Celtic v Hibs

[Ringothedog]

That's what I thought at the time.

Gray and Gauld were limping, Shaw I have no idea as when he was subbed it was behind the pillar

[SMAXXA]

Who were we missing tonight Bartley, Whittaker, Porteous, Horgan, Boyle, Bogdan, Agyepong, anyone else? Regardless of how bad we have been we have had the worst season I can remember with injuries.

[hibsbollah]

What was more worrying is that Bain looked more comfortable and composed with the ball at his feet than quite a few of our outfield players.

Thats a modern goalie. Or at least should be. Needs to be as good with the ball at his feet as any midfielder.

[matty_f]

Who were we missing tonight Bartley, Whittaker, Porteous, Horgan, Boyle, Bogdan, Agyepong, anyone else? Regardless of how bad we have been we have had the worst season I can remember with injuries.

I feel like a stuck record with this, I think injuries have been the single biggest reason for how bad a season we've had.

[660]

I feel like a stuck record with this, I think injuries have been the single biggest reason for how bad a season we've had.

A distant second after Neil Lennon

[NAE NOOKIE]

Well he is the best manager since Turnbull. Maybe you should take off your anti-Lennon glasses.

I wish folk would chill with this stuff. Neil Lennon did a decent job with a very good squad … he got us out the Championship in a season where we would have expected anybody who was the Hibs manager at the time to have done the same, it was not an exceptional achievement. He got us to 4th in the league the following season with that same excellent squad …. not a bad effort at all, but once again hardly a case for erecting a bloody statue.

He had us playing some good football in those seasons … but so did McLeish and Mowbray and so did Stubbs who in case you missed it took us to a league cup final and won the Scottish cup.

So aye, Neil Lennon wasn't a bad manager in the time he was here ….. but 'the best manager since Turnbull' …. no he wasn't, he was slightly above average and half way through a season in which he seemed totally unable to get the team into any semblance of order on the park and more pertinently was looking less and less able to address our problems, bar calling out the team and one individual player in the media.

Would I have complained if he had been given more time to turn it around? No I wouldn't have. Am I gutted he is gone, not massively.

[ballengeich]

Well he is the best manager since Turnbull. Maybe you should take off your anti-Lennon glasses.

I'm not anti-Lennon, but can you give us facts to back up your claim about him?

[SMAXXA]

I feel like a stuck record with this, I think injuries have been the single biggest reason for how bad a season we've had.

It’s a factor that can’t be ignored I’ve never known the likes of it. It disrupts everything from consistency of selection and formation to general fit and healthy squad all hungry and at the top of their game to make squads never mind the 11. Bit putting everything down to this but it’s a huge factor for our poor season without sounding like Hearts.

[Carheenlea]

Gray and Gauld were limping, Shaw I have no idea as when he was subbed it was behind the pillar

Gauld looked well off the pace and didn’t look fit from the start. Thought this would have been a good stage for him tonight to see plenty of the ball and influence our play but sadly it was not to be the case.
Didn’t notice Shaw having any obvious sign of injury, but as you say Gray was struggling before being subbed.

[SMAXXA]

I wish folk would chill with this stuff. Neil Lennon did a decent job with a very good squad … he got us out the Championship in a season where we would have expected anybody who was the Hibs manager at the time to have done the same, it was not an exceptional achievement. He got us to 4th in the league the following season with that same excellent squad …. not a bad effort at all, but once again hardly a case for erecting a bloody statue.

He had us playing some good football in those seasons … but so did McLeish and Mowbray and so did Stubbs who in case you missed it took us to a league cup final and won the Scottish cup.

So aye, Neil Lennon wasn't a bad manager in the time he was here ….. but 'the best manager since Turnbull' …. no he wasn't, he was slightly above average and half way through a season in which he seemed totally unable to get the team into any semblance of order on the park and more pertinently was looking less and less able to address our problems, bar calling out the team and one individual player in the media.

Would I have complained if he had been given more time to turn it around? No I wouldn't have. Am I gutted he is gone, not massively.

Good post

[matty_f]

A distant second after Neil Lennon

Lennon would (and did) have got better results if he'd had his squad available to him.

He was forced to change the team game to game to account for injuries and the whole team suffered.

[660]

Lennon would (and did) have got better results if he'd had his squad available to him.

He was forced to change the team game to game to account for injuries and the whole team suffered.

He was forced to change the team, destroy the confidence of hibs major summer investment, go missing after every single away derby and produce bizarre lineups such as Kilmarnock and Motherwell away because of injuries?

The whole team suffered because of Neil Lennon. Wake up.

[hibeerealist]

Gray was taken off after being down for a couple of minutes (when the second goal was conceded), albeit against his wishes. Speedway (I think) thought it may be cause he's had previous for trying to play whilst injured and of course making his injury worse. That coupled with Porteous injury playing on the mind is probably the cause. Better safe than sorry.

Gauld was chasing shadows all night and was made to look less than average against Brown. If he wasn't injured and that wasn't the cause for his display then he'd have liekly been off anyway.

Shaw took a dull one in a challenge for the ball. Sure each player will be available at the weekend.

Gauld was not injured tonight, he was never tackled seriously! He was just very poor end of.

[Albanian Hibs]

Gauld looked well off the pace and didn’t look fit from the start. Thought this would have been a good stage for him tonight to see plenty of the ball and influence our play but sadly it was not to be the case.
Didn’t notice Shaw having any obvious sign of injury, but as you say Gray was struggling before being subbed.

Shaw got clattered by that Simonovic or whatever his name is

[we are hibs]

Gauld has a great piece of skill where he took two Celtic players completely out the game just before he was subbed. That's What we need. Players playing with a bit confidence and trying different kind of things. It's like we are playing within ourselves at the moment and playing it safe far too much.

[gorgie greens]

Gauld was not injured tonight, he was never tackled seriously! He was just very poor end of.

He did injure himself , his studs got caught in turf and signalled straight away , was clear on TV

[jacomo]

This is mere supposition and an understandable one.

But which players did Neil Lennon really want in last summer's transfer window and which players did he grudgingly accept because of our financial limitations?

Remember the Allan saga, which left us scratching our heads as to what exactly took place between our club and Celtic.

I'm convinced that Neil Lennon wanted him during that window and was frustrated in not getting him.

Similarly, he likely had to bite his tongue and accept inferior signings such as Mallan, but he's not going to come out and slag these players off (initially anyway), as he had to work with them to see what they might be able to do.

The statisticians/back room team would have flagged up Mallan as meeting certain criteria, which would give the go ahead for whoever at our club to approach him.

It's all to easy and tempting to simply conclude that Neil Lennon is solely to blame for the noticeable and drastic deterioration in the quality and strength of our squad.


Lennon kept on talking about what a promising young player Mallan was, and kept on playing him no matter what.

I think it’s fair to say he was fully behind that signing.

[HibeeHibernian4]

Well he is the best manager since Turnbull. Maybe you should take off your anti-Lennon glasses.

If you're going to lie, why stop there? Why not just go the whole hog and say he was better than Turnbull too?