Are things beginning to click?

[LancsHibs]

Now I’ve been calling for Heckingbottom to go pretty much from the start of the season but the last couple of results have been decent. We have gone into the last 2 games and I was expecting to get pumped out the cup on Wednesday and easily beaten today by a good few goals, but Wednesday saw us through, not vintage but through with a clean sheet and a very good point and performance today. Even some of the players I had written off as useless i.e Vela & Doidge, were impressive.
Have I been wrong and have we hopefully turned the corner? Only time will tell, the next few games will let us know, I am though more inclined to give PH more time. What are other .Netters thoughts?

[Bob Box Fish]

Definitely progress but we need to start winning league matches.

[calumhibee1]

Didn’t see us Wednesday but we got a result.

Imo we were very good today. Fingers crossed we’ve turned a corner.

[GonzoReturns]

What got me today was the passion from the manager. I don’t know if he’s the real deal or not but today showed one thing he cares.

[B.H.F.C]

We set up in a way that suited the last two games. We’ll set up similarly at Aberdeen and it might do us ok in that game as well. After the break we’ll need to be a lot more adventurous against Hamilton, Ross County and Livi. We’ve got 5 points out of 21 so we need to start getting some wins on the board.

[Hibeesforever]

As you say, the next few games will tell us if the Heck is going to remain at the wheel...feel confident we will pick up points, there is more grit in the team and togetherness...

[calumhibee1]

As you say, the next few games will tell us if the Heck is going to remain at the wheel...feel confident we will pick up points, there is more grit in the team and togetherness...

Likewise. The proof will be in the next fee games. But the last two have yielded positive results and if people can’t see a positive in today then god help them.

[The Harp Awakes]

Now I’ve been calling for Heckingbottom to go pretty much from the start of the season but the last couple of results have been decent. We have gone into the last 2 games and I was expecting to get pumped out the cup on Wednesday and easily beaten today by a good few goals, but Wednesday saw us through, not vintage but through with a clean sheet and a very good point and performance today. Even some of the players I had written off as useless i.e Vela & Doidge, were impressive.
Have I been wrong and have we hopefully turned the corner? Only time will tell, the next few games will let us know, I am though more inclined to give PH more time. What are other .Netters thoughts?

Don't think much has changed, although clearly the players have reacted in the last 2 games and have began to fight for the Manager. Clearly a positive sign.

The same problems remain though. We have no pace in the team and offensively we pose little threat. We are not going to score many goals until there is a change in personnel. We will need to fight every game to scrape points and work hard to make sure we don't concede. Hopefully we can get enough points to avoid a relegation dog fight but top 6 is a pipedream with the players we've signed.

[Sir David Gray]

What got me today was the passion from the manager. I don’t know if he’s the real deal or not but today showed one thing he cares.

I've never doubted that he cares. That's never been an issue for me.

[HibeeBigFly]

The football is rotten, we are creating absolutely nothing upfront. Today Celtic should have cruised it and barring woeful finishing and two stonewall pens turned down they would have. We scored via an own goal and had a couple of pot shots from distance. I’m firmly in the Heck out camp. Are things turning round???

[SquashedFrogg]

The football is rotten, we are creating absolutely nothing upfront. Today Celtic should have cruised it and barring woeful finishing and two stonewall pens turned down they would have. We scored via an own goal and had a couple of pot shots from distance. I’m firmly in the Heck out camp. Are things turning round???

Lol

[JimBHibees]

Now I’ve been calling for Heckingbottom to go pretty much from the start of the season but the last couple of results have been decent. We have gone into the last 2 games and I was expecting to get pumped out the cup on Wednesday and easily beaten today by a good few goals, but Wednesday saw us through, not vintage but through with a clean sheet and a very good point and performance today. Even some of the players I had written off as useless i.e Vela & Doidge, were impressive.
Have I been wrong and have we hopefully turned the corner? Only time will tell, the next few games will let us know, I am though more inclined to give PH more time. What are other .Netters thoughts?

Think I agree maybe this team is a slow burner which will get better over time. Clear signs of progress today looked more solid and moe balanced and hopefully we continue in the right direction.

[GonzoReturns]

I've never doubted that he cares. That's never been an issue for me.

Fair comment

[neil7908]

Sorry but I just don't see it. I hope I'm wrong and it's clear we've improved in some areas but I still don't think we're a good team.

We certainly won't be scoring many goals based on our current play.

[SquashedFrogg]

Don't think much has changed, although clearly the players have reacted in the last 2 games and have began to fight for the Manager. Clearly a positive sign.

The same problems remain though. We have no pace in the team and offensively we pose little threat. We are not going to score many goals until there is a change in personnel. We will need to fight every game to scrape points and work hard to make sure we don't concede. Hopefully we can get enough points to avoid a relegation dog fight but top 6 is a pipedream with the players we've signed.

Your first sentence doesn't make sense. You're contradicting yourself.

Second part explains this though.

[GoalsMcGinley]

We scrapped today and fought but that’s expected against the champions. We lacked quality and creativity again. We had our first shot at goal in the 43rd minute.

He still needs to go for me.


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[greenlex]

Vela and Hallberg in the middle of the park make a huge difference. Doidge up top is an improvement on Flo when it’s one up top.

[The Harp Awakes]

I spoke about last week's derby with a good mate of mine last night in the pub. He's a jambo season ticket holder but a good guy and says what he sees.

While admitting that a draw would have been a fair result in the derby, he was struck by how poor Hibs were offensively. He said normally at Easter Road they are ready for us charging down the wings putting them under pressure but it never happened last week. He felt Hibs were ponderous and predictable going forward.

To me this is a problem which is not going to go away any time soon. Yes we can get more combative and organised but we have no-one who can provide a cutting edge or pace. That is a major failure of recruitment.

[Leith Green]

We set up in a way that suited the last two games. We’ll set up similarly at Aberdeen and it might do us ok in that game as well. After the break we’ll need to be a lot more adventurous against Hamilton, Ross County and Livi. We’ve got 5 points out of 21 so we need to start getting some wins on the board.

We need to find a way to play two up top with allan behind them. The one up top has been isolated so far this season

[Kevvy1875]

We were much better today but far from things "clicking" IMO.

Doidge gave us a better option up front and should keep his place in the team. Team need to work on following up on his headers won though, felt sorry for him today putting his head in where it hurts time after time just to see no one picking up the 2nd ball.

Midfield looked more solid today. Vela improved but still think we can do better, alot better. Hallberg looks ok for a guy who hasn't played much football recently, Jury still out.

Defence coped better today too. Helped by having a more robust screen in front of them. The much maligned Whitakerr was exceptional.

Maxwell had another decent game. Different goalie from Rocky, much better with ball at feet but not as good at stopping shots. That's the trade off. I prefer Rocky for the moment but Maxwell is growing on me.

Thats the spine of the team. There was improvement but lets face it they couldn't have been any worse than they have been for the last 6 games or so.

[hibbydog]

Green shoots of recovery. Nothing more.

This is the kind of chat the you hear managers of Hamilton and St Mirren talking about. ie grabbing onto the positives from two battling draws where their teams were second best and created nothing.

Yes, it’s progress. But from a very low starting point and we’ve got miles and miles to go before we’re anywherr near where we should be.

[calumhibee1]

We scrapped today and fought but that’s expected against the champions. We lacked quality and creativity again. We had our first shot at goal in the 43rd minute.

He still needs to go for me.


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I actually see some of this as fair.

The bit I see as unfair is “as expected against the champions”.

We’ve been crap. They’ve been very good. To expect that today against them is purely because people wanted to set us up to fail. We were very good today and everyone at hibs deserves credit for that.

[The Harp Awakes]

Green shoots of recovery. Nothing more.

This is the kind of chat the you hear managers of Hamilton and St Mirren talking about. ie grabbing onto the positives from two battling draws where their teams were second best and created nothing.

Yes, it’s progress. But from a very low starting point and we’ve got miles and miles to go before we’re anywherr near where we should be.

Spot on.

[Jim44]

Some folk on here are just moaning and groaning for the sake of it. We all know we are struggling a bit and there’s nothing to have us shouting from the rooftops, but cut them a bit slack. Against the odds, we ground out a result against Killie and we survived against the top team in the country. I think the team has bought PH a lifeline and I think he should get a few more games to see if he can get us out of the danger zone in the league. We have no chance of a top four place but a decent run could make life a bit more bearable with a realistic target to aim for.

[Nicho87]

Need more going forward. Gives him something to build on. More of today’s spirit with more being offered up front will be another step in the right direction.

Still got a lot of making up to do however

[B.H.F.C]

We need to find a way to play two up top with allan behind them. The one up top has been isolated so far this season

Don’t think that is necessarily the issue but, strangely, I don’t disagree either. With what we have available at the moment, I think a diamond midfield would suit because the likes of Horgan and Middleton aren’t really offering much.

We just need players wit a bit of athleticism to be able to support the centre forward. Mallan playing off the right for instance, can’t do that. Boyle would. We need him back.

[IberianHibernian]

I was disappointed when PH was appointed but must be one of very few here who was not calling for his removal a week ago or before . The last 2 results and performances will obviously have lifted some pressure off him but I`m sure club will have been looking for a new manager for a few weeks to ensure a calm AGM or attract a new manager with promise of possibilities of signings in January . At the end of the day , expense of sacking him and his other coaches will be a big factor if club thinks his continuity will affect season ticket sales next spring .

[Paisley Hibby]

I spoke about last week's derby with a good mate of mine last night in the pub. He's a jambo season ticket holder but a good guy and says what he sees.

While admitting that a draw would have been a fair result in the derby, he was struck by how poor Hibs were offensively. He said normally at Easter Road they are ready for us charging down the wings putting them under pressure but it never happened last week. He felt Hibs were ponderous and predictable going forward.

To me this is a problem which is not going to go away any time soon. Yes we can get more combative and organised but we have no-one who can provide a cutting edge or pace. That is a major failure of recruitment.

Good post. But against Rangers and Motherwell we showed no fight or organisation - so our doing so today is progress. I'm still not convinced Heck should stay but I'm more hopeful than I was last week....

[HUTCHYHIBBY]

Don't think much has changed, although clearly the players have reacted in the last 2 games and have began to fight for the Manager. Clearly a positive sign.

The same problems remain though. We have no pace in the team and offensively we pose little threat. We are not going to score many goals until there is a change in personnel. We will need to fight every game to scrape points and work hard to make sure we don't concede. Hopefully we can get enough points to avoid a relegation dog fight but top 6 is a pipedream with the players we've signed.

Summed up perfectly for me.

[GreenCastle]

Aberdeen game next is so important.

They are struggling - we have an awful record against them recently including away from home so interested to see if maintain the same levels as today.

You would expect us to create more chances in this game also through so far this season our chances created stats are very low.

They are coming off a 5-0 loss - the pressure is on the over rated McInnes.

[J-C]

I think the only thing that has changed is the team had a lot more fight about them, maybe some professional pride kicking in, possibly due to being against Celtic who allow you to play by attacking you instead of playing against 10 men defences. We need to see this kind of commitment more often against the other teams, the jury is still out for me but I still reckon the players brought in and some that are still here are the problem, they're just not very good.

[B.H.F.C]

You would expect us to create more chances in this game also through so far this season our chances created stats are very low.

Providing we set up the same as we did yesterday, which we will, I wouldn’t expect to see us do much more in an attacking sense. It’ll be much the same as Celtic and Kilmarnock. We don’t have enough bodies up the park or enough pace to make the most of any opportunities we do get to break.

[Since452]

I've never doubted that he cares. That's never been an issue for me.

Me either but i think him being sent to the stand and his words (bang on) after the game will have make a few people think differently. We're all in this together

[Callum_62]

Boyles back after the international break

Could be just what we need

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[Onion]

Just shows how bad we've become that a fortunate home draw (even against Celtic) and a 0-0 away draw with awful Killie are seen as huge improvement. Still so many problems with this team and our tactics.

Heckingbottom should not be here. We've got to hope the Hibs Board are well on with their plans to replace him and that these 2 results don't prove to be Jim Duffy moments. Desperate times.

[Speedway]

Yesterday was undoubtedly an improvement but it remain a no from me re: the manager.

[Keith_M]

Have I been wrong and have we hopefully turned the corner? Only time will tell, the next few games will let us know, I am though more inclined to give PH more time. What are other .Netters thoughts?


We had a 0-0 draw on Wednesday, after 120 minutes of play. Contrary to what most of us expected, we didn't actually get humped by Celtc yesterday. In both games, no Hibs player actually scored a goal.

Compared to the previous run of matches, that's improvement, but it'll take a lot more than that to convince me we've 'turned a corner'.

[B.H.F.C]

Just shows how bad we've become that a fortunate home draw (even against Celtic) and a 0-0 away draw with awful Killie are seen as huge improvement. Still so many problems with this team and our tactics.

Heckingbottom should not be here. We've got to hope the Hibs Board are well on with their plans to replace him and that these 2 results don't prove to be Jim Duffy moments. Desperate times.

Whilst happy with the performance yesterday, I do agree with this.

It’s good that we’ve managed to stop conceding so freely in the last two games but we’ve offered next to nothing going forward and I’m not sure I see that changing without a change of shape, which isn’t going to happen. It’s frustrating as I’ve seen enough from Doidge in the last two games to think he could be a threat, or at least a good provider, if he had a bit of company up there.

[One Day Soon]

Just shows how bad we've become that a fortunate home draw (even against Celtic) and a 0-0 away draw with awful Killie are seen as huge improvement. Still so many problems with this team and our tactics.

Heckingbottom should not be here. We've got to hope the Hibs Board are well on with their plans to replace him and that these 2 results don't prove to be Jim Duffy moments. Desperate times.

I can see what you mean about the last two games. It’s hard to know really whether they are portents of improvement that will continue game by game as they knit and settle into PH’s preferred style of play or whether they’re just distractions from the reality of an imbalanced squad struggling to find pace and quality football.

Time will tell as we get through the next few fixtures, regardless of what we all post on here. I just hope we either see the team dramatically improve quickly and PH’s role become properly secure or we see this management team moved on fast if it remains dire. Either is fine, but mediocrity that drags on to Christmas and beyond is not. So I would say ‘good that we somehow ground out the last two results, now show us a team that’s gelling, players improving and the kind of attacking football we expect to see from Hibs’.

I personally DGAF who is Hibs manager as long as they’re doing a good job.

[Speedway]

We had a 0-0 draw on Wednesday, after 120 minutes of play. Contrary to what most of us expected, we didn't actually get humped by Celtc yesterday. In both games, no Hibs player actually scored a goal.

Compared to the previous run of matches, that's improvement, but it'll take a lot more than that to convince me we've 'turned a corner'.

And drilling down on your point Keith, a Stevie Mallan wondersgot remains the only goal scored by a Hibs player in 5 games.

[Keith_M]

And drilling down on your point Keith, a Stevie Mallan wondersgot remains the only goal scored by a Hibs player in 5 games.


Also true.

[One Day Soon]

And drilling down on your point Keith, a Stevie Mallan wondersgot remains the only goal scored by a Hibs player in 5 games.

FFS, I somehow missed that stat. Worrying.

[Leith Green]

I was disappointed when PH was appointed but must be one of very few here who was not calling for his removal a week ago or before . The last 2 results and performances will obviously have lifted some pressure off him but I`m sure club will have been looking for a new manager for a few weeks to ensure a calm AGM or attract a new manager with promise of possibilities of signings in January . At the end of the day , expense of sacking him and his other coaches will be a big factor if club thinks his continuity will affect season ticket sales next spring .



At the end of the day it will be results that will determine Heckingbottoms fate. If we start to pick up wins then he wont be sacked , if he cant start picking up 3 points then pretty soon he will run out of time.

[B.H.F.C]

Either is fine, but mediocrity that drags on to Christmas and beyond is not.

We are still short of mediocre at the moment.

I think the last two results have saved him for the moment. Even a defeat at Aberdeen (which could potentially see us go bottom) won’t see him sacked now IMO.

[Dashing Bob S]

Last two results we've shown a bit more fight and organization, but still have zero pace and couldn't score in a brothel, and probably should have lost to two not particularly brilliant outfits. So while the results are welcome, I'm disinclined to feel that another Hecky transfer window is a viable option.

Not against PH for the sake of it though, would love to see him pick up some League wins and at least compete with Celtic at Hampden, make positive adjustments at Christmas and push on from there with a strong assault on the Scottish Cup.

I fail to see this happening though and the season already seems done. Issue fast becoming how do we sell ST's for next year on the back of this Colin Nish.

[NAE NOOKIE]

The effort and commmitment from all the players yesterday is worthy of praise, I doubt anybody would have put a quid they found in the street on us even getting a draw so it was a very good effort. Folk can say that if Celtic had made the most of their possession and possibly got one or even two penalties we would have lost, but how often in games against them where we have gotten a result has that not been the case?

We have had two decent results then, but the truth is that there was no sign yesterday that we are capable of creating goals with anything like the regularity we need to start winning more than we lose or draw. As others pointed out the lack of pace on the break was clear to see, 2 or 3 times we had chances to do so down the wing and the Hibs player in possession was run down fairly easily.

A number of times a Hibs player on the break in the middle of the park was fouled to halt his progress, but that was an easy option for their players because the Hibs player had no option to release the ball before being chopped on account of there being no Hibs player in front of him looking for a pass, for the simple reason that at every opposition set piece we don't leave a man up the park …. so unless we sign a couple of Olympic sprinters who can pick up the ball at the edge of our box and out run 3 chasing players on their own bringing every player back at corners etc is and will continue to hurt us.

Also, the big failing of practically every Hibs team I've ever seen play one up front was evident yesterday, at least 3 times Doidge managed decent flick on headers but there was nobody anticipating he would win the ball and running beyond him and no player close enough to even compete for the 2nd ball … so the question is what's the point of him even bothering if the net result of his efforts is an easy pick up for the opposition centre halves?

So in short … as enjoyable and surprising as the last two results have been IMO we are still miles off where we could say the progress made in the last few seasons is being or can be maintained and I for one remain to be convinced that Heckingbottom is the man to do it.

[One Day Soon]

The effort and commmitment from all the players yesterday is worthy of praise, I doubt anybody would have put a quid they found in the street on us even getting a draw so it was a very good effort. Folk can say that if Celtic had made the most of their possession and possibly got one or even two penalties we would have lost, but how often in games against them where we have gotten a result has that not been the case?

We have had two decent results then, but the truth is that there was no sign yesterday that we are capable of creating goals with anything like the regularity we need to start winning more than we lose or draw. As others pointed out the lack of pace on the break was clear to see, 2 or 3 times we had chances to do so down the wing and the Hibs player in possession was run down fairly easily.

A number of times a Hibs player on the break in the middle of the park was fouled to halt his progress, but that was an easy option for their players because the Hibs player had no option to release the ball before being chopped on account of there being no Hibs player in front of him looking for a pass, for the simple reason that at every opposition set piece we don't leave a man up the park …. so unless we sign a couple of Olympic sprinters who can pick up the ball at the edge of our box and out run 3 chasing players on their own bringing every player back at corners etc is and will continue to hurt us.

Also, the big failing of practically every Hibs team I've ever seen play one up front was evident yesterday, at least 3 times Doidge managed decent flick on headers but there was nobody anticipating he would win the ball and running beyond him and no player close enough to even compete for the 2nd ball … so the question is what's the point of him even bothering if the net result of his efforts is an easy pick up for the opposition centre halves?

So in short … as enjoyable and surprising as the last two results have been IMO we are still miles off where we could say the progress made in the last few seasons is being or can be maintained and I for one remain to be convinced that Heckingbottom is the man to do it.


A superb summary with all factors considered. No negatives or positives ignored.

[GoalsMcGinley]

I actually see some of this as fair.

The bit I see as unfair is “as expected against the champions”.

We’ve been crap. They’ve been very good. To expect that today against them is purely because people wanted to set us up to fail. We were very good today and everyone at hibs deserves credit for that.


You missed understood me. I meant I expect, as a minimum, that we put in a shift and up our game against them. Let’s be honest they’re not our direct competition. We are still miles away from being a good side. For me, it just delays the inevitable. He will be away sooner rather than later.


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[Spike Mandela]

More of a clunk than a click, but it’s a start.

[H18 SFR]

Another good performance next week and it will signal genuine improvement.

[CMurdoch]

Okay, Tap turned off at the defensive end.
Now for the difficult bit, can we now turn the attacking tap on WHILST keeping the other one turned off?
It will require a change of attitude from Heckenbottom and MUST be in place and working for the Hamilton game on October 19th.
If not the brown stuff will start firing his way again.

[Shrekko]

And drilling down on your point Keith, a Stevie Mallan wondersgot remains the only goal scored by a Hibs player in 5 games.

Seeing as it was a wondergoal why don’t you just discount it like the goal we scored yesterday if it suits your agenda?

The question is whether things have improved in the past couple of games - they have. Sorry!

[J-C]

Seeing as it was a wondergoal why don’t you just discount it like the goal we scored yesterday if it suits your agenda?

The question is whether things have improved in the past couple of games - they have. Sorry!


He has a point though, the cross for our goal was never reaching it's intended player, is was a big mistake by Ajer, we've really struggled this past 4 games to muster any shots on goal, Mallan's was a pot shot from 30 yards out. Great we've looked more solid but are still powderpuff up top.

[Bobby's Cinema]

Was happy with the battling performance yesterday.

My thoughts are that maybe in the position we are in, the adversity of a decision going against us and backs against the wall type performance required actually suited us.

The test will be when we are favourites expected to go and dominate the ball and game. Still not convinced we are setup correctly to go forward and win games - this element hasn’t changed in the last two games

[hibbie02]

I think it’s way too early to say we’ve turned any corners. However with players we have some possibilities came out of it.

I like Maxwell but we’ve not seen too much of his fabled distribution. Rocky however is a bomb scare with ball at feet. Maxwell also appears to be able to catch crosses.

If we had Porto and Hanlon at CB with Whitts sweeper it would toughen up the central defence. If one of our many RBs could play WB, I’d try WBs. I don’t think we have Wingers at the moment. Horgan is a waste of a jersey and Middleton has done nothing.

In front of that play Hallberg and Mallan with Allan playing in behind Flo and Doidge. These are tools we have. Without wingers I don’t see another way to play.


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[hibeerealist]

Green shoots of recovery. Nothing more.

This is the kind of chat the you hear managers of Hamilton and St Mirren talking about. ie grabbing onto the positives from two battling draws where their teams were second best and created nothing.

Yes, it’s progress. But from a very low starting point and we’ve got miles and miles to go before we’re anywherr near where we should be.

Agree :agree:

[hibeerealist]

Seeing as it was a wondergoal why don’t you just discount it like the goal we scored yesterday if it suits your agenda?

The question is whether things have improved in the past couple of games - they have. Sorry!

Defensively they have albeit with a bit of luck. Doidge was better than he usually is but we carry no threat up front.

If that is the improvement you talk of then we are certainly in trouble.

[Hibernia&Alba]

I wouldn't yet say things have clicked, but in the past two matches we have battled much more, which is good to see. Working hard as a team always gives you half a chance. Hecky must now build on the last two results, as he remains on very thin ice.

[Hi Heid Yin]

The last 2 results, although welcomed, do not change anything for me.

We remain a poor to average side, with a manager who is yet to deliver the "exciting" and "fast-paced and high-pressing"game we were led to believe we would see and enjoy.

[basehibby]

Are things beginning to click? Well - that was certainly the best performance Hecks has produced against the OF so far in his tenure (not difficult as the others have been nothing short of disgraceful) so maybe something is beginning to click between his ears re these games. Although we didn't manage to create an awful lot we seemed to at least TRY to take the game to Celtic - so that was a big improvement.
Underpinning the performance was a cohesion and mental toughness that has been AWOL for most of the season - so credit to the manager and players for that. Whether the players he has brought in are capable of consistently raising their game above mediocrity remains to be seen though. There were some hopeful signs on Sunday in the shape of decent performances from the likes of Doidge and Vela against the champs - neither having looked at the races at all in previous games. They need to keep this level of performance up consistently AND improve on it - maybe then we can turn a cormer.

[JimBHibees]

I wouldn't yet say things have clicked, but in the past two matches we have battled much more, which is good to see. Working hard as a team always gives you half a chance. Hecky must now build on the last two results, as he remains on very thin ice.

Yes fans will give him more time if the most recent performances continue. Up to him and the players to do that. Hope he does turn it round as personally think he is a decent coach and could do with our support.

[Hibeesmad]

I wouldn't yet say things have clicked, but in the past two matches we have battled much more, which is good to see. Working hard as a team always gives you half a chance. Hecky must now build on the last two results, as he remains on very thin ice.

Roy Keane said in the build up to the Utd v Arsenal game last night that if you win the battle in midfield you give yourself a half decent chance of winning. I think that is what we have struggled with so far this season but the last two games have showed we can do it, hopefully Vela and Hallberg can build that partnership in the middle to let the likes of Mallan and Allan do what they do best.