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View Full Version : Hibs boss with the best eye for a player?



G B Young
24-11-2019, 12:07 PM
I know signings these days aren't solely made by the manager and that we have a development team to assist, but down the years which boss would you say has demonstrated the best eye for a player?

I don't know who signed the Famous Five, but obviously those signings worked out superbly. My days as a Hibs fan go back to Eddie Turnbull who IIRC didn't actually sign the majority of the Tornadoes. While clearly a very fine manager, his signings in the latter days of his time at ER were sub-standard.

Alex Miller was often derided as negative but he brought some terrific players to the club including Archibald, Goram, Wright, Jackson, O'Neill and McAllister.

Alex McLeish enjoyed a bigger budget than most but used into to excellent effect by a string of really big players for Hibs including of course Latapy and Sauzee.

Tony Mowbray, like Turnbull, inherited a lot of his players but turned them into a fine team although he did drop in a few gems of his own like David Murphy, Dean Shields and Ivan Sproule.

Personally, I thought Alan Stubbs had a great eye for a player and effectively built the Scottish Cup-winning team.

hibby rae
24-11-2019, 12:29 PM
I guess I'd maybe go with Stubbs. Given he didn't have enough players for a starting 11 to begin with (I think?).

Also, getting Henderson and McGeoch from Celtic as part of the Allan deal was very shrewd (as was Lennon doing the same for Bain).

CentreLine
24-11-2019, 12:39 PM
Willie MacFarlane
Signed Eric Schaedler and Arthur Duncan. Also bright back Joe Baker
Mind you, despite his later signings being a little less than successful, Eddie Turnbull gave us Alex Edwards, Jim Herriot, Jim Black and Alan Gordon.

Marvellous
24-11-2019, 12:42 PM
Stubbs and whoever it was at Hibs who helped him identify those players.

CockneyRebel
24-11-2019, 12:48 PM
I know signings these days aren't solely made by the manager and that we have a development team to assist, but down the years which boss would you say has demonstrated the best eye for a player?

I don't know who signed the Famous Five, but obviously those signings worked out superbly. My days as a Hibs fan go back to Eddie Turnbull who IIRC didn't actually sign the majority of the Tornadoes. While clearly a very fine manager, his signings in the latter days of his time at ER were sub-standard.

Alex Miller was often derided as negative but he brought some terrific players to the club including Archibald, Goram, Wright, Jackson, O'Neill and McAllister.

Alex McLeish enjoyed a bigger budget than most but used into to excellent effect by a string of really big players for Hibs including of course Latapy and Sauzee.

Tony Mowbray, like Turnbull, inherited a lot of his players but turned them into a fine team although he did drop in a few gems of his own like David Murphy, Dean Shields and Ivan Sproule.

Personally, I thought Alan Stubbs had a great eye for a player and effectively built the Scottish Cup-winning team.


Jones, Benji, Zemamma.

jacomo
24-11-2019, 12:50 PM
Jones, Benji, Zemamma.


Boozy too.

Mowbray signed some brilliant players for us.

jgl07
24-11-2019, 12:52 PM
Alex Miller for me.

He was a very negative manager but he could spot a player.

Hibbyradge
24-11-2019, 12:52 PM
McLeish.

Close the thread.

The 90+2
24-11-2019, 01:05 PM
McLeish.

Close the thread.

Correct.

jgl07
24-11-2019, 01:23 PM
McLeish.

Close the thread.
What?

I recall many of the numpties that McLeish signed. It is true that he did sign some cracking players but he was given a massive budget by comparison with many other Hibs managers. It was almost a ‘revolving door’ style of recruitment.

For every Mixu and Latapy there was a Peter Guggi.

Ray_
24-11-2019, 01:29 PM
I know signings these days aren't solely made by the manager and that we have a development team to assist, but down the years which boss would you say has demonstrated the best eye for a player?

I don't know who signed the Famous Five, but obviously those signings worked out superbly. My days as a Hibs fan go back to Eddie Turnbull who IIRC didn't actually sign the majority of the Tornadoes. While clearly a very fine manager, his signings in the latter days of his time at ER were sub-standard.

Alex Miller was often derided as negative but he brought some terrific players to the club including Archibald, Goram, Wright, Jackson, O'Neill and McAllister.

Alex McLeish enjoyed a bigger budget than most but used into to excellent effect by a string of really big players for Hibs including of course Latapy and Sauzee.

Tony Mowbray, like Turnbull, inherited a lot of his players but turned them into a fine team although he did drop in a few gems of his own like David Murphy, Dean Shields and Ivan Sproule.

Personally, I thought Alan Stubbs had a great eye for a player and effectively built the Scottish Cup-winning team.

Ned signed Alan Gordon & Alex Edwards for a combined fee of around 25k, as well as Jim Herriot for no fee, he also brought in Jim McArthur, Des Bremner and Iain Munro, all within his first couple of years at the club. Ally MacLeod, Jackie Mac, George Stewart, Gordon Rae, Craig Patterson & Ralph Callahan apart, it certainly did go south after that.

Smartie
24-11-2019, 01:32 PM
McLeish.

Close the thread.

McLeish had arguably the most money to burn relative to all the others.

What Stubbs managed to put together whilst being a Championship club playing in front of 8000 every week was something special.

Since452
24-11-2019, 01:34 PM
Mowbray for me. On a shoestring too. Murphy, Boozy, Jones, Zemamma, Killen etc

jakedance
24-11-2019, 01:44 PM
Given the mess Stubbs inherited from Butcher he has to be in with a shout.

hibby rae
24-11-2019, 01:55 PM
Only one man put a team together that won the Holy Grail.

Close the thread 😉

Iggy Pope
24-11-2019, 02:20 PM
McLeish.

Close the thread.

Walter Galbraith.

Close the thread.

KWJ
24-11-2019, 02:24 PM
What?

I recall many of the numpties that McLeish signed. It is true that he did sign some cracking players but he was given a massive budget by comparison with many other Hibs managers. It was almost a ‘revolving door’ style of recruitment.

For every Mixu and Latapy there was a Peter Guggi.

Peter Guggi was a great player, seemed to be his off field activities that saw him leave the club. He ran the show when we beat Alex Miller's Aberdeen at home in our first game v a SPL team.

He did bring in some pish though, like.... Erm.. Actually just looked through them and Tony Caig is the worst one to have played a few games.

He wins it for me.

Even guys that barely played looked decent like Henry, Guggi, Agathe, Martin, Matyus. Then there was guys like Holsgrove, Skinner, Orman, Luna & Townsley that didn't do too bad.

And I always thought The Tank was no as bad as others said he just was replacing Mixu, Zitelli et al.

The 90+2
24-11-2019, 02:41 PM
Peter Guggi was a great player, seemed to be his off field activities that saw him leave the club. He ran the show when we beat Alex Miller's Aberdeen at home in our first game v a SPL team.

He did bring in some pish though, like.... Erm.. Actually just looked through them and Tony Caig is the worst one to have played a few games.

He wins it for me.

Even guys that barely played looked decent like Henry, Guggi, Agathe, Martin, Matyus. Then there was guys like Holsgrove, Skinner, Orman, Luna & Townsley that didn't do too bad.

And I always thought The Tank was no as bad as others said he just was replacing Mixu, Zitelli et al.

The tank couldn’t even move. Possibly better than Alan Smart mind you.

heretoday
24-11-2019, 02:51 PM
Big Eck was best.

Eyrie
24-11-2019, 03:21 PM
Willie McCartney signed all of the Famous Five.

That takes some beating.

HendoDelivered
24-11-2019, 03:47 PM
Stubbsy for me.

BILLYHIBS
24-11-2019, 03:49 PM
Heckingbottom

Doidge Vela Maxwell Jackson Newall James Naismith and Hallberg

Mark my words

Close the thread

wookie70
24-11-2019, 04:02 PM
Alex Miller for me.

He was a very negative manager but he could spot a player.

He certainly signed some great players but it wasn't a surprise the likes of Archibald, O'Niell, Jackson, Crunchie etc were a success. I think McGinley was probably the one he picked up that no-one knew and was a fantastic success.

For me Stubbs is probably the best since I started watching in the late 70s. He also did it with a relatively modest budget that I suspect was less than Lennon or Heck.

jacomo
24-11-2019, 04:53 PM
McLeish had arguably the most money to burn relative to all the others.

What Stubbs managed to put together whilst being a Championship club playing in front of 8000 every week was something special.


:agree:

McLeish deserves credit for bringing in some great players but he was in a position where he could offer wages to attract players from top European leagues. Unimaginable now.

ancient hibee
24-11-2019, 04:58 PM
Walter Galbraith.

Close the thread.

Yes.Signed two who make my all-time Hibs 11-John Parke and Willie Hamilton.Plus another two in the reserves-Neil Martin and Pat Quinn.Not bad in a couple of years.

MacGruber
24-11-2019, 05:06 PM
Probably Stubbs

John McGinn
Scott Allan
Liam Henderson
Martin Boyle
Dylan McGeough
Fraser Fyvie
Marvin Bartley

You could build a decent midfield out of that!

Your captain could be living legend Sir David Gray.

At centre half the class defender Darren McGregor

For team spirit and dressingroom harmony Liam Fontaine, pretty useful defender on his day too.

Do do do Dominic Malonga upfront only because Farid El Alagui got injured.

Would let Lennon sign the goalkeepers though.

Fair to say they all signed some good players.

McLeish with Sauzee, Latapy and the big names with by and large the biggest budget.

Mowbray with Murphy, Boozy, Shiels, Jones, Benji Zemamma to go with the golden generation that were coming through.

Miller with some club household names and some of my favourites, Wright, Jackson, O'neill, McAllister, Goram

Whilst McLeish had the money, Mowbary the kids and Miller a decade to build - Stubbs basically had to start from scratch, build a team on Championship budget against the backdrop of the fanbase being completely disengaged with the club and the CEO staying in a hotel to escape personal abuse. Couple of years later and we had our finest hour

hhibs
24-11-2019, 05:15 PM
Willie McCartney signed all of the Famous Five.

That takes some beating.


Now that really does close the arguement !

:flag::flag::flag::flag::flag::flag::flag:


honorable mentions to Ned,Mowbray and Stubbs.

The Modfather
24-11-2019, 06:10 PM
John Collins 👀

hibby6270
24-11-2019, 08:55 PM
Steven Whittaker
Kevin Thomson
Scott Brown
Derek Riordan
Garry O’Connor
Steven Fletcher

“The Golden Generation”

Yes - Mowbray inherited them but the credit has to go to the often forgotten about and often much maligned - Bobby Williamson!!
He may not have signed them all but brought the. Throug( from yout( team and did take the chance of playing them in the first team around the same time between 2001 to 2004.
If only we had been able to hold on to them for 3 or 4 more years. Who knows......?

hibby rae
24-11-2019, 09:58 PM
Steven Whittaker
Kevin Thomson
Scott Brown
Derek Riordan
Garry O’Connor
Steven Fletcher

“The Golden Generation”

Yes - Mowbray inherited them but the credit has to go to the often forgotten about and often much maligned - Bobby Williamson!!
He may not have signed them all but brought the. Throug( from yout( team and did take the chance of playing them in the first team around the same time between 2001 to 2004.
If only we had been able to hold on to them for 3 or 4 more years. Who knows......?

Did he not also try to trade Riordan and Whittaker for Bobby Mann?

Crab apple
24-11-2019, 10:29 PM
McLeish had arguably the most money to burn relative to all the others.

What Stubbs managed to put together whilst being a Championship club playing in front of 8000 every week was something special.

Agree with this. Although in McLeish's defence most other teams had more money then too. In the millennium derby when the Yams played their big money SMG signings we destroyed them.

LaMotta
24-11-2019, 11:36 PM
Mowbray for me. On a shoestring too. Murphy, Boozy, Jones, Zemamma, Killen etc

Mowbray should be disqualified from this competition for being unable to spot a decent ****in keeper:greengrin

The 90+2
24-11-2019, 11:57 PM
Steven Whittaker
Kevin Thomson
Scott Brown
Derek Riordan
Garry O’Connor
Steven Fletcher

“The Golden Generation”

Yes - Mowbray inherited them but the credit has to go to the often forgotten about and often much maligned - Bobby Williamson!!
He may not have signed them all but brought the. Throug( from yout( team and did take the chance of playing them in the first team around the same time between 2001 to 2004.
If only we had been able to hold on to them for 3 or 4 more years. Who knows......?

So the answer isn’t boss and is John Park?

The 90+2
24-11-2019, 11:57 PM
Mowbray should be disqualified from this competition for being unable to spot a decent ****in keeper:greengrin

More so for giving Zibbi another three year ****in contract.

LaMotta
25-11-2019, 12:05 AM
More so for giving Zibbi another three year ****in contract.

Correct:brickwall

oldbutdim
25-11-2019, 12:10 AM
Did he not also try to trade Riordan and Whittaker for Bobby Mann?

He did.
He 'brought through' the Golden Generation because that was all he had to work with.


McLeish had to be persuaded by Willie McKay to take Sauzee, and even suggested that he should play a trial.
I'm afraid Judas wasting several months at Hibs when he had been tapped up at Hibs disqualifies him from any kudos at all in my eyes.

GJP indeed.

MWHIBBIES
25-11-2019, 12:17 AM
Did he not also try to trade Riordan and Whittaker for Bobby Mann?

That was Williamson

eastmainsmsh
25-11-2019, 12:43 AM
jim Duffy 😂

The 90+2
25-11-2019, 12:56 AM
He did.
He 'brought through' the Golden Generation because that was all he had to work with.


McLeish had to be persuaded by Willie McKay to take Sauzee, and even suggested that he should play a trial.
I'm afraid Judas wasting several months at Hibs when he had been tapped up at Hibs disqualifies him from any kudos at all in my eyes.

GJP indeed.

Ted Brack says differently in his amazing book about Sauzee. Wasn’t it Latapy that played a trial match? Le God remembered and respected McLeish because of when he played Scotland. He’s still a Judas prick mind you.

oldbutdim
25-11-2019, 12:56 AM
That was Williamson

That's what was said.
:agree:

oldbutdim
25-11-2019, 12:59 AM
Ted Brack says differently in his amazing book about Sauzee. Wasn’t it Latapy that played a trial match? Le God remembered and respected McLeish because of when he played Scotland. He’s still a Judas prick mind you.

I was told that Judas wanted Sauzee to play a trial to see if 'he still had the legs' but Willie said that if a trial was suggested the deal was off. But yes, Franck was impressed by the international reputation of Judas, as well as the huge wages on offer.
:greengrin

The 90+2
25-11-2019, 01:06 AM
I was told that Judas wanted Sauzee to play a trial to see if 'he still had the legs' but Willie said that if a trial was suggested the deal was off. But yes, Franck was impressed by the international reputation of Judas, as well as the huge wages on offer.
:greengrin

Sure he took him around Edinburgh etc too. I can’t stand McKeish and the rot he left us in, knowing he was hun bound months before but Sauzee and Latapy was genius moves and he had us playing amazing football. They months we beat the huns (Zitelli) 6-2, the couple of weeks in between Dundee and Motherwell, Killie in the Scottish Quarters and loads more, Libra equalising at Parkhead, was amazing following Hibs home and away, especially when I thought the world was over when we sold Kenny Miller the year before for 2m.

mjhibby
25-11-2019, 01:07 AM
I'm sure boozy played half a game as well and was signed right after. Sauzee was a fabulous signing and he loved Edinburgh and the arts so that helped. Alex miller for me as he signed some cracking players.

Haymaker
25-11-2019, 03:31 AM
Mowbray should be disqualified from this competition for being unable to spot a decent ****in keeper:greengrin

True.


I remember seeing something on Sky Sports I think, where Mowbray talked about how he had this old boy run the rule over players. They interviewed the fella, he was like 80+ but Mowbray took his word on players.

Hibbyradge
25-11-2019, 04:11 AM
What?

I recall many of the numpties that McLeish signed. It is true that he did sign some cracking players but he was given a massive budget by comparison with many other Hibs managers. It was almost a ‘revolving door’ style of recruitment.

For every Mixu and Latapy there was a Peter Guggi.

There was Franck Sauzee.

He mitigates any signing that didn't work out.

heretoday
25-11-2019, 05:34 AM
Mcleish elevated us to a new level with his signings.
Players like that wouldn't come anywhere near Hibs now sadly.

calumhibee1
25-11-2019, 06:12 AM
Mowbray or Stubbs for me.

BILLYHIBS
25-11-2019, 08:59 AM
Heckingbottom

Doidge Vela Maxwell Jackson Newall James Naismith and Hallberg

Mark my words

Close the thread

Joking apart I reckon Jack Ross will have been told to try and work with these guys develop them and turn them into players

Everyone starts with a clean slate

Never say never

Already Hallberg is well on the road to being a fans favourite

Baader
25-11-2019, 12:42 PM
Probably Stubbs. Inherited a mess and had to attract these guys to the Championship. Made some great signings and guys who brought a swagger back.

McLeish made lots of signings, some very good ones for us but as other have said he had a big budget by normal Scottish standards. I always feel with McLeish the quality of player coming in was beginning to drop in his last year. Moving on the likes of Lovell was a mistake. He did not leave us with a strong squad in my opinion.