Team tonight

[Hibee87]

Anyone know how the injury list is looking?

Do we expect Gray and Malonga to play?

I would guess Watson would play in place of Gray, but I hope Malonga is fit. I think Cummings and Djedje/Boyle doesn't give us much of a physical presence up top and Malonga's hold up play and ball retention is second to none.

GGTTH

[andrew70]

Oxley

Watson
Hanlon
Fontaine
Stevenson

Robertson
Allan
McGeouch
Fyvie

Cummings
Dja Djedje

[Cod Boy]

Cummings and Boyle up front

[Paloschi]

I'd guess;

Oxley

Watson
Hanlon
Fontaine
Stevenson

Robertson
Allan
McGeoch
Craig

Cummings
Malonga.

Think Gray will sit this one out and can see Fyvie get a rest due to playing the 90 v Berwick. If I was picking I'd maybe have Stanton in for Craig but I think this will be the team. Good to have Boyle and Djedje on the bench

[w pilton hibby]

Anyone know how the injury list is looking?

Do we expect Gray and Malonga to play?

I would guess Watson would play in place of Gray, but I hope Malonga is fit. I think Cummings and Djedje/Boyle doesn't give us much of a physical presence up top and Malonga's hold up play and ball retention is second to none. GGTTH

According to the BBC

'David Gray and Dominique Malonga are expected to shake off knocks while Keith Watson and Martin Boyle are available after being cup-tied.

Livingston include recent signing Darren Cole but former Hibs youngster Brad Donaldson misses out with injury.

The visitors have also had illness to deal with, four players having missed training over the weekend'.

[HibsNutter]

Want to see Stanton get a start after his impressive cameo at the weekend and either McGeouch or Allan rested with a view to Saturday which will be a greater test imo. Also, Boyle and Watson to start having been cup tied for the weekend, allowing us to rest Gray and Malonga depending on how serious their knocks were.


Oxley, Watson, Hanlon, Fontaine, Stevenson, Robertson, Fyvie, McGeouch/Allan, Stanton, Boyle, Cummings.

[hibee-boys]

Assuming everybody is match fit, and not carrying any knocks, we should be starting with our strongest 11. We can take players off if/when we think the game is won, and that should apply in every game in the run in I'd say.

[HibbyAndy]

Assuming everybody is match fit, and not carrying any knocks, we should be starting with our strongest 11. We can take players off if/when we think the game is won, and that should apply in every game in the run in I'd say.



Correct.


Strongest starting 11 possible tonight.

[Squealing pig]

Ad keep same team but give Cerney a chance needs a few games before he's the number 1

[wookie70]

If everyone is fit I would keep with the same team as Saturday with the exception of Scott A. He looks a bit jaded to me and it hasn't really happened for him in the last few weeks. Stanton would replace Scott for me after his excellent subs appearance on Saturday.

If Gray has even a hint of an injury I would leave him out and replace him with Watson.

Momentum is everything though an if everyone is fit I can see Stubbs keeping the same 11

[HFC 0-7]

Want to see Stanton get a start after his impressive cameo at the weekend and either McGeouch or Allan rested with a view to Saturday which will be a greater test imo. Also, Boyle and Watson to start having been cup tied for the weekend, allowing us to rest Gray and Malonga depending on how serious their knocks were.


Oxley, Watson, Hanlon, Fontaine, Stevenson, Robertson, Fyvie, McGeouch/Allan, Stanton, Boyle, Cummings.


Dont want anyone rested tonight to be honest. This is a big game for us, Rangers dropping points last night we need to take advantage of that. Strongest 11 is required tonight IMO.

[JimBHibees]

Correct.


Strongest starting 11 possible tonight.

Absolutely would start with the same 11 as Sunday if all fit.

[Boyle89]

I'd like to see stanton get a full game. He was our only positive last season and I feel for him not getting game time.

[NORTHERNHIBBY]

Absolutely would start with the same 11 as Sunday if all fit.

Don't change a winning team. Anything other than 3 points lets the The Rangers off the hook.

[Last Minute]

Gray is playing tonight, malonga may be rested


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[number9dream]

I'd like to see stanton get a full game. He was our only positive last season and I feel for him not getting game time.

While it's widely acknowledged that Stanton is not yet in the top 4 midfielders we have, he does appear better suited to the "tip of the diamond" role, with his willingness to run beyond the strikers. Allan, McGeouch and Fyvie are all strong from deeper positions, running with the ball and making passes. They are physically stronger too which may be needed at Cowden. Could Fyvie play the holding role to give Robbo a rest tonight?
Watson, Forster, Fontaine, Stevenson could keep Livi out surely, with Gray & Hanlon back for a potential battle on the bog at Central Park.

[inglisavhibs]

Absolutely would start with the same 11 as Sunday if all fit.

We didn't play our strongest team and nearly paid for it. Stubbs is still learning as a manager and got out of jail tonight. I know he said he was happy after the game but he will know we had a lacklustre second half and could have lost 2 valuable points. He talked about patience after the game but there's a difference between patience and playing too slowly with too many passes in front of their defence. We did too much of the latter in the second half.

[eastterrace]

We didn't play our strongest team and nearly paid for it. Stubbs is still learning as a manager and got out of jail tonight. I know he said he was happy after the game but he will know we had a lacklustre second half and could have lost 2 valuable points. He talked about patience after the game but there's a difference between patience and playing too slowly with too many passes in front of their defence. We did too much of the latter in the second half.

when we play liam craig he is so slow , he will pass to lewis who in turn cuts back inside and passes back to craig who then passes back to fontaine , its was just like last season all over again, it shows you how we miss scott allan and dylan. still its three points so move on to the next game.

[Stevie Reid]

when we play liam craig he is so slow , he will pass to lewis who in turn cuts back inside and passes back to craig who then passes back to fontaine , its was just like last season all over again, it shows you how we miss scott allan and dylan. still its three points so move on to the next game.

Just like last season all over again? Eh?

We weren't great tonight but easily deserved to win. Liam Craig's pass for the first was sublime.

[Stevie Reid]

We didn't play our strongest team and nearly paid for it. Stubbs is still learning as a manager and got out of jail tonight. I know he said he was happy after the game but he will know we had a lacklustre second half and could have lost 2 valuable points. He talked about patience after the game but there's a difference between patience and playing too slowly with too many passes in front of their defence. We did too much of the latter in the second half.

Stubbs got out of jail? He rested key players and we won - therefore his changes worked and the decisions were the correct ones.

[oneone73]

Just like last season all over again? Eh?

We weren't great tonight but easily deserved to win. Liam Craig's pass for the first was sublime.

Agreed.

[Alfred E Newman]

Stubbs got out of jail? He rested key players and we won - therefore his changes worked and the decisions were the correct ones.

Exactly.:agree:

[ehf]

Stubbs got out of jail? He rested key players and we won - therefore his changes worked and the decisions were the correct ones.

We only won because Livi's defence hadn't got back into position after their equaliser. Stubbs was very lucky; madness to leave our 3 best players out for a must-win game. We were crying out for Malonga in the second half as he has the craft and composure in and around the box that we were lacking.

[Stevie Reid]

We only won because Livi's defence hadn't got back into position after their equaliser. Stubbs was very lucky; madness to leave our 3 best players out for a must-win game. We were crying out for Malonga in the second half as he has the craft and composure in and around the box that we were lacking.

Why was he lucky?

Also, given we won (and you described it as a must win) it was hardly madness.

[macca70]

Massive risk to leave out our best 3 players from the starting 11.

When McGeoch came on, it highlighted how important he is to our midfield and how we missed him for the 1st 70 mins whilst he sat on the bench.

[Stevie Reid]

Stubbs picked a team that he thought would win the game - we won the game, therefore he was correct. To criticise the team selection is churlish, as is criticising the performance, as we were the better team and we won.

Why on earth anyone feels the need to give our manager a hard time after a very important win is beyond me. Many on here have been extolling the virtues of how strong a squad we have at the moment - we utilised it tonight in our second game of three to take place in the space of six days.

We won on Sunday and we won tonight, and three of our better players go into Saturday's game after five days rest. A job well done.

[The Harp Awakes]

McGeouch is such a big player for Hibs. No coincidence since he came back into the team from injury in the New Year Derby that we have been undefeated. We missed Dylan from the starting line up tonight, no question.

Having said that, I don't think you can criticise Stubbs for his team selection. Of two absent from Sunday's first 11, Craig set up the first goal and Djedje scored the second. Scott Allan was poor on Sunday and has been ill recently and Gray and Malonga took 2 hefty tackles in the Berwick game.

I'd expect to see our full strength team back in for Saturday though.

[Ozyhibby]

Stubbs called it spot on today resting players. We have a really tough run in with lots of games to play. We cant afford to get the type of injuries to key players that happen when players play 3 games a week.

As we have moved into the second half of the season its become clear that the work being done by the Fitness coaches, sports science staff and nutrition staff is beginning to show.
We are having less injuries and our team are looking fitter than they have ever been before.

We are also picking up very few bookings compared to previous years, which may also be down to improved fitness.