

Scarf's getting thrown onto the pitch :rolleyes:

[HappyHibby93]

No doubt Mixu has gone on to do fairly well, maybe he did get a bit of a rough deal, however, there is no doubt that we have got the right man in now. Onward and Upward I say!


:tbgwa:

[ahibby]

For the record 'I too love big Mixu'. I probably wanted him to go nearer the start of his tenure than towards the end and I thought Yogi's tenure was worse. So for me sacking Mixu to take on Yogi was a step backwards. I believe Mixu was getting better in the job and if we had stuck with him a bit longer I believe we would have seen a difference for the better. His results against Hearts especially, with some p poor Hibs teams was nothing short of miraculous. Okay we'd be battered for eighty minutes and then score in the last ten but a win is a win.

[Stevie Reid]

For the record 'I too love big Mixu'. I probably wanted him to go nearer the start of his tenure than towards the end and I thought Yogi's tenure was worse. So for me sacking Mixu to take on Yogi was a step backwards. I believe Mixu was getting better in the job and if we had stuck with him a bit longer I believe we would have seen a difference for the better. His results against Hearts especially, with some p poor Hibs teams was nothing short of miraculous. Okay we'd be battered for eighty minutes and then score in the last ten but a win is a win.

After a decent start to 2008-09, in his last 20 league games his record was W 4 D 9 L 7, and we only won 11 games in the SPL that season - Motherwell, Kilmarnock and Hamilton all finished below us and won more games than we did, and Fenlon's Hibs won 2 more games last season (though I appreciate that bottom 6 games are different).

Two of those four wins were against Hearts tbf, though we were definitely not improving under him, and the football was really poor. Season ticket renewals would not have been good had he been in charge at the start of the following season.

[FitbaFolkKen]

ISTR he went away after leaving Hibs and studied training methods and tactics at various clubs around Europe. So maybe the Hibs job just came too early for him in his career.

In fact, I recall Petrie saying at the time of Mixu's appointment that he thought that Mixu would be the next Hibs manager but one, but that he had really impressed the appointment panel with his vision and ideas.

Yeah he said he learned a lot after Hibs in his time out and did well when he returned to Killie. Pretty impressive to take a knock back like that and use it to go away and improve yourself, instead of diving into the next role. This is the difference between him and Hughes imo, reading Hughes interviews is like entering a time warp.

[givescotlandfreedom]

Never forget that day up in Inverness where it seemed the biggest majority of fans were a bit on the drunk side, the abuse that was directed at Mixu before during and after that game was shocking, there was pure hatred being directed at him and i believe after the game he was pretty upset about it and told the players that this would be his last game as he intended to hand in his resignation in to the board, he was talked out of it but there was no Hibs class on show that day.

I was at that game and recall some of the personal abuse he was getting which I agree was OTT. When changing started he just turned and stared at the away end with a mixture if bemusement and anger.

[The Sea-gull]

Never forget that day up in Inverness where it seemed the biggest majority of fans were a bit on the drunk side, the abuse that was directed at Mixu before during and after that game was shocking, there was pure hatred being directed at him and i believe after the game he was pretty upset about it and told the players that this would be his last game as he intended to hand in his resignation in to the board, he was talked out of it but there was no Hibs class on show that day.

I wasn't at that game but I looked it up and think you are talking about a 2-0 defeat on 21st Feb 2009. I do remember the run up to that game mood was low and we were starting to get some bad press. Mood was even lower after the defeat and the media was starting to turn on Mixu.

I have had a look at our results from that season. We started ok but from late Sep until mid Nov we went on a run where we won 1 in 8 including a 6 match winless sequence. We then went on a 5 match undefeated run which included 3 wins but this was followed up from mid Dec by a run of 1 win in 7 including 3 defeats and 3 uninspiring draws taking us to the ICT game referenced above. Our overall record by this point was W8 D 10 L 10. We had also been put out the cup by Hearts by then which did not help things. In the league cup we lost at home to Morton in an absolute disaster of a game where we were 2-0 down only to salvage ET with two late goals and take the lead to go 3-2 up only to contrive to lose 2 late goals to go out 4-3.

I think what did for Mixu was these long poor runs only being broken up by slightly shorter spells of good results but all the while football was dire and cup runs were non existant. Looking back, compared to what we seem to have endured in the last 4 years or so, things weren't that bad results wise in the league anyway but expectation levels were a bit higher back then.

Also, Mixu wasn't helped by a really bad end to season 2007/8 and a bad summer 2008. When we made the top 6 of the 2008 split we had a real chance of finishing third, right up until the second last game we had a chance of doing it. We drew at Tannadice having taken the lead and played well, lost at Pittodrie having played well and led then drew at home to Rangers 0-0 in a game we should have won. We then lost our last two to Celtic and Motherwell. We ended up 6th having been right up there going into the split.

Summer 2008 saw us lose friendly matches to Cowdenbeath and Clyde as well as an excuseable but slightly embarrassing 6-0 pumping by Barca. I say slightly embarrassing as while that team were one of the best club sides in recent time, Hearts only lost 3-1 to them the season before in front of a much bigger crowd than came to our game which did not help club morale.

Also that summer, until decent deadline day purchases of Bamba and Riordan, our signings were uninspiring in the shape of Thicot, Keenan, Van Zanten and Steve Pinau.

Maybe when all of this is considered and put into context as it all happened over a period of 9 months leading up to the ICT game, we can see why Mixu was a bit unpopular by this point. I was unaware of the level of abuse he took at ICT that day though and sounds uncalled for. I do remember at the time hearing he had offered to resign after that game but had been talked out of it. I also remember not liking Mixu and wanting him to go and then changing my mind as things seemed to pick up towards the end of 08/09 leading me to think he maybe deserved to start the following season and see how he got on with a couple of new additions to the squad.

[Stevie Reid]

Summer 2008 saw us lose friendly matches to Cowdenbeath and Clyde as well as an excuseable but slightly embarrassing 6-0 pumping by Barca. I say slightly embarrassing as while that team were one of the best club sides in recent time, Hearts only lost 3-1 to them the season before in front of a much bigger crowd than came to our game which did not help club morale.

Have to take issue with this - I was embarrassed after the Barca game until they beat Dundee Utd 5-1 a few days later (a game that Messi only played half of). By the end of the season, after that team won the treble, our 6-0 didn't seem bad at all. The Barca team that Hearts played the season before won nothing, and only finished 3rd in La Liga.

[.Sean.]

Never forget that day up in Inverness where it seemed the biggest majority of fans were a bit on the drunk side, the abuse that was directed at Mixu before during and after that game was shocking, there was pure hatred being directed at him and i believe after the game he was pretty upset about it and told the players that this would be his last game as he intended to hand in his resignation in to the board, he was talked out of it but there was no Hibs class on show that day.
I was there that day and it was shameful. I had to haul my pal away from some fud that tried to start on him after he pulled him up for the disgraceful abuse he was dishing out to Mixu.

[The Sea-gull]

Have to take issue with this - I was embarrassed after the Barca game until they beat Dundee Utd 5-1 a few days later (a game that Messi only played half of). By the end of the season, after that team won the treble, our 6-0 didn't seem bad at all. The Barca team that Hearts played the season before won nothing, and only finished 3rd in La Liga.

Fair dos, didn't know/recall all of that. 6-0 to that Barca team is no disgrace at all but it is never nice losing 6-0 to anyone no matter who they are, that's why I described it as slightly embarrassing.

Also worth noting that the summer 2007 Hearts team would have been on the crazy wages of the height of the Vlad era compared with our modestly paid players in 2008.

[Pretty Boy]

I'd like to see the big man back at ER sometime, maybe to do the half time draw so he could get the reception he deserves.

Didn't work out as manager but he was hugely important in getting us out the 1st division, played his part in keeping us there and then scored THAT hat trick.

[RIP]

Given the frugal monetary constraints and last-day signings policy under which we operate anyone ever wonder how successful Alex Ferguson would have been at Hibs? :greengrin

Always think it's odd how so many of us place 100% of the accountability for footballing success or failure at the coaches door and ignore all the other factors

From time to time there is the odd showpiece signing but squad building and player retention strategy in the 'football department' over the past 8 years has been abysmal

There's been regular calls for a vision and strategy that survives manager to manager (even if it's a youth policy) but unless I'm missing something happening behind the scenes there has been scant evidence of leadership in this area at our club

[bawheid]

Think it was around about Mixu's time that I realised how many me me me roasters there are in the Hibs support.

Maybe it was during John Collins tenure. I do remember going 2-0 down against Grenta and half the east terracing missing the comeback because they'd left with blood vessels bursting out their temples.

Any manager will struggle to survive the 90% poll on Hibs.net...

[Winston Ingram]

Was told by a mate he's doing well at Finland, and when I looked him up he has raised them 23 places in the FIFA Rankings.

Mixu was a strange one in that he came in at a time where hibs fans demanded passing, attractive football. Although the football wasn't as good as his predecessors, he didn't have the same calibre of player at his disposal. He also got us into the top 6 in two seasons.

Given his success elsewhere and the demise of our football team since then, do Hibs fans now feel we should have kept him on? Did Petrie actually get that appointment right?

I'm glad he's doing well but no chance.

His 'tactics' were up there with the most baffling I've ever seen. Colin Nish on the right wing, our midfield diamond involving Keenan, Lewis & Rankin to name a couple

[Speedway]

Oh goody, another thread that's turned into ripping other posters and arguements within the support.

Well we shouldn't be such ***** then.

[Big Sexy Dave]

It was doomed from the press conference, as soon as he said get it forward to Nish Hibs fans were against him for being a long ball merchant, which he wasn't.

[Stevie Reid]

Fair dos, didn't know/recall all of that. 6-0 to that Barca team is no disgrace at all but it is never nice losing 6-0 to anyone no matter who they are, that's why I described it as slightly embarrassing.

Also worth noting that the summer 2007 Hearts team would have been on the crazy wages of the height of the Vlad era compared with our modestly paid players in 2008.

Very true.

[Stevie Reid]

Think it was around about Mixu's time that I realised how many me me me roasters there are in the Hibs support.

Maybe it was during John Collins tenure. I do remember going 2-0 down against Grenta and half the east terracing missing the comeback because they'd left with blood vessels bursting out their temples.

Any manager will struggle to survive the 90% poll on Hibs.net...

There are Hibs supporters who regularly make disparaging and disrespectful comments about John Collins on here, which says it all for me.

A man who was one of our best ever players, won 43% of all his games, won a national final with a 5-1 win, great home record, great wins home and away against the OF and Hearts.

Results weren't great immediately before he left, he left us in strange circumstances, and he left us with some poor signings, but overall, he was a very good Hibs manager by any measurable means.

[allezsauzee]

There are Hibs supporters who regularly make disparaging and disrespectful comments about John Collins on here, which says it all for me.

A man who was one of our best ever players, won 43% of all his games, won a national final with a 5-1 win, great home record, great wins home and away against the OF and Hearts.

Results weren't great immediately before he left, he left us in strange circumstances, and he left us with some poor signings, but overall, he was a very good Hibs manager by any measurable means.


He was still a young manager learning his trade when he achieved all of the above and some of his poorer signings were probably not his first choice signings either. He is still is and always will be a legend. :not worth

[Stevie Reid]

He was still a young manager learning his trade when he achieved all of the above and some of his poorer signings were probably not his first choice signings either. He is still is and always will be a legend. :not worth

Hear hear.

[bawheid]

Indeed. Both are legends, along with Sauzee. We sure know how to treat them!

[McD]

He was still a young manager learning his trade when he achieved all of the above and some of his poorer signings were probably not his first choice signings either. He is still is and always will be a legend. :not worth


In hindsight, I wonder if things could have been different if mixu and/or hibs had appointed an experienced and respected assistant manager/coach to work with mixu, and possibly a better scouting network?

for instance, if someone like Archie Knox (yes he's a prick but he's been around the block) was beside mixu, would it have helped to shape tactics a bit better, help keep his emotions in check on the touch line?

[Fergus52]

Mixu's tenure as manager coincided with the tenure as first choice keeper of 'Maka' - the worst goalkeeper in the history of the planet to have the best goalkeeping stats of any keeper this century.

Effectively, Hibs defensive record during Mixu's tenure was the best it has been this century in terms of goals conceded and shutouts recorded. Since it has been pointed out to me endlessly that none of this had anything to do with the keeper, who was completely rubbish, then I guess it must have been all down to the defense. As it happens, the core of our central defense all through this period was two chaps called Chris Hogg and Rob Jones.

While Maka was unequivocally hounded out of ER by the boo-boys, it might be a bit of an exaggeration to claim that Hogg and Jones were 'hounded out'. But it can hardly be disputed that by the end of their respective Hibs careers, both of these guys were being given dog's abuse both by the fans at the ground and on these boards.

All of the managers who have followed Mixu have inferior records, and all of the teams likewise. And the parade of anonymous journeymen we've seen traipsing through ER in the interim would match the queue at the Pearly Gates on Judgment Day.

Yogi and Fenlon both have a higher win percentage

[clerriehibs]

In hindsight, Mixu got a rough deal from the club as a manager really.

From the club? From the more vocal fans, more like

[ahibby]

I remember one top six finish with Mixu in charge, in our last five games we lost to Dundee Utd and Aberdeen, we beat Hearts (as Mixu usually did) and drew with Rangers and Celtic at Easter Road. Five points out of fifteen in a top six finish, isn't unusual for Hibs and a lot depends on who you have home and away. However, most of the time we'd take a draw against the old firm.

[number 27]

One of the things which did for Mixu was the success of our youth team, strangely enough. Despite their success he did not really rate any of them as good enough to progress to SPL level and he wanted to release all the out of contract players.

There was a bit of an outcry about this and he was basically overruled. I think this was a final straw for Mixu's time at Hibs. In the end we offered 9 (I think) of those young players contracts, but probably only Wotherspoon ever proved him wrong.

[ahibby]

One of the things which did for Mixu was the success of our youth team, strangely enough. Despite their success he did not really rate any of them as good enough to progress to SPL level and he wanted to release all the out of contract players.

There was a bit of an outcry about this and he was basically overruled. I think this was a final straw for Mixu's time at Hibs. In the end we offered 9 (I think) of those young players contracts, but probably only Wotherspoon ever proved him wrong.

So in the end he could spot a player or at least spot non worthy players, with the exception of Spoony, who seems to be a substitute.

[clerriehibs]

Summer 2008 saw us lose friendly matches to Cowdenbeath and Clyde as well as an excuseable but slightly embarrassing 6-0 pumping by Barca. I say slightly embarrassing as while that team were one of the best club sides in recent time, Hearts only lost 3-1 to them the season before in front of a much bigger crowd than came to our game which did not help club morale.



No doubt a lot of time and effort put into this post, all spoilt by a nonsense yammish reference to a bigger crowd.

Not sure of the crowd reference in regard to the rest of your post, but;

The yam crowd v barcelona was mostly comprised of neutrals and people who normally have no interest in football. Barca drew them out; why would they bother again just one year in? The hibs crowd being what it was, just one year on from barca's previous city visit, was highly commendable. The yam crowd
.. well, it wasn't a yam crowd.

[truehibernian]

Never forget that day up in Inverness where it seemed the biggest majority of fans were a bit on the drunk side, the abuse that was directed at Mixu before during and after that game was shocking, there was pure hatred being directed at him and i believe after the game he was pretty upset about it and told the players that this would be his last game as he intended to hand in his resignation in to the board, he was talked out of it but there was no Hibs class on show that day.

Mixu and Parky would often go for a beer at The Bailie after a defeat as it was out the way and less likely to have fans giving Mixu hassle SH. I know he took defeats really personally and badly - he's a fan now, like us all, Hibs were under his skin. Looking back he was still cutting his managerial teeth and should have been afforded more time - the SPL however, as most leagues, is unforgiving. He made some very poor signings but haven't all managers. Lovely man, lovely bloke, abuse however as we all see goes with Scottish football territory sadly.