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View Full Version : This is how it feels (25 09 19 v Kilmarnock). Poundland Version



bigwheel
25-09-2019, 11:12 PM
I felt like wee joe harper turning up to replace the legend that is Jimmy O’Rourke...The dot net equivalent standing in for Jonnyboy. Should never happen ! so I won’t even try to replicate his magic ...Like you all, I really enjoy his summarises after each match. I will try though to bring the game a little to life for those not there ..apologies in advance [emoji119]

The tone of the evening started on the way to the match. Unusually for me I took one of the supporters buses. On the way on to the bus, just approaching the steps, the guy behind me muttered under his breath “Dear oh Dear”...he was saying out loud how most of us were feeling. Most seemed to be heading with little hope of a result.

I also heard on the bus of two guys who have sent their season tickets back to the club ! As a protest against performances ...quite a statement ..I wonder if another win at the weekend , will have them working out how they get they get them back [emoji2]

As we approached the ground there were a few big changes for the fans to discuss from Sunday’s team . Both Allan and Kamberi dropped , James, Middleton and Doidge starting . The other change was Naismith, assuming rested or injured as he was not stripped. It felt a set of big calls by the manager..

And to the game itself . I’d have to say overall we worked hard but still lacked incisive play going forward . Mind you so did Killie. We were better balanced with the 4 -2-3-1 shape..although it evolved a few times during the match. Width from both Horgan and Middleton gave us a more
Natural shape. With Porto again at the back and adding Doidge and James we have a bit more steel too than in recent weeks in the first 11 . Some boys were commenting how poor we were after the match . And yes, it was far from a vintage performance . But I respect the organisation, work rate, effort and application that saw us through a tricky tie. Sometimes you need to create your own lick and I’d say the players did that today..

On to the match , I thought Kilmarnock settled earlier, but we grew more in to the game during the first half . Neither side causing much goal mouth action, with a few crosses and some long range efforts all either team had to show for it

Hallberg certainly works hard, pressed without the ball - not the strongest passer of the ball though . James looked a good addition and strong defensively . Kilmarnock, had a bit more fluency at first, but Hibs gradually got in to the game with a neat Doidge lay off creating a shot opening for Mallan but he missed the target.

Hallberg had a wayward effort in about 30mins. Then I thought we perhaps got away with one when Porteous tussled one of their players to the ground as a cross came in in the first half .referee ignored it completely

Porto made up for it with a commanding performance overall and one clearing header as the half wore on was top drawer

At half time the tone in the stands around me was fairly neutral. Not a great performance but battling well. We had looked a bit more physical. But still
Largely huffing and puffing. Vela not winning many fans and Doidge frustrating some - not me I admit though - I quite liked the more physical presence that he brought to our front line

No changes for either side at half time

Kilmarnock started to gain more ground , but not sure Maxwell had a save of note to make . There were a few balls that wizzed across our box mind you

70 mins. Shaw and Allan replaced our two wide men

Allan seemed to keep looking for the perfect pass, that said, thought he closed down well and worked hard . Shaw helped stretch Killie and as the half wore in we perhaps had our best period of the game. A few crosses were put in but no takers in either occasion

Extra Time
Killie started in too and I’d say we’re stronger in the first half. Again though without creating a saves from Maxwell.

In the second half of ET Doidge had a header in target at a corner but it was an easy save and at the other end a Maxwell slip gave Brophy a great chance from distance but it was well off target

Hallberg had run his battery dry and made way for Newell.

As the game opened up Hanlon made a great interception in box to stop a goal scoring opportunity.

With two minutes to go Kamberi was due to come On for Doidge , but Porto’s red card stopped that. Jackson came on for Doidge . Seemed a very cautious choice as with 2 mins to go until penalties it meant Shaw was the only forward left on the pitch . Mind you he was also our only penalty miss.

For Us the penalty takers in order where
Allan scores
Shaw. Tame shot
Mallan scores
Hanlon scores
James slipped but still scores
Newell - Pen of the evening

Maxwell saved the last pen to give the team a hard well earned victory .

Players

Maxwell - other than the penalties didn’t have too much to do..a couple of scares with balls flashing across goals from out wide, and one when he slipped on the way out to collect a through ball, leaving a good opportunity for Brophy

James - a decent shift I thought - looked fairly solid defensively ..didn’t venture forward too much , but looked largely assured. Will do him good to get 120 mins . He will be relieved to see his penalty “panenka” in after slipping as he struck it

Lewis - a typical Lewis performance - gritty 6/7 out of 10..saw off Chris Burke and did well as balls were thrown toward him from Killie

Hanlon - good pen and overall a decent if not top notch shift ..was lucky that a slip late on didn’t get punished ..worked hard though - also nod of appreciation for winning the penalty toss and getting them up our end

Porto - a late red card will go down as taking one for the team ..resulted in not one but two Killie players pushing him over. Do they realise who they are dealing with ? ;). before that though i thought he was head and shoulders the best player on the park ..leadership, aggression and good game awareness ..this boy could end up being some player. MOM

Vela - worked hard but overall struggled to make much impact for most of the match I thought - lacks pace..was one of our poorer performers . Only balancing point is that as the game went on and players tired, his engine was still going and he won a few battles towards the end

Hallberg - technically a better player than Vela - but still off the pace for me ..worked hard . But also little impact - subbed as he tired . Perhaps too early to judge

Mallan - must have played about three or four different roles after starting in an advanced role in midfield ..still struggling to find form. not one of his better shifts - stepped up and delivered on the pens though

Horgan- hardworking shift without much joy..got a decent reception when he went off..wish he wouldn’t play crosses as deep as often as he does

Middleton - started on the left and switched to the right .. along with Horgan gave us more natural width..brings a bit of trickery, put in a couple of decent crosses . Can be happy with his evening or as the guy behind me put it - “I quite like that wee hun guy”...

Doidge - he is an old fashioned number nine - have more menace to the front line without hitting many heights. Had a couple of neat Kay off back heels to link up and create shooting chances . Will benefit from the near 120 mins ..

Shaw - thought Olly added a bit of pace and variety to us ..had a good chance to score in extra time but blazed over..hit a tame penalty which was easily saved ..that said, I thought we looked a better team with him on the park

Jackson - got 2 mins , on for Doidge when Port was sent off . Don’t think he touched the ball

Joe Newell - did nothing of note when he came on ..other than (importantly) he hit the best penalty of the night ..so fair play !


The referee
Collum got most of the big decisions right ..could have given them a pen for a bundle in the box .


Manager
Delighted for the guy. Made some bold selections , and can be pleased with his evenings work. I thought we were a touch more resilient. Was interesting that he came and saluted the fans with a bit of passion. Was equally interesting to see how the players celebrated with him, they all looked genuinely pleased for him too. I’ve not liked to see the personal nature of some of the criticism of him, so thrilled that he got a result tonight. Think he deserves it. I actually think he might be a decent coach . Unfortunately, looks like he has made a number of poor signing choices and that means he remains with a very difficult task.

Fans ..

Good turnout - I’d say circa 7-800. Got behind the team well. I was dreading Killie scoring , as you could sense it was one of these nights where some of the fans would have immediately turned on the team..that said, as the game went on the fans kept behind the side, and stayed with the team all the way to the end...the young team kept signing all the way through ...credit to them...didn’t like some of the “we are *****” songs but the anti dot net songs in their songbook deserve a nod of appreciation - top
Class that ! [emoji2]



Overall, was t a great performance but the tenacity was top class. can’t fault the application from the team ..all of them put in a real shift - no doubt we lack quality compared to recent years..so we will have a hard shift this season. That said I was absolutely delighted for the team , manager and the fans . The players worked so hard, they deserved the wee break to win on pens and go through to the semi finals ..anything can happen at Hampden - as we know ..


Baton firmly handed back to Jonnyboy...now I know how the understudy feels on a Broadway show when they fill in for the main star. Booed before the curtain comes up ! [emoji2][emoji106].

Ps. I did this on my phone so apologies for the typos ...

hfc rd
25-09-2019, 11:26 PM
Really appreciate that bigwheel 👍🏾

Peevemor
25-09-2019, 11:27 PM
Well done. Thanks for that.

green.oracle
25-09-2019, 11:28 PM
Well done BW. Would never have known it wasn't JB if it wasn't mentioned in your report.👍🙌

BroxburnHibee
25-09-2019, 11:32 PM
Thanks for that. Much appreciated. Well done.

hibby6270
25-09-2019, 11:45 PM
Great summary. Well done for stepping in at short notice. :thumbsup:

banchoryhibs
25-09-2019, 11:47 PM
Very good read - cheers:aok:

Billy Whizz
25-09-2019, 11:54 PM
Well done Big Wheel. Thought there were a few good performances tonight. A clean sheet for starters is a great base to build on. I honestly didn’t think Killie had many chances
I’m warning to Maxwell, he’s keen to get on with the game
James had a comfortable evening, at right back and Ryan and Paul were solid
Didn’t really get going in midfield, gave too many passes away
Doidge worked away, without any real chances
Allan and Shaw got involved when they came on, and I thought Newell got involved and linked well, he’s got a good touch!
Maybe we’ll see some of the new signings starting to flourish

A win is a win in a cup tie. Can put the semi on the back burner, and focus on getting up the league

Scouse Hibee
25-09-2019, 11:58 PM
Jonnyboy out 😁

Great read, thanks for taking the time, much appreciated.

Billy Whizz
26-09-2019, 12:00 AM
Jonnyboy out 😁

Great read, thanks for taking the time, much appreciated.

Big Wheels at the Wheel😄

kaimendhibs
26-09-2019, 12:11 AM
Good read thanks. Thought Hanlon looked more like himself. Doidge won most of his headers. James looked assured. Porto superb.
A lot more promising but need a cutting edge

Sent from my VTR-L09 using Tapatalk

Hi Heid Yin
26-09-2019, 12:39 AM
A great write up Big wheel.

I enjoyed reading your take on the game.

It took me back to the days of The Football Pink.

Well done also for stepping-into Jonnyboy's shoes.

CMurdoch
26-09-2019, 02:08 AM
Thanks Big Wheel. Good effort to write it on your phone.
Re Hallberg - no pre season and tonight was only his 3rd game since May so no wonder he is taking a while to get up to full tilt.
Vela, i am less hopeful about. From what you wrote his fitness is improving which is a positive. He didn't play after February so again not much football and doesn't appear to be the professional type to keep himself tip top over the summer. Fingers crossed he can start to show some ability soon.

AZhibee
26-09-2019, 02:19 AM
Thanks bigwheel!

JackHibs
26-09-2019, 03:13 AM
Fair summary, Halberg put a shift it but his passing was pretty poor - hopefully he's just still a bit rusty.

Mallan had a very quiet game but again put a shift in.

When it comes to Vela however, i'm struggling to find anything hes actually good at other than running about a bit. Not the best passer, especially long passing, doesn't seem to love a tackle like he stated in interviews when he first came and doesn't look capable of scoring.. Looking like one of our poorest signings so far after having so much hype, hopefully finds his game and turns it round.

Cant for the life of me understand Hecky taking off 2 wingers for a striker and CM but keeping the same shape?? But hey ho we won the game:aok:

FilipinoHibs
26-09-2019, 06:33 AM
Thanks good read. Watched on Hibs TV and consistent with my impressions. What was your summary of Allan?

Speedway
26-09-2019, 06:40 AM
Great report Bigwheel. Appreciate it!

Golden Bear
26-09-2019, 06:40 AM
That's a right guid read. Many thanks for making the effort Big Wheel.

:aok:

Bostonhibby
26-09-2019, 07:07 AM
Good read, appreciated it as I had no way of watching or listening last night[emoji106]

Sent from my SM-A750FN using Tapatalk

BILLYHIBS
26-09-2019, 07:20 AM
Thanks for posting BW

Joe Harper?

It was like having George Best back when we could keep him oot the boozer :greengrin

HibbyAndy
26-09-2019, 07:36 AM
Good stuff :aok:

soul_driver
26-09-2019, 07:36 AM
Thanks for the report. Great read.

worcesterhibby
26-09-2019, 07:39 AM
Top notch substitute performance, cheers :thumbsup:

BT58
26-09-2019, 07:51 AM
A guid read BW. JB has competition :)
B

Jonnyboy
26-09-2019, 07:57 AM
A massive thank you to bigwheel - excellent read. Sorry I didn’t comment last night. Exhaustion at not being there took over and I was in my bed by half eleven 😁

franks
26-09-2019, 08:14 AM
Thanks for that you are an able substitute for jonnyboy. Was at the game and as with jonnyboy I found your report to be accurate and well balanced.

We can all sleep easy knowing we have someone who can come off the bench like you have.

greenlex
26-09-2019, 08:21 AM
A fine debut BW.

McSwanky
26-09-2019, 08:59 AM
A very able substitute!

Out of interest, what were the anti .net songs? I could do with a laugh this morning!

jacomo
26-09-2019, 10:24 AM
Good stuff, cheers.

bigwheel
26-09-2019, 10:34 AM
A massive thank you to bigwheel - excellent read. Sorry I didn’t comment last night. Exhaustion at not being there took over and I was in my bed by half eleven [emoji16]

Happy to help out J - now get yersel sorted for the weekend! [emoji119][emoji106]

danhibees1875
26-09-2019, 10:36 AM
Thanks for that. Always good to read about the games I don't go to. :aok:

wookie70
26-09-2019, 10:51 AM
Great report coming off the bench.

The 90+2
26-09-2019, 10:59 AM
Thanks for the report mate 👍

Franck Stanton
26-09-2019, 11:16 AM
Would spoil my week if there wasn't a "This is how it feels" to read after a game, many thanks BW.

H18S NX
26-09-2019, 11:26 AM
Great report BW,a very able substitution.:aok::aok:

wandering_hibee
26-09-2019, 12:22 PM
Thanks for the report. An excellent substitute for JB who is now requried reading after every game, whether I have attend or not.
Interesting to hear how once again Vela did not perform well and I am starting to fear that he is another not quite up to the job or will take a long time to get there.

James sounds like a good acquisition and I liked what I saw before he got injured, looked sharper and a better defender that Naismith.

Hibeesforever
26-09-2019, 12:29 PM
Excellent summary, I didn't go with the wee man because I thought there would be penalties and that is how it turned out...a great win!

brog
26-09-2019, 01:18 PM
Fine report, well done. I saw DR had Paul Hanlon as MOTM. I guessed he had played well when there was no thread about him!
Am I only one who thought Porto was unlucky to get a straight red? Was a bodycheck cum trip but I've seen a lot worse get a yellow only. I guess it means he misses Sat & semi now or have rules changed again?

Billy Whizz
26-09-2019, 02:53 PM
Fine report, well done. I saw DR had Paul Hanlon as MOTM. I guessed he had played well when there was no thread about him!
Am I only one who thought Porto was unlucky to get a straight red? Was a bodycheck cum trip but I've seen a lot worse get a yellow only. I guess it means he misses Sat & semi now or have rules changed again?

I’m sure that’s the rules brog

JimBHibees
26-09-2019, 03:09 PM
Fine report, well done. I saw DR had Paul Hanlon as MOTM. I guessed he had played well when there was no thread about him!
Am I only one who thought Porto was unlucky to get a straight red? Was a bodycheck cum trip but I've seen a lot worse get a yellow only. I guess it means he misses Sat & semi now or have rules changed again?

Agree with all of that we should be appealing immediately.