Liam Fontaine

[3pm]

Sponsored by Hamlet.

[Fergos]

....has 2 hands....one for each cigar.

GGTTH

[Dalkeith Hibee]

All 3 of them were fantastic tonight. He looks an inspired signing

[mentalhibee]

Class act tonight!!

[Stewboy]

Must have some size of arse if his back pocket is big enough to put Boyd in???

[ekhibee]

He was my man of the match. Looks like an organizer, something we've been distinctly lacking for years.

[MWHIBBIES]

Really smart to knock the ball away from Moshni as well, could easily have got him sent off and totally killed any chance of them coming back.

[Pretty Boy]

3 centre backs were top notch tonight.

[AlbertK86]

3 centre backs were top notch tonight.

Spot on. I've slated Hanlon in the past but credit where it's due tonight

Think the fact he can let Forster and Fontaine do the physical challenges and him sweep in behind may just suit him

[Greenblood70]

3 centre backs were top notch tonight.

3-5-2 is the way forward, really suits the players we have, looked a proper shape to the team tonight and some outstanding individual performances. I'm really rejuvenated by the last 2 results, it's like the shackles have finally come off and the players are playing without fear all of a sudden.


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[Ronniekirk]

One word Outstanding

[kevo1875]

Thought he had a few ify passes first ten mins but after that was solid well done son

[tamh]

Just heard they think paul Hanlons nose is broken...

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[whiskas]

That's not good :( he's not had much luck with head knocks so far this season

[Real Emerald]

Just heard they think paul Hanlons nose is broken...

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He can borrow one of Callum Paterson's spares then, although they come with glasses and moustache attached. He'll be fine! :greengrin

[sbell1875]

Lost count of how many times he was fouled yet the ref gave it the other way.

He was outstanding tonight as indeed every player was.

[greenlex]

He can borrow one of Callum Paterson's spares then, although they come with glasses and moustache attached. He'll be fine! :greengrin
Brilliant

[Bronson]

He was a rock tonight, him and Forster won everything. Hanlon looked a wee bit weak first half but came on to a game 2nd, still getting back to match sharpness. All round defence was as good as I've seen it for a long time.:top marks

[Salisbury Hibby]

I enjoyed his performance last night. A wee bit of steel and mixing it with Boyd and Moshni.

Foster was up for it too.

[Persevere80]

First chance I've had to see him play. I thought he was fantastic.

[TheFamous1875]

First chance I've had to see him play. I thought he was fantastic.

Ditto!

He and Hanlon need game time to fully get up to scratch and once they have we'll be impenetrable as a back-three. Forster is still learning his trade, but alongside a cool and cultured Hanlon and a domineering Fontnaine he can flourish into one of the best centre backs we've produced since....well, I'm lost for words there!

The only thing concerning me about a back three is how opposition will play against it. If we do go to a default 3-5-2 for the rest of the season which the evidence of our two last victories suggests, then people will know our game inside out and we could be at risk of becoming predictable. I know we tailed off in 2000/01 as a 3-5-2 side in the final third of the season, and as I'm a bit too young to remember I can only assume it's because the opposition had finally sussed us out over the preceding months and pinpointed our heavy reliance on Sauzee and Latapy. (Think I'll make this into a thread!)

[Persevere80]

Ditto!

He and Hanlon need game time to fully get up to scratch and once they have we'll be impenetrable as a back-three. Forster is still learning his trade, but alongside a cool and cultured Hanlon and a domineering Fontnaine he can flourish into one of the best centre backs we've produced since....well, I'm lost for words there!

The only thing concerning me about a back three is how opposition will play against it. If we do go to a default 3-5-2 for the rest of the season which the evidence of our two last victories suggests, then people will know our game inside out and we could be at risk of becoming predictable. I know we tailed off in 2000/01 as a 3-5-2 side in the final third of the season, and as I'm a bit too young to remember I can only assume it's because the opposition had finally sussed us out over the preceding months and pinpointed our heavy reliance on Sauzee and Latapy. (Think I'll make this into a thread!)
I mentioned your concerns in the 352 formation thread.

Ditto!

He and Hanlon need game time to fully get up to scratch and once they have we'll be impenetrable as a back-three. Forster is still learning his trade, but alongside a cool and cultured Hanlon and a domineering Fontnaine he can flourish into one of the best centre backs we've produced since....well, I'm lost for words there!

The only thing concerning me about a back three is how opposition will play against it. If we do go to a default 3-5-2 for the rest of the season which the evidence of our two last victories suggests, then people will know our game inside out and we could be at risk of becoming predictable. I know we tailed off in 2000/01 as a 3-5-2 side in the final third of the season, and as I'm a bit too young to remember I can only assume it's because the opposition had finally sussed us out over the preceding months and pinpointed our heavy reliance on Sauzee and Latapy. (Think I'll make this into a thread!)

[Unseen work]

Ditto!

He and Hanlon need game time to fully get up to scratch and once they have we'll be impenetrable as a back-three. Forster is still learning his trade, but alongside a cool and cultured Hanlon and a domineering Fontnaine he can flourish into one of the best centre backs we've produced since....well, I'm lost for words there!

The only thing concerning me about a back three is how opposition will play against it. If we do go to a default 3-5-2 for the rest of the season which the evidence of our two last victories suggests, then people will know our game inside out and we could be at risk of becoming predictable. I know we tailed off in 2000/01 as a 3-5-2 side in the final third of the season, and as I'm a bit too young to remember I can only assume it's because the opposition had finally sussed us out over the preceding months and pinpointed our heavy reliance on Sauzee and Latapy. (Think I'll make this into a thread!)

no different though if we played a 4231 all season, people would still know our game inside out, thats what happens with every tean, its wether or not they are good enough to stop it.

Stubbs has said though he will adapt the formation accordingly depending on the opposition and how he wants to play

[TheFamous1875]

no different though if we played a 4231 all season, people would still know our game inside out, thats what happens with every tean, its wether or not they are good enough to stop it.

Stubbs has said though he will adapt the formation accordingly depending on the opposition and how he wants to play

Conversely, a big part of our routing of them last night was down to the sheer shock factor to Rangers and their complete lack of preparation in dealing with it. They didn't expect us to go with three at the back and if they did, they were completely unprepared and unorganised to deal with it.

My point is that like Stubbs has said in his interviews, we need to remain fluid: keep them guessing, keep them unsure and surprise oppositions like we did Rangers last night. I do believe in consistency, but I don't believe in predictability, so if it were up to me I would persevere (for now and if it's required) with the 3-5-2 and get our players ever familiar with their jobs, but not necessarily rest on that formula for the whole season, even though it seems to work a treat. Keep our squad on their toes. Complacency is the biggest killer of Hibernian FC in all manner of the word. We have options (4-3-3, 4-4-2, 4-5-1) and we should use them and keep our squad on their toes and keep our opposition guessing. Consistent, but not predictable.

[overdrive]

Conversely, a big part of our routing of them last night was down to the sheer shock factor to Rangers and their complete lack of preparation in dealing with it. They didn't expect us to go with three at the back and if they did, they were completely unprepared and unorganised to deal with it.

My point is that like Stubbs has said in his interviews, we need to remain fluid: keep them guessing, keep them unsure and surprise oppositions like we did Rangers last night. I do believe in consistency, but I don't believe in predictability, so if it were up to me I would persevere (for now and if it's required) with the 3-5-2 and get our players ever familiar with their jobs, but not necessarily rest on that formula for the whole season, even though it seems to work a treat. Keep our squad on their toes. Complacency is the biggest killer of Hibernian FC in all manner of the word. We have options (4-3-3, 4-4-2, 4-5-1) and we should use them and keep our squad on their toes and keep our opposition guessing. Consistent, but not predictable.

We probably won't have 3 centre halves available for every game anyway with suspensions and injuries.

[bingo70]

We probably won't have 3 centre halves available for every game anyway with suspensions and injuries.

Pressumably that formation might help youngsters like Tom Gardiner break into the team as he'd at least have a bit cover of he was struggling.

[lucky]

4-4-2 every week never caused Man Utd much harm under Fergie. It's how the players play not what formation they play in.

[BoomtownHibees]

4-4-2 every week never caused Man Utd much harm under Fergie. It's how the players play not what formation they play in.

You need a system that works for the players you have and the 352 seems to be a good fit for us at the moment. At times it was more of a 532 however when attacking it can be like a 334 which was seen at our 2nd goal, one wing back crossing to the other coming in at the back post

[Waxy]

We've set our standard now. It's what we needed. Everyone was fantastic on monday.

[JimBHibees]

4-4-2 every week never caused Man Utd much harm under Fergie. It's how the players play not what formation they play in.

United havent played 442 for years. Commonly just play one up especially in Europe.