Mallan’s delivery

[hibbysam]

Very frustrating most weeks. The amount of goals we score when he whips it in at pace is incredible, but most weeks find myself raging as he does the old Scotty Allan floater into the box.

Both his whipped deliveries yesterday resulted in chances, so hopefully that’s the end of the floated deliveries.

[bubblesmorrison]

Rule one of set plays never talk about set plays. No but honestly teams mix up set plays even when they know they have a good one to keep it as an element of surprise.

[hibbysam]

Rule one of set plays never talk about set plays. No but honestly teams mix up set plays even when they know they have a good one to keep it as an element of surprise.

I get that, but our ‘mixed up’ ones were constant for a while and they are literally just floated into the penalty spot, no variation.

Difference with his ones on Saturday, it doesn’t matter if you know he’s going to whip it in like that, it’s almost impossible to defend.

[RoYO!]

The team have clearly been working on set plays and movement. Giving the defence a lot of problems. Long may it continue.

[cleanyman]

An okay player who must work on many things during the summer if he's to stay at the club

[lyonhibs]

An okay player who must work on many things during the summer if he's to stay at the club

Hmmmmmm no.

[AgentDaleCooper]

An okay player who must work on many things during the summer if he's to stay at the club

he's basically useless, other than having a habit of directly contributing to a goal every game or so, which makes it confusing, because he does my nut in.

[overdrive]

Hmmmmmm no.

Hmmmmm yes. From our manager’s comments a couple of weeks ago, he’d seem to agree.

[lyonhibs]

Hmmmmm yes. From our manager’s comments a couple of weeks ago, he’d seem to agree.

So apart from his goals, assists and general menace from both set pieces and open play he's got a lot to work on to even stay at the club :confused:

[Smartie]

he's basically useless, other than having a habit of directly contributing to a goal every game or so, which makes it confusing, because he does my nut in.

Normally I'd agree but on Saturday he had another good performance where he showed much more than that.

He's an enigma. I've spent half the season slaughtering him and the other half shouting to the rooftops about him.

[The Spaceman]

An okay player who must work on many things during the summer if he's to stay at the club

Lol good one.

[ian cruise]

Said on another thread I think he's one of the most affected by the chopping and changing of roles, players and tactics throughout the season. Some players aren't that good at adapting and I suspect he's one who will benefit from the more organised structure we're being told Heckingbottom has brought to training and the match day tactics. He's got a tonne of positive attributes and every now and then has a game to suggest he's a huge asset (this weekend and the Celtic win earlier in the season being the best examples) so let's hope we start to see the best of him now.

Also before coming to us he hadn't played first team football in a season so possibly he's just taken a little longer to settle than we'd have hoped.

[Hibernian Verse]

He is improving defensively. I thought he was much more effective on Saturday than he has been all season when the opposition have the ball.

I'd keep that midfield until the end of the season now, Milligan had a cigar out on Sat at centre back and would have him in ahead of McGregor.

[Smartie]

He is improving defensively. I thought he was much more effective on Saturday than he has been all season when the opposition have the ball.

I'd keep that midfield until the end of the season now, Milligan had a cigar out on Sat at centre back and would have him in ahead of McGregor.

I also thought that he looked like he was running through treacle on one or two occasions when Motherwell players burst out of defence with the ball at pace.

Although I suppose the pitch might have had something to do with that.

[Gloucester Hibs]

He has areas he can improve on for sure but he’s the best of our midfielders IMO.

Double figures for both goals and assists now, and still a fair chunk of the season still to go.

[MagicSwirlingShip]

Mallan is still a young player, relatively inexperienced at this level. I’m not sure how many games he played in the SPL prior to St Mirren being relegated?

It’s clear as day that if we want to see the best of him we need to get him on the ball in the final third of the pitch. Why he was ever shoehorned into the deep lying playmaker role by Lennon I’ll never know.

He will get better, & more consistent as he picks up experience. Not a chance he is facing an early exit after a season IMO.

[CRAZYHIBBY]

Very frustrating most weeks. The amount of goals we score when he whips it in at pace is incredible, but most weeks find myself raging as he does the old Scotty Allan floater into the box.

Both his whipped deliveries yesterday resulted in chances, so hopefully that’s the end of the floated deliveries.

If he did the same thing everytime then other teams would know exactly where to position themselves and the set pieces would never work

[BoomtownHibees]

Hmmmmm yes. From our manager’s comments a couple of weeks ago, he’d seem to agree.

What comments?

[overdrive]

What comments?

He said in an interview a few weeks ago pretty much what folk have been saying on here all season, that Mallan needs to add more to his game, he can’t just rely on his shooting, etc. I think he dropped Mallan after that for a game as well.

[Smartie]

Mallan is still a young player, relatively inexperienced at this level. I’m not sure how many games he played in the SPL prior to St Mirren being relegated?

It’s clear as day that if we want to see the best of him we need to get him on the ball in the final third of the pitch. Why he was ever shoehorned into the deep lying playmaker role by Lennon I’ll never know.

He will get better, & more consistent as he picks up experience. Not a chance he is facing an early exit after a season IMO.

Well he was immense in a deeper role on Saturday.

I agree that his assets are best utilised in the final third.

[MagicSwirlingShip]

Well he was immense in a deeper role on Saturday.

I agree that his assets are best utilised in the final third.

Don’t know about immense! Good performance from him but not spectacular.

[hibbysam]

If he did the same thing everytime then other teams would know exactly where to position themselves and the set pieces would never work

The issue is, he was doing the same thing over and over, floating it into the middle and it being defended. Start of the season and Saturday he was whipping them in at pace and it results in chances or very good defending.

His delivery makes it very hard to defend, you can change it up but still whip it in every time. We created two great chances from these deliveries on Saturday, but for weeks and weeks of floated deliveries I can’t recall us creating anything.

[007]

Very frustrating most weeks. The amount of goals we score when he whips it in at pace is incredible, but most weeks find myself raging as he does the old Scotty Allan floater into the box.

Both his whipped deliveries yesterday resulted in chances, so hopefully that’s the end of the floated deliveries.

I agree, I'd like to see him whipping it into the box for every corner and from both sides. The mixing it up can be different movement from the players plus the area of box he puts the cross to. In my opinion it is a numbers game, the more times he whips the ball into a dangerous area, the more chance we have of someone getting on the end of it.

Floated/chipped crosses are too easy to defend and have to be further away from the goal otherwise the keeper will get it. I realise we have sometimes scored from short corners but we equally, we have also sometimes failed to even get a cross in.

I like the idea of Horgan making a late run towards Mallan as if to receive a short pass as it means 2 defenders will have to follow him. Mallan to then whip in the corner once the 2 defenders are far enough away from the goal. Even if they knew Mallan never does the short pass they'd still have to track Horgan.

[Inconsequential]

Mallan is still a young player, relatively inexperienced at this level. I’m not sure how many games he played in the SPL prior to St Mirren being relegated?

It’s clear as day that if we want to see the best of him we need to get him on the ball in the final third of the pitch. Why he was ever shoehorned into the deep lying playmaker role by Lennon I’ll never know.

He will get better, & more consistent as he picks up experience. Not a chance he is facing an early exit after a season IMO. Iirc Stevie Mallan played 24 games for St.Mirren the season they were relegated. He received a young player of the month award and a goal he scored against Dundee Utd was voted as one of the best of the season. Stevie has his critics but you can't disagree with his stats on paper. The modern game requires a complete midfielder and Stevie isn't quite there yet although a manager would be reluctant to leave him out due to his dead ball and passing ability. He creates and scores goals so there shouldn't really be a problem.. no?

[Smartie]

Iirc Stevie Mallan played 24 games for St.Mirren the season they were relegated. He received a young player of the month award and a goal he scored against Dundee Utd was voted as one of the best of the season. Stevie has his critics but you can't disagree with his stats on paper. The modern game requires a complete midfielder and Stevie isn't quite there yet although a manager would be reluctant to leave him out due to his dead ball and passing ability. He creates and scores goals so there shouldn't really be a problem.. no?

The most important stat in your post is the fact that when he was at St Mirren they were relegated.

Mallan is not an all-rounder and his game has weaknesses but he is doing much better in a much stronger unit now than when he was toiling badly (but scoring the odd cracker) earlier this season.

I was coming round to thinking that he was nothing more than an expensive luxury player but his last few games have been excellent.

If he can keep that level of performance up against teams who press him hard then I'll be delighted, as I still think he's top notch when given time to play but often found wanting when closed down.

[Inconsequential]

The most important stat in your post is the fact that when he was at St Mirren they were relegated.

Mallan is not an all-rounder and his game has weaknesses but he is doing much better in a much stronger unit now than when he was toiling badly (but scoring the odd cracker) earlier this season.

I was coming round to thinking that he was nothing more than an expensive luxury player but his last few games have been excellent.

If he can keep that level of performance up against teams who press him hard then I'll be delighted, as I still think he's top notch when given time to play but often found wanting when closed down. Why is the relegation of St. Mirren the most important stat? Hibs were relegated too.

[Brooster]

An okay player who must work on many things during the summer if he's to stay at the club

Be careful what you wish for. Mallan is a great player and I thought he was excellent on Saturday. His range of passing is excellent (his slide rule pass for the goal against Sevco) and he is probably the best striker of a ball in the last 30 years at least. I look forward to watching him in a Hibs jersey for years to come.

[oneone73]

Why is the relegation of St. Mirren the most important stat? Hibs were relegated too.

SJM was relegated with St Mirren. Wonder what happened to him?

[JXM73]

I see he's taking a break in Paris with the mrs, he's deffo punching above his weight....

[04Sauzee]

SJM was relegated with St Mirren. Wonder what happened to him?

Pretty sure Kenny McLean was also in the St Mirren squad who were relegated, now scoring coals for the team top of the English Championship

[cleanyman]

Be careful what you wish for. Mallan is a great player and I thought he was excellent on Saturday. His range of passing is excellent (his slide rule pass for the goal against Sevco) and he is probably the best striker of a ball in the last 30 years at least. I look forward to watching him in a Hibs jersey for years to come.

No....just no.

[Gloucester Hibs]

No....just no.

Mibbes a bit of hyperbole there but...Name a better midfielder in our current squad? You are getting either a goal or assist from him at the moment every other game, nobody else comes close.

[cleanyman]

Mibbes a bit of hyperbole there but...Name a better midfielder in our current squad? You are getting either a goal or assist from him at the moment every other game, nobody else comes close.

Doesn't make him great though does it?

[Heisenberg]

Doesn't make him great though does it?

It makes him effective. He needs to improve some areas but I’ve seen some signs that he’s doing just that in the past few games.

[Ringothedog]

Doesn't make him great though does it?

No it doesn’t, but he is the one player in our current midfield who has the potential to become a very good player if he is coached properly and if he is willing to learn.