liam craig

[chrisski33]

Apparently going back to st johnstone.

[TornadoHibby]

Apparently going back to st johnstone.

Where he will once again play like he did when he used to play for them against Hibs, making things very difficult for us and inevitably popping up with a winning goal too! :agree:

Bet he's delighted to be back there! :agree:

[Scottie]

Where he will once again play like he did when he used to play for them against Hibs, making things very difficult for us and inevitably popping up with a winning goal too! :agree:

Net he's delighted to be back there! :agree:
At least he won't score against us next season or less it's in the cup :wink:

[calumhibee1]

Good.

[Tonez]

I Posted this yesterday morning on another thread.

[My_Wife_Camille]

Been saying this since about February. Good riddance

[HH81]

Very poor player.

[jeffers]

He's been terrible for months, round about the time he was appointed captain, now he is free to leave. What does that say about TB's judgement ?

[1875er]

Good... he has the heart of a mouse.

[JimBHibees]

No doubt he will start playing better where less pressure on him however he must be the worst captain I have ever seen in terms of leadership and rallying the troops in times of crisis. He has gone missing in a number of our worst games this season including Sunday where he should have been subbed.

When he scored his pen and then waved his arms to try and rouse the fans got to be said almost dissolved into a fit of rage given how lily livered he has been.

When you compare to less talented players and former captains such as Yogi and Gordon Rae who would run through brick walls for the club the guy was clearly an imposter.

[Paisley Hibby]

No doubt he will start playing better where less pressure on him however he must be the worst captain I have ever seen in terms of leadership and rallying the troops in times of crisis. He has gone missing in a number of our worst games this season including Sunday where he should have been subbed.

When he scored his pen and then waved his arms to try and rouse the fans got to be said almost dissolved into a fit of rage given how lily livered he has been.

When you compare to less talented players and former captains such as Yogi and Gordon Rae who would run through brick walls for the club the guy was clearly an imposter.

Can't agree. He, like loads of others, seemed to fall victim to whatever it is that is rotten at the heart of our club. Tommy Wright knows a good player when he sees one and his record for them proves it. If the move to St Johnstone is true then, like Wotherspoon, we'll soon see what we are missing.

[California-Hibs]

I personally don't think he's been nearly as bad as some folk have made out. Captain material? Definitely not, but still a decent player.

[JimBHibees]

Can't agree. He, like loads of others, seemed to fall victim to whatever it is that is rotten at the heart of our club. Tommy Wright knows a good player when he sees one and his record for them proves it. If the move to St Johnstone is true then, like Wotherspoon, we'll soon see what we are missing.

I never questioned his ability as a player however as a captain he has been absolutely awful as has his performances. On Sunday he was probably the worst player in the team in terms of distribution and also not closing down or winning tackles. To blame some rotten at the core culture whatever that means is absolving players of responsibility. As a captain of a relegated team he has been an unmitigated disaster.

[Leithenhibby]

I personally don't think he's been nearly as bad as some folk have made out. Captain material? Definitely not, but still a decent player.

Sorry, not for me. He has been extremely poor since he came, not what I had in mind at all. :wink:

[West hamBERNIAN]

Prob nonsense but seen on twitter he's linked with Aberdeen. Probably fit right in up there.

[erskine-hibby]

Don't think he is a bad player, on the contrary, he was just in a bad team. He could have done better, granted, and as captain he should have shown more leadership qualities, but I still believe he could do a job for us in the battle to get back up.

[California-Hibs]

Sorry, not for me. He has been extremely poor since he came, not what I had in mind at all. :wink:

.....yet still managed to finish the clubs top scorer. It's like people forget the first half of the season pre captain life.

[Joe Baker II]

And unlike some experienced players at least stood up to take penalty on Sunday.

But otherwise not upset if he goes.

[IWasThere2016]

Happy to hear this. Been nowhere near good.consistent enough IMHO.

[Leithenhibby]

.....yet still managed to finish the clubs top scorer. It's like people forget the first half of the season pre captain life.


That's perhaps why we are where we are. Lately, He couldn't pass water and that is why I'm happy that he (may) leave the club. He didn't step up when I thought he had the ability to do so!...

[Billy Whizz]

I'm presuming we'll get some sort of fee for him, or has he been told he can go for free if he finds another club?

[tamig]

I'm presuming we'll get some sort of fee for him, or has he been told he can go for free if he finds another club?

Who would pay a fee? I suspect a few of them will have been told they're free to go if they can get something arranged elsewhere.

[edinburghhibee]

Must admit on hearing this I was a bit shocked. He's the only player in that team who can produce a goal from outside the box and I think he's just been played in the wrong positions. It looked as tho TB had him playing DM on Sunday! Craig is never a DM he sits behind the attackers and picks of balls that come out the box after crosses.

[JollyGreenGiant]

Good... he has the heart of a mouse.

Agreed!

He won't need to have sleepless nights about playing in front of big home crowds. Those pesky Hibs fans demanding 100%

[Greencore]

The way people go on about his ability you would expect he is playing in the English premiership. We are not Real Madrid or Barcelona. We play in Scotland. He was a decent player for us. He wasn't as bad as many people make out to be. Ever heard of the saying "it takes a player a season or two to settle in" guess not.

[ballengeich]

Craig's not a great player, but he's an above average SPL player who's not been properly managed at Hibs. We signed him because he'd been good with St Johnstone who'd finished above us in the 12-13 season. If he leaves I expect he'll show us what we could have got out of him.

I expect Cairney to do well somewhere else too. The two of them at least have some creative ideas in attack.

[lord bunberry]

He clearly has ability but like many before him he doesn't have the stomach for the fight when the chips are down. He will no doubt go on to be a decent player for another club, but him and most of the other senior players are the reason we are going down and for that reason I don't want any of them to stay.

[Boyle89]

He only had about 10 decent games for us. Worst decision butcher has made was make him captain. He has been an absolute non entity since getting that armband. He only dived into challenges when he knows he won't win the ball so it looks like he's giving his all. Can't stand him. The most depressing thing is he will move on an not give a sh*t about what he's done here, meanwhile we are suffering.

[The_Horde]

Liam Craig will never be part of an exciting, ball playing team.

Every time I've seen him play (and even before hibs) he's a long ball merchant.

Coward who can't put his foot on the ball. A midfielder who should've been a defender.

[Baader]

Craig is a decent player who I thought was a good signing at the time. The fact it clearly hasn't worked out sums up what's been wrong at Hibs - people come here and fail.

[Winston Ingram]

Where he will once again play like he did when he used to play for them against Hibs, making things very difficult for us and inevitably popping up with a winning goal too! :agree:

Bet he's delighted to be back there! :agree:

...where they already know he's not a holding midfielder or a winger. No doubt he'll have notched a healthy tally by this time next year.

[paul_hfc3]

He was a poor player for us no question. Him being captain was a farce.

[EH6 Hibby]

Regardless of how he has played, I will never forgive him for not taking the first penalty on Sunday. He was captain and our usual penalty taker (not that we ever got any) so he should have gone first.

[Paisley Hibby]

Regardless of how he has played, I will never forgive him for not taking the first penalty on Sunday. He was captain and our usual penalty taker (not that we ever got any) so he should have gone first.

How do you know he decided not to take the first penalty? :cb

[Paisley Hibby]

Who would pay a fee? I suspect a few of them will have been told they're free to go if they can get something arranged elsewhere.

He's one of the very few of our players we could get a fee for. :rolleyes:

[lord bunberry]

How do you know he decided not to take the first penalty? :cb

He's the captain, I would imagine that if he wanted to take it he could have

[Bobby's Cinema]

f***ing hard to accept. the cowardice that man showed as Hibs captain, and now here we are, while he departs back up to the premiership.

[Kato]

Probably his level.

In most of his outings for us he showed the heart of a mouse.

[Diclonius]

f***ing hard to accept. the cowardice that man showed as Hibs captain, and now here we are, while he departs back up to the premiership.

Where he'll no doubt return to scoring freely against us should we play against him again.

[hibsbollah]

I usually support Hibs players until long after most Hibs fans have given up on them. But Liam Craig annoyed me so much, from his hopeless hopeful long balls, his stupid running style, his *****ing out of tackles, his constant whining at refs and most of all his total lack of effort or anything approaching captain material. So in his case, im absolutely ****ing delighted he's leaving.

[Paisley Hibby]

He's the captain, I would imagine that if he wanted to take it he could have

Unless Butcher decided it was to be Thomson? My point is that neither of us actually know what happened.

[lord bunberry]

Unless Butcher decided it was to be Thomson? My point is that neither of us actually know what happened.

True

[hibeemikey21]

He's the captain, I would imagine that if he wanted to take it he could have

I'm not having all this "coward" nonsense being aimed at Craig for when he took his pen. In such a situation, it takes serious balls, be it first or third.

Those who stepped up deserve credit.

[cabbageandribs1875]

I'm not having all this "coward" nonsense being aimed at Craig for when he took his pen. In such a situation, it takes serious balls, be it first or third.

Those who stepped up deserve credit.


indeed, i know of no written rule that it's captains that have to take the 1st penalty, i'm sure i've saw penalty shoot-outs where the captain hasn't taken a penalty :dunno: even though he's our recognised penalty taker it could be just as important to be taking a possible final penalty to win a game, there's no set order(as far as i know)

[hibeemikey21]

indeed, i know of no written rule that it's captains that have to take the 1st penalty, i'm sure i've saw penalty shoot-outs where the captain hasn't taken a penalty :dunno: even though he's our recognised penalty taker it could be just as important to be taking a possible final penalty to win a game, there's no set order(as far as i know)

I didn't see the Hamilton captain OR manager for that matter taking one. Didn't affect the outcome for them.

Taking a pen in an amateur game is daunting enough. Imagine taking one when half your salary depends on it being successful!

[s.a.m]

I'm not having all this "coward" nonsense being aimed at Craig for when he took his pen. In such a situation, it takes serious balls, be it first or third.

Those who stepped up deserve credit.

:agree: Presumably Thomson was feeling confident. If his one had gone in, he would have given the crowd (who had been singing his name earlier on) a lift. I can see why they might have thought it was a good idea for him to go first.

There's plenty of serious reasons to feel angry, but I think this one's quite far down the ":grr:... and another thing....!" list. :greengrin

[Argylehibby]

I personally don't think he's been nearly as bad as some folk have made out. Captain material? Definitely not, but still a decent player.

Agreed and perhaps the problem with his performances was simply that he was not captain material.

[Unseen work]

He had a poor second half of the season. But can we sign a better player on top of there game? I'm not sure

As for him being captain. The one doing all the screaming and looking like a captain is sometimes the ones the players
Ignore or dislike. Craig seems the type that the players respect and he is the one offering them a shoulder to lean on, you see him as soon as a players head goes down/chance missed going over to them. He's also a prime example of a professional to them, fit keeps his head down and works hard, never had bad press and speaks well.

I'm not saying he should be the captain, I can just see the reasoning giving it to him. Got to remember he captained Falkirk and st johnstone as well so most people must see him as a captain and good influence

[SouthamptonHibs]

Ta ta Craig, thought he was terrible for us this year, he won't be missed imo.
Glad he gets rewarded with a European adventure and spl football when Hibs get Ramsdens cup and championship. Wage thief

[Cropley10]

Craig is a decent player who I thought was a good signing at the time. The fact it clearly hasn't worked out sums up what's been wrong at Hibs - people come here and fail.

Everyone thought he was a great signing. And your post is spot on mate.:agree:

[Big_Franck]

Glad to hear he's leaving. Had a half-decent start to his time with us but after the new year derby he was minging. As others have said he was a coward, always hid when we went behind and his constant long balls to no-one or straight out of play were frustrating to watch.

Hard to think of a worse captain in my time following Hibs.

[HFC 0-7]

I thought he was mince this season, but, it's very hard to play in a midfield with no forwards or attacking midfielders making runs, in fact I think it's why we resort to long balls. I remember an ex coach of a top side told me that a good midfielder will always struggle to pass if no one makes themselves available ahead of them, a great midfielder will play the ball and pass it to make space, they dictate what's going on. Craig is an average player who would, in my opinion do ok in a hibs side with a bit of decent movement in it. Making him captain looked like it was too much for him, pressure was obvious which led to passes to no one.

[Kato]

Everyone thought he was a great signing. And your post is spot on mate.:agree:

It was a chance for him to step up and develop his character given the pressure here. As I said heart of a mouse.

[1987kev]

Lets b honest he's no the only 1 that is a average player
williams not is good as other season
maybury too old slow, fair enough tired like fu£k
nelson omg never a football player in his life
hanlon good reader of the game but for ch got to b stronger
foster still learning the game but got caught out to many times
mcpake injury prone can't read a game.
Mcgirvendon't know what happened to lad not the same player when on loan
Stevenson a grafter but sadly nothing else
harris since he came back been absolute shocking he looks and plays like a wee laddie
stanton I can count 2 games were he stood out Celtic 4:0 and Ross county at home not good enough to many games went by him.
collins you only get what you pay couldnae hit a barn door
3 signings a waste of time
heff to injury prone

[Kato]

I thought he was mince this season, but, it's very hard to play in a midfield with no forwards or attacking midfielders making runs,

If this happens it's the Captain's job to give him an earful and instruct the forwards to make the runs to suit where he is finding space to pass. Can't really remember him doing anything like that. Can't remember him going nuts at anyone, same passes all match long but doesn't get together on the park to sort his team-mates out.

[BVB Hibs]

Liam Craig will leave over the summer, and do very well at another SPL team. He's a good player who for the second half of the season never managed to show it at Hibs. It didn't help that for whatever reason Butcher decided he should be playing defensive midfield, in team with far too many defensive midfielders. Never his role, and I'm not surprised he struggled. He's played in attacking midfield, either on the left or in the center, and it's no surprise that most were talking about him being our best player when he was playing out there under PF. Last few games of the season, while we were still honking, we seemed to regain some shape when he was shifted back out wide.

As for being captain, I suppose he was worth a punt. It didn't work, and I can't see anybody giving him the armband again particularly quickly. Personally I'd strip him of captaincy and keep him on the books, but I'm struggling to see that happening. We've been unlucky, Craig had the makings of a great transfer, but sometimes a player and a club simply don't click. The worrying thing for Hibs is just how often this appears to be happening.

[emerald green]

Liam Craig also rumoured to be going to Aberdeen.

[Onion]

As one journo put it Liam Craig was an excellent player at St J but at Hibs he "disappeared". Sums him up perfectly. Didn't have the character or balls to set up a level to play for a proper club.

[malagahibby]

I would like Liam Craig to stay .
If we can get a couple of buzzing midfielders to compliment him and Robbo it would be a potent midfield with Stanton playing 15-20 games .
We need experience next season and it simply amazes me that we sign good players and after a season they are mince.

[Speedway]

As one journo put it Liam Craig was an excellent player at St J but at Hibs he "disappeared". Sums him up perfectly. Didn't have the character or balls to set up a level to play for a proper club.

A proper club? Are you for real. Which of those clubs have won the SC this season and got more European games or finished higher in the league?

[Diclonius]

As one journo put it Liam Craig was an excellent player at St J but at Hibs he "disappeared". Sums him up perfectly. Didn't have the character or balls to set up a level to play for a proper club.

We signed Craig from a club that finished 3rd that season. When was the last time we finished that high?

[Nailrod]

As one journo put it Liam Craig was an excellent player at St J but at Hibs he "disappeared". Sums him up perfectly. Didn't have the character or balls to step up a level to play for a proper club. :rolleyes:

I genuinely expect every single midfielder who leaves to go on and do better next season at a higher level than we will finish.

How can any midfielder perform when all he gets to do is watch the ball sailing fifty feet over his head to a big opposition centre back?

[Stuarty27]

Liam Craig has been awful since Dundee Utd game at Xmas...

The last two games when we needed him most he was honking, Sunday was the worst. I'd love to see opta stats on his performance. I think his pass success rate would be below 40%. The amount of times he got the ball and without even looking hump the ball forward as hard as he could.

[1987kev]

Liam Craig has been awful since Dundee Utd game at Xmas...

The last two games when we needed him most he was honking, Sunday was the worst. I'd love to see opta stats on his performance. I think his pass success rate would be below 40%. The amount of times he got the ball and without even looking hump the ball forward as hard as he could.
You could say that about the whole team. Every player has under performed since Xmas that's why we won 3 games or what it was, it's same names that are getting it tight Craig nelson mcgivern for me every player under performed.

[Golden Bear]

Can't agree. He, like loads of others, seemed to fall victim to whatever it is that is rotten at the heart of our club. Tommy Wright knows a good player when he sees one and his record for them proves it. If the move to St Johnstone is true then, like Wotherspoon, we'll soon see what we are missing.

:agree:

Liam Craig is a very good player but unfortunately he was a very poor player for us.

[Lester B]

Regardless of how he has played, I will never forgive him for not taking the first penalty on Sunday. He was captain and our usual penalty taker (not that we ever got any) so he should have gone first.

One of the guys I was at the game with on Sunday who was at his first ever Hibs game asked me who our usual penalty taker was and then paused and said 'I guess you guys don't get many penalties as these constant hoofs upfield don't even get as far as the penalty box'.

[jacomo]

He's been terrible for months, round about the time he was appointed captain, now he is free to leave. What does that say about TB's judgement ?

Who knows. Relegation means a rapidly drawn up Plan B. If we'd stayed up would we still be releasing him?

[ALF TUPPER]

:rolleyes:

I genuinely expect every single midfielder who leaves to go on and do better next season at a higher level than we will finish.

How can any midfielder perform when all he gets to do is watch the ball sailing fifty feet over his head to a big opposition centre back?


Absolutely !!:top marks

[jacomo]

:agree:

Liam Craig is a very good player but unfortunately he was a very poor player for us.

Yup. Another damning piece of evidence in the case against the current leadership at Hibernian Football Club.

Sometimes good players move and it doesn't work out. It happens. But it happens more often than not to us.

[patlowe]

:rolleyes:

I genuinely expect every single midfielder who leaves to go on and do better next season at a higher level than we will finish.

How can any midfielder perform when all he gets to do is watch the ball sailing fifty feet over his head to a big opposition centre back?

Half the time it was him doing the hoofing. Control, turn, hoof without looking was what I saw from Craig for the majority of the season. Really, really turgid stuff.

I've no doubt he'll do fine at St Johnstone though if he goes back. I'm under no illusions that we are a massive club in any shape but Craig clearly could not cope with the pressure of playing for Hibs and taking responsibility on the pitch.

[JimBHibees]

Half the time it was him doing the hoofing. Control, turn, hoof without looking was what I saw from Craig for the majority of the season. Really, really turgid stuff.

I've no doubt he'll do fine at St Johnstone though if he goes back. I'm under no illusions that we are a massive club in any shape but Craig clearly could not cope with the pressure of playing for Hibs and taking responsibility on the pitch.

Agree for a supposed experienced midfielder he did spend most of the time giving the ball away either by aimlessly helping it on either out the park or to no-one in particular. His touch and general lack of energy or commitment around the park for a captain was a joke to be honest.

The most galling thing about Sunday must surely have been that not one Hibs player got a yellow card or committed any sort of foul on the opposition. We were meant to be fighting for our lives yet it seemed to be the opposite. Basically Hamilton had one threat which was Scotland who even after he went down for treatment wasnt the subject to even one robust or physical challenge. That stat reveals all you need to know.

[Golden Bear]

Half the time it was him doing the hoofing. Control, turn, hoof without looking was what I saw from Craig for the majority of the season. Really, really turgid stuff.

I've no doubt he'll do fine at St Johnstone though if he goes back. I'm under no illusions that we are a massive club in any shape but Craig clearly could not cope with the pressure of playing for Hibs and taking responsibility on the pitch.

It can also be said that the better players will perform with a better team and better players round about them. And that certainly is the case with St Johnstone right now. (I hesitate to add "Fact")

[truehibernian]

Really good footballers don't stop when play is raging on and gesticulate to refs rather than get on with it - they also don't continually get caught in possession.

Take a look at Liam's reaction when Hamilton forced Ben Williams to save using his feet first half on Sunday - his only reaction was to put his hand up for offside - no continuing to close space or chase a lost man. For me that has been his sum contribution all season and I'm glad he's gone.

Midfield is an area that needs drive, energy pace and fitness. It also requires composure and leadership.

Our midfield had none of those qualities, either combined or in individual players. Hence we were lowest scorers in the league and spent most games defending or on the back foot.

[Golden Bear]

Really good footballers don't stop when play is raging on and gesticulate to refs rather than get on with it - they also don't continually get caught in possession.

Take a look at Liam's reaction when Hamilton forced Ben Williams to save using his feet first half on Sunday - his only reaction was to put his hand up for offside - no continuing to close space or chase a lost man. For me that has been his sum contribution all season and I'm glad he's gone.

Midfield is an area that needs drive, energy pace and fitness. It also requires composure and leadership.

Our midfield had none of those qualities, either combined or in individual players. Hence we were lowest scorers in the league and spent most games defending or on the back foot.

I've not read the whole thread but is LC officially "away" ?

[silverhibee]

:agree:

Liam Craig is a very good player but unfortunately he was a very poor player for us.

I disagree about the first part and agree with the second bit.