poor formation

[ancient hibee]

seems to me that if you are going to play one up front(particularly if it's Heffernan)delivery of the ball will be slow and it'll be bogged down in midfield.First half we played in front of the Cowdenbeath defence all the time and they were happy with that.As Heffernan can't actually hold onto the ball there was no hope of midfielders getting further forward than him.As a result there was no target upfront and no space 30 yards from their goal.Once Robertson,McGeough and the subs started driving forward with the ball-the way we should have played from the start-Cowden were toiling.Stubbs should learn that this is Scottish football second tier-there is no need to play nice to watch football from goal out-exert pressure,run hard and victories will come along much more easily.

[Hibeesmad]

I hate having 1 up front unless you have 2 playing behind who are very attacking midfielders. I felt as if Heffernan was marked out the game today and that Allan, Robertson and McGeough were too defensive, although McGeough always looked to get forward and create chances

[Pete]

The formation was fine up until we lost the first goal. It's all very well saying that we should have went for it from the off but they were set up to counter attack. They done nothing in the first half while we went in a goal ahead but who's to say they wouldn't have found gaps and scored themselves had we went three up top from the start. They might be part time but they have energy early on in games.

They changed for the second half but we reacted and eventually came out on top because of our own positive, effective changes in personnel and tactics. We done the business and there's far too much looking back with the benefit of hindsight going on. Every game in this league will be difficult in its own way.

[TrinityHibby]

seems to me that if you are going to play one up front(particularly if it's Heffernan)delivery of the ball will be slow and it'll be bogged down in midfield.First half we played in front of the Cowdenbeath defence all the time and they were happy with that.As Heffernan can't actually hold onto the ball there was no hope of midfielders getting further forward than him.As a result there was no target upfront and no space 30 yards from their goal.Once Robertson,McGeough and the subs started driving forward with the ball-the way we should have played from the start-Cowden were toiling.Stubbs should learn that this is Scottish football second tier-there is no need to play nice to watch football from goal out-exert pressure,run hard and victories will come along much more easily.

Totally agree with comments. To play this way we need a two things 1) a centre forward 2) pace....hibs currently have neither. Tactics therefore consisted of holding onto the ball for as long as possible so the opposition won't hurt us. Sadly we also seem able to ship goals to teams who create next to nothing. A recipe for disaster. Forster up front would be a better option than heffernan

[Alfred E Newman]

Up until the last 15 mins I thought we were awful yesterday. Far too slow paced and predictable. This was against arguably the worst team in the league and one up front at home shows just how far we have sunk. We finished strongly though and why Cummings is not used more often is a puzzle to me.

[500miles]

Up until the last 15 mins I thought we were awful yesterday. Far too slow paced and predictable. This was against arguably the worst team in the league and one up front at home shows just how far we have sunk. We finished strongly though and why Cummings is not used more often is a puzzle to me.

We had 18 shots to thier 4. We scored 3 goals to their 2. They hardly touched the ball in the first half, and we were superior for all but 20 minutes of yesterdays match. We entirely deserved our win yesterday.

Folk don't expect teams in this league to put up resistance. Same mistake that the Newco fans are making.

[Alfred E Newman]

We had 18 shots to thier 4. We scored 3 goals to their 2. They hardly touched the ball in the first half, and we were superior for all but 20 minutes of yesterdays match. We entirely deserved our win yesterday.

Folk don't expect teams in this league to put up resistance. Same mistake that the Newco fans are making.

We certainly were the better team and dominated possession but made it easy for Cowdenbeath to defend with our slow build up. Of course teams are going to be organised and awkward to beat at times but really, at home against a poor side like that we should be superior for 90 mins , though there seems to be an acceptance now that we are what we are, a run of the mill 1st Div side and we came within a whisker of another poor result yesterday. However the last 10 mins were encouraging.

[greenpaper55]

I think the players confidence is still shot and that's why they passed the ball sideways all day as you never give the ball away doing that, that allied with no one running into the channels just played into the oppositions hands.

[The Leith Dutch]

The formation today worried me.

We shouldn't be playing one up front in this league. Not even away to sevco or the yams imo.

The other bit that I found bemusing today was why Kennedy - who had a good game - kept drifting in to the centre.
We should have him stick to the wing where he's very effective - he gets crosses in and the opposition will wind up with bookings.

We also stood off a bit too much - there were points we had everyone back defending and they still had 5+ players in their own half.
We need the confidence to stop letting teams come on to us that much.

[PPZPOL]

I think the players confidence is still shot and that's why they passed the ball sideways all day as you never give the ball away doing that, that allied with no one running into the channels just played into the oppositions hands.

It's quite noticeable that when we attempt that transition from holding onto the ball by playing simple sideways passing to moving forward into dangerous areas we lack that ability/movement/confidence at moment but really the confidence issue needs to be resolved v soon, how long can we go saying we have no confidence? Seems like the go to excuse for the last couple of years. At one point yesterday Stanton tried a ball inside the RB to set Kennedy away which was cut out - it was greeted with applause as some people realised his intent was to get us in behind and not to just play that easy pass backwards/sideways. Some fans realise that it takes a bit of balls to try it and give them slack for that, the players need to shrug off the fear factor and start taking some chances. The addition of McGeough seems positive as he seems to be looking forward rather than sideways, Allan as well but yesterday I felt he didn't have many targets to hit with us playing 1 up front.

[eastcoasthibby]

Whilst I can see the concerns about the formation yesterday, I don't see anything wrong with trying to mix it up a bit with a formation and those playing, Stubbs seem's keen to do that and as has been stated he does and always will have a plan B and plan C as well for games.
I think yesterday will have told him something he won't do again, with that formation and Heff in that role, looking at yesterday in my view, we needed 2 wide players to service him and sorry but Stanton is not that type of player so it was always going to be an imbalanced set up.
The starting line up had too many similar players in it, Stanton, Allen, McGeogh, Robertson all like to interplay with a target and work off that, Heff doesn't provide that as he is not mobile or physical enough to do it, and with only the tricky Kennedy wide there was no stretching them to make space to play the interplay either.
So Stubbsy formation against this type of opposition is a No Go and the changes you made and intensity that the game went to will tell you the way that the game needs played to get any success in this league, possession football is fine but pace, directness and sharpness makes the difference.

[portyhibernian]

The game yesterday was totally identical to the Dumbarton cup game, waited until we went behind before looking like we actually wanted to go and win the game. As soon as we put two up top and started playing more intense and direct football we score two in about ten minutes! Teams don't need to be strangled to death with 20 minute spells of chasing the ball, just go at them!! Get the goals THEN start the possession stuff!

[Winston Ingram]

Did we play 1 up front yesterday? I would have said we played 3:confused:

The only issue I saw was the guy we had in the centre of the 3 not being up to it.

[J-C]

Did we play 1 up front yesterday? I would have said we played 3:confused:

The only issue I saw was the guy we had in the centre of the 3 not being up to it.

Indeed we had plenty attacking options, unfortunately 2 of those options decided to be rank rotten yesterday. Heff should be gone he offers nothing and Stanton just doesn't bother one iota when he's played out wide, another anonymous game from him and like Harris maybe he needs to be dropped before his confidence gets any lower. I'd have started with Sinclair on the right, his natural position, Malonga in the middle and Kennedy left, with McGeoch supporting down the middle.

[ancient hibee]

The game yesterday was totally identical to the Dumbarton cup game, waited until we went behind before looking like we actually wanted to go and win the game. As soon as we put two up top and started playing more intense and direct football we score two in about ten minutes! Teams don't need to be strangled to death with 20 minute spells of chasing the ball, just go at them!! Get the goals THEN start the possession stuff!

Exactly right -you play keep ball once you have a good lead not at the beginning of a game when it allows the other team to settle as they are not being pressured.Defences are poor-get the ball to the bye line and keep them turning.

[Ricky Bobby]

We need to press teams higher up the park. Yesterday in the first half we allowed them possession until they were into our half of the park. if we win the ball 25 or 30 yards from their goal, the gap between our midfield and the Heff is not so great and it only takes a couple of passes before we are making chances. Yesterday we were winning the ball in our own half and fifteen passes later we are still faffing about in midfield.
It's all too slow.

[Paloschi]

It was quite clearly a 4-5-1 with Kennedy and Stanton swapping wings. The first half was a fake IMO as we looked in control but weren't. Jimmy Nicholl set Cowden up to sit back first half and lull us into a false sense of security. It worked up until Stubbs made the chances as we were 2-1 down. He should have started 2 strikers IMO but we have won the game so I'm happy enough.

However if Cummings didn't score in the dying seconds we would be talking about a tactical disaster. Lessons learned hopefully. :agree:

[Winston Ingram]

It was quite clearly a 4-5-1 with Kennedy and Stanton swapping wings. The first half was a fake IMO as we looked in control but weren't. Jimmy Nicholl set Cowden up to sit back first half and lull us into a false sense of security. It worked up until Stubbs made the chances as we were 2-1 down. He should have started 2 strikers IMO but we have won the game so I'm happy enough.

However if Cummings didn't score in the dying seconds we would be talking about a tactical disaster. Lessons learned hopefully. :agree:

I'd disagree. 1st half clear as day it was 4-3-3. Stanton & Kennedy were playing inside with with Gray & Lewis providing the width.

The problem we had is they were a 6-3-1 with the 3 all holding.

[J-C]

I'd disagree. 1st half clear as day it was 4-3-3. Stanton & Kennedy were playing inside with with Gray & Lewis providing the width.

The problem we had is they were a 6-3-1 with the 3 all holding.

Because Cowdenbeath set up so defensively, we should never be setting up with 2 wingers and 1 striker, we have the players now to play 4-3-3 and with the addition of pace. Heff is a shadow of the player at Killie and Stubbs must take the blame for playing him, we wanted rid and he refused to go, he should be training with the kids and told in no uncertain manner that he is dfinitely not in our plans. We need to kill these teams off early and playing 2 or 3 up top will do that, plus they'll not be able to handle the pace we have now.

[Winston Ingram]

Because Cowdenbeath set up so defensively, we should never be setting up with 2 wingers and 1 striker, we have the players now to play 4-3-3 and with the addition of pace. Heff is a shadow of the player at Killie and Stubbs must take the blame for playing him, we wanted rid and he refused to go, he should be training with the kids and told in no uncertain manner that he is dfinitely not in our plans. We need to kill these teams off early and playing 2 or 3 up top will do that, plus they'll not be able to handle the pace we have now.

You don't need to convince me about Heff. Awful player:agree:

[iainm1875]

I'd disagree. 1st half clear as day it was 4-3-3. Stanton & Kennedy were playing inside with with Gray & Lewis providing the width.

The problem we had is they were a 6-3-1 with the 3 all holding.

I was sitting behind Andy Holden in the west stand yesterday. The formation he had down on his pad was 4-1-4-1

[worcesterhibby]

We had 18 shots to thier 4. We scored 3 goals to their 2. They hardly touched the ball in the first half, and we were superior for all but 20 minutes of yesterdays match. We entirely deserved our win yesterday.

Folk don't expect teams in this league to put up resistance. Same mistake that the Newco fans are making.
:top marks

[worcesterhibby]

Did we play 1 up front yesterday? I would have said we played 3:confused:

The only issue I saw was the guy we had in the centre of the 3 not being up to it.

:aok: