Next Week

[brog]

AS has a number of selection quandaries IMO for next week's game vs Newco. I think he'll be very tempted to go with a back 3 as the wing back pairing of Gray & Lewis has been really successful so far vs them. If he does & assuming we keep 2 up front, presumably Malonga/Cummings if both are fit, then that means one of our current midfield has to drop out. That's a tough choice though I think it may be McGeouch who loses out. If he sticks with a back 4 does he go with Watson or Gray? I suspect Gray could be unlucky which shows how far we've come in a short time. One thing for sure though AS will have a plan & we now have strength in depth all over the park.

[Billy Whizz]

I was thinking coming out today, got a couple of selection head aches, no more
Malaonga will play if fit. It's obvious Stubbs likes Paul Watson, as he's got him into the team, in every game he's been available. Think Hanlon will come back into the team though!
McGeough will definitely start, and Fyvie has come on leaps and bounds recently.

Competition for places is great, exactly what we want

[Jonnyboy]

I was thinking coming out today, got a couple of selection head aches, no more
Malaonga will play if fit. It's obvious Stubbs likes Paul Watson, as he's got him into the team, in every game he's been available. Think Hanlon will come back into the team though!
McGeough will definitely start, and Fyvie had come on leaps and bounds recently.

Competition for places is great, exactly what we want

Ahem **** Keith :greengrin

[Billy Whizz]

Ahem **** Keith :greengrin

Doh, I kept calling him Paul all day

[CallumLaidlaw]

Delighted to be having these selection issues and hopefully the players will be busting a gut this week to prove themselves.
Interesting that Vuckic went off injured for the currant buns today.

[gaz1875]

No way what so ever should Dylan McGeouch be on the bench Sunday, first player on the team sheet!!!

[edwards]

I think Stubbs and the players will have to be very careful next week, although they got another rank result today I feel McCall will have them up for it next week and we will probably meet them another twice in the play offs.

[monktonharp]

I do really hope that Gray is on from the start. he has the nonce, the energy and the guts to face up to der Hun.

[Bishop Hibee]

Already looking forward to the game. Should be a raucous atmosphere inside ER. Our biggest game of the season so far with hopefully a big Hibs support.

[monktonharp]

I think Stubbs and the players will have to be very careful next week, although they got another rank result today I feel McCall will have them up for it next week and we will probably meet them another twice in the play offs.I don't care how much Mc Call has them "up for it". our management team are doing well by getting our boys suitably up for it tae. getting near crunch time, although there will be twists and turns. The Rangers, are the team under pressure to actually win next week. Mc Call might be starting to wonder what he's walked into.

[Blocks Biloxi]

I do really hope that Gray is on from the start. he has the nonce, the energy and the guts to face up to der Hun.

Eh... you what? :big grin:

Hopefully he brings the anti-nonce.

[number9dream]

We ripped them to shreds with a 4-4-2 last time at ER, although Rangers are unlikely to be quite that bad again. If our midfield four play anywhere near their best and Gray & Stevenson provide the quality out wide they have done all season and Malonga is there to hold play up and link with others, Hibs should prevail...

[theonlywayisup]

No headache at all. Provide all fit, the team is:

Oxley

Gray
Hanlon/Watson
Fontaine
Stevenson

Allan
McGeoch
Robertson
Fyvie

Cummings
Malonga

[Sir David Gray]

No headache at all. Provide all fit, the team is:

Oxley

Gray
Hanlon/Watson
Fontaine
Stevenson

Allan
McGeoch
Robertson
Fyvie

Cummings
Malonga

That team will start if fit.

Very confident of a win next week.

[brog]

No headache at all. Provide all fit, the team is:

Oxley

Gray
Hanlon/Watson
Fontaine
Stevenson

Allan
McGeoch
Robertson
Fyvie

Cummings e
Malonga


I pretty much much agree but I believe Watson will be preferred to Gray.

[Ronniekirk]

Doh, I kept calling him Paul all day
Not so sure he will bring in Hanlon unless he goes to back three as he did against Sevco at Ibrox which took me by surprise

[GreenLake]

I can think about teams and managers influencing them, but mostly I think about referee selection and the long history of them making a complete mockery of fair and decent competition between two teams.

[PeterboroHibee]

I think Stubbs and the players will have to be very careful next week, although they got another rank result today I feel McCall will have them up for it next week and we will probably meet them another twice in the play offs.

Although I agree we can't get complacent, McCall couldn't lift them enough to beat the bottom club in the league at Ibrox. Not exactly the most inspiring of starts!

[weonlywon6-2]

Already looking forward to the game. Should be a raucous atmosphere inside ER. Our biggest game of the season so far with hopefully a big Hibs support.

Let's do our best to get a good crowd in

[stanton_4]

Oxely

Watson Fontaine Hanlon

Robertson

Stevenson Gray

Allan McGeough

Malonga Cummings

[jimmythefish]

Massive game next week & I think if we get the win we'll get 2nd spot, not sure it's gonna be as easy as our previous 3 league games, think McCall's got a bit more time with them this week to get them a bit more organised, certain stubbsy will not be taking anything for granted tho & have us prepared & hopefully backed by a big crowd lead us to the win

[The Leith Dutch]

Genuinely curious as to why folk think we should go three at the back.

We're at home and they're having trouble scoring.

Add to that the (presumably first choice?) midfield of Fyvie, Robertson, McGeough and Allan are excellent going forward, full of energy and fairly solid and I'd be sticking 4-4-2 with the only quesions being around how the defence is put together.

It's a little bit of an odd game - exciting in one sense and a chance to go 4 wins from 4 but also a bit of a holding pattern as for my mind it's the next games against them that determine whether we go up.

Here's to Promotion, the Scottish Cup and the kind of hangover you could sell to science.

[stanton_4]

Genuinely curious as to why folk think we should go three at the back.

We're at home and they're having trouble scoring.

Add to that the (presumably first choice?) midfield of Fyvie, Robertson, McGeough and Allan are excellent going forward, full of energy and fairly solid and I'd be sticking 4-4-2 with the only quesions being around how the defence is put together.

It's a little bit of an odd game - exciting in one sense and a chance to go 4 wins from 4 but also a bit of a holding pattern as for my mind it's the next games against them that determine whether we go up.

Here's to Promotion, the Scottish Cup and the kind of hangover you could sell to science.

Because in the last game at ER we over ran them with 5 in midfield. I honestly don't think they have the players to cope with that.
Fyvie is a reasonable shout for a start right enough though.

[oneone73]

Because in the last game at ER we over ran them with 5 in midfield. I honestly don't think they have the players to cope with that.
Fyvie is a reasonable shout for a start right enough though.

Didn't we play 442 at ER?

[Aldo]

No headache at all. Provide all fit, the team is: Oxley Gray Hanlon/Watson Fontaine Stevenson Allan McGeoch Robertson Fyvie Cummings Malonga

That would be my team with a very big decision for Stubbs to make at the back.

For me our MF are going to be very very important for us next Sunday. Running and getting beyond our Strikers.

Looking forward to this.

[Squealing pig]

Let's pack easter road and own them this season

[stanton_4]

Didn't we play 442 at ER?

Yep you are correct, my mistake. Sorry... senior moment. It was maybe the diamond we played in midfield I was thinking about. Although in truth in that game there were times it seemed we were playing 262, 253 and 244 at times with Gray and Stevenson pushing so far up the pitch.

[The Leith Dutch]

Yep you are correct, my mistake. Sorry... senior moment. It was maybe the diamond we played in midfield I was thinking about. Although in truth in that game there were times it seemed we were playing 262, 253 and 244 at times with Gray and Stevenson pushing so far up the pitch.

It's really good to see that we've gone from feeling like we're a man down despite having 11 on the park to thinking we have more in the midfield than we actually do - shows how far we've come.

Gray and Stevenson as you say are a major part of that.

[blackpoolhibs]

4-4-2 with both full backs helping out further up the park for me. The Rangers need to win and will have to attack, this will leave gaps for our better players to exploit.

I believe we are a better side against teams that come at us and dont pack the midfield and defense hoping to sneak a draw.

3-0 to the cabbage. :greengrin

[HUTCHYHIBBY]

I do really hope that Gray is on from the start. he has the nonce, the energy and the guts to face up to der Hun.

Gray has the nonce, surely a Jambo quality.

[Eyrie]

We tried 3-5-2 at Castle Grayskull and it let them dominate possession, even although we won 2-0.

We played 4-4-2 at home and dominated Sevco Huns to the extent that 4-0 was a fair reflection.

Case closed.

[jiggerman]

I accept we are on form, and am very pleased with our progress, but let's not get ahead of ourselves with regard the game on Sunday. It's far from a foregone conclusion like some seem to be predicting.

Stubbs needs to make sure the players aren't as cocky add some posters on here!

GGTTH

[B.H.F.C]

I think he will play 442. If he went with 3 at the back then one of Allan, Dylan, Robertson or Fyvie would miss out and I don't see that happening.

I think Hanlon will come in for Watson.

[brog]

Genuinely curious as to why folk think we should go three at the back.

We're at home and they're having trouble scoring.

Add to that the (presumably first choice?) midfield of Fyvie, Robertson, McGeough and Allan are excellent going forward, full of energy and fairly solid and I'd be sticking 4-4-2 with the only quesions being around how the defence is put together.

It's a little bit of an odd game - exciting in one sense and a chance to go 4 wins from 4 but also a bit of a holding pattern as for my mind it's the next games against them that determine whether we go up.

Here's to Promotion, the Scottish Cup and the kind of hangover you could sell to science.

Again, I pretty much agree & I'm not sure anyone has said we should go 3 at the back, more we're trying to anticipate AS' game plan. My thought of 3 at back was it allows him to play both Gray & Watson, he's obviously very impressed with Watson. Of course as i said in OP that then just moves the selection dilemma forward. One thought that hasn't been covered so far is we have a back 3 plus 2 wingbacks but still keep our fab 4 midfield & only play one, Malonga, up front. That system would guarantee we swamped Newco as they would be playing 4 at the back marking one player. Interesting & happy times though!!

[Deansy]

Genuinely curious as to why folk think we should go three at the back.

We're at home and they're having trouble scoring.

Add to that the (presumably first choice?) midfield of Fyvie, Robertson, McGeough and Allan are excellent going forward, full of energy and fairly solid and I'd be sticking 4-4-2 with the only quesions being around how the defence is put together.

It's a little bit of an odd game - exciting in one sense and a chance to go 4 wins from 4 but also a bit of a holding pattern as for my mind it's the next games against them that determine whether we go up.

Here's to Promotion, the Scottish Cup and the kind of hangover you could sell to science.

Agreed - we'll probably have to face them in the play-offs and the biggest thing in that is WHO'LL be the referee ?? CT ??

Love THAT last line - 'the kind of hangover you could sell to science' !! (Lol !!)

[lucky]

I think it will be a 4-4-2. The midfield 4 pick themselves. Decison is around Watson/Gray/Hanlon and then what 2 from he plays up front.