The league cup

[NAE NOOKIE]

After tonight's performance it's absolutely clear that we are poorly placed to challenge Aberdeen for 3rd place. Aberdeen win games like that one and that's why they will finish 3rd and we wont.

IMO that makes the League Cup the difference between what could be a really good season and an average one. If we were to win it and finish 4th that would make this one of our better seasons, hell lets face it any season where this club wins a trophy is a great one, never mind a good one. I have to say that if tonight's effort is anything to go by I for one do not think we have any more chance of winning it than the other 3 clubs still involved.

When you consider those three clubs are St Johnston, St Mirren and Livingston it probably puts into perspective how far this club has to go before it puts a team on the park capable of challenging for 3rd place on a regular basis. St Johnston have by far the worst form of the 4 teams left and I still can't for the life of me see it as any more than a 50/50 shot.

[matty_f]

Aberdeen have dropped points to Motherwell, St Mirren and Hamilton recently, and were knocked out the cup by St Mirren. They’re just as capable of a result like this as we are.

[Smartie]

Aberdeen have dropped points to Motherwell, St Mirren and Hamilton recently, and were knocked out the cup by St Mirren. They’re just as capable of a result like this as we are.

I think Aberdeen are as capable of plucking the odd awful result up as we are but I don't fancy us to get anything head to head with them - nor do I fancy us to pick up anything from Rangers or Celtic.

They're a good bit better than us imo. We sit in a funny place - miles behind the OF, a good bit behind Aberdeen but probably quite comfortably ahead of 5th. This season anyway.

The LC is still huge. We'd obviously always want to be finding ourselves in the last 4 of cup competitions without the OF but I still think it's a big ask for us to win it. When it comes to one-off games I don't think there's much between the sides, and I'm not sure if I fancy this Hibs side to perform under the pressure of being favourites.

Over a season I think we'd come out the strongest of the 4 teams but I'm concerned about our ability to turn it on when it matters.

[NAE NOOKIE]

Aberdeen have dropped points to Motherwell, St Mirren and Hamilton recently, and were knocked out the cup by St Mirren. They’re just as capable of a result like this as we are.

Yes they are, but by and large they avoid them more than their rivals for 3rd over the course of a season and have been doing so more often than not for years, in the last 7 seasons they haven't finished outside of the top 4 and it's not because of a devastatingly good record against Celtic and / or Sevco.

But my post is more a musing about our chances in the League Cup .... This should be a great chance to lift a trophy when you look at the 3 other clubs left, I just wish I could be more optimistic about our chances than I am after tonight's game. It was massively important that we took 3 points from it and we didn't even come close, that for me does not equate to being a good cup team.

[Yorkshire HFC]

There really is no black or white, is there?

After the Rangers game, from reading on here, and we're favourites for 3rd place - after the next game, it's no chance - really?

Is Nisbett worth £10m and going to the Euros, or should we just get rid and replace him with an aging mid 30s striker playing out his days until he finishes?

A couple of weeks ago, Ross was apparently being lined up for the Celtic job - and now he's not good enough for Hibs?

The internet really is a harsh mistress.

Getting beaten by Ross County is disappointing - but that's sport - I seem to remember leaving Hampden after a defeat by them, which was a lot worse, and yet it ended up alright.

I hope none of the new Board members are the kind that make knee jerk reactions after each game. For me, this season doesn't count - it's just a series of friendlies. I'll give the players the benefit of the doubt and judge them when fans are back in the stadiums.

[flash]

I think Aberdeen are as capable of plucking the odd awful result up as we are but I don't fancy us to get anything head to head with them - nor do I fancy us to pick up anything from Rangers or Celtic.

They're a good bit better than us imo. We sit in a funny place - miles behind the OF, a good bit behind Aberdeen but probably quite comfortably ahead of 5th. This season anyway.

The LC is still huge. We'd obviously always want to be finding ourselves in the last 4 of cup competitions without the OF but I still think it's a big ask for us to win it. When it comes to one-off games I don't think there's much between the sides, and I'm not sure if I fancy this Hibs side to perform under the pressure of being favourites.

Over a season I think we'd come out the strongest of the 4 teams but I'm concerned about our ability to turn it on when it matters.
As to your first paragraph is that the Rangers and Celtic we have already taken points from?

[Sir David Gray]

Last night was a timely reminder that we certainly aren't likely to skoosh the League Cup and win it easily.

I remain hopeful that we'll still win it but it's certainly not in the bag and we'll need to work hard in the semi and (hopefully) the final if we're to win it.

[Gmack7]

Thankfully neither the semi or final will be played at ER. And hopefully we have Murphy Mallan Magennis and Allan to pick from. Bringing on Stevenson and Steven McGinn when we were chasing the game said all you need to know about our squad right now

[SMAXXA]

After tonight's performance it's absolutely clear that we are poorly placed to challenge Aberdeen for 3rd place. Aberdeen win games like that one and that's why they will finish 3rd and we wont.

IMO that makes the League Cup the difference between what could be a really good season and an average one. If we were to win it and finish 4th that would make this one of our better seasons, hell lets face it any season where this club wins a trophy is a great one, never mind a good one. I have to say that if tonight's effort is anything to go by I for one do not think we have any more chance of winning it than the other 3 clubs still involved.

When you consider those three clubs are St Johnston, St Mirren and Livingston it probably puts into perspective how far this club has to go before it puts a team on the park capable of challenging for 3rd place on a regular basis. St Johnston have by far the worst form of the 4 teams left and I still can't for the life of me see it as any more than a 50/50 shot.

I disagree, why would finishing 4th in the league be seen as an average season regardless of a cup win or not?

[MB62]

I disagree, why would finishing 4th in the league be seen as an average season regardless of a cup win or not?

I'll tell you this, another performance like last night's and I will not be going to Hampden for the semi-final 😉😁

[NAE NOOKIE]

I disagree, why would finishing 4th in the league be seen as an average season regardless of a cup win or not?

Because 4th is a minimum requirement for this club, we are better off in every way compared to our competitors for 3rd apart from Aberdeen and arguably Hearts financially ... we have better crowds, we are better financed, we have better infrastructure both in stadium and training centre, better than Aberdeen, at least on a par with Hearts in their rented facility and certainly better than any of the rest.

If 4th is to be celebrated as a better than average season its because of decades of under achievement, not because we are a club rising above itself to do it. For that reason and given the stated ambitions of the club over those decades that it wants to fulfill its potential 4th should be an expectation, not an achievement.

We are arguably the 4th biggest club in Scotland ( some would even say the third ) and without doubt the 5th biggest .... our league record since the early 70s is way way below the level a club of this size should have expected to achieve, in 40 top league seasons since 75/76 which would be my first season attending games regularly we have finished 3rd four times ... that's once every 10 top league seasons. We have been 4th four times.

So we haven't even managed a top 4 finish in 10 out of the last 40 seasons we have been a premiership club. That's an appalling record for a club of our size and IMO it's conditioned the folk who support Hibs into thinking 4th is a good season, when in actual fact it should be the minimum we expect.

[Smartie]

As to your first paragraph is that the Rangers and Celtic we have already taken points from?

:greengrin Fair point.

I was just trying to back up my assertion that I think Aberdeen are a decent bit better than us.

We've looked a decent bit behind them during the head to heads. I'd fancy them to pick up more points from Rangers and Celtic over the course of a season than us (even if that's not the case so far this season). They'll drop the odd points to weaker teams just like we will, but probably not as often as us.

[flash]

:greengrin Fair point.

I was just trying to back up my assertion that I think Aberdeen are a decent bit better than us.

We've looked a decent bit behind them during the head to heads. I'd fancy them to pick up more points from Rangers and Celtic over the course of a season than us (even if that's not the case so far this season). They'll drop the odd points to weaker teams just like we will, but probably not as often as us.

I think you are probably right that they will finish above us purely on the head to heads between us.

[Inconsequential]

There really is no black or white, is there?

After the Rangers game, from reading on here, and we're favourites for 3rd place - after the next game, it's no chance - really?

Is Nisbett worth £10m and going to the Euros, or should we just get rid and replace him with an aging mid 30s striker playing out his days until he finishes?

A couple of weeks ago, Ross was apparently being lined up for the Celtic job - and now he's not good enough for Hibs?

The internet really is a harsh mistress.

Getting beaten by Ross County is disappointing - but that's sport - I seem to remember leaving Hampden after a defeat by them, which was a lot worse, and yet it ended up alright.

I hope none of the new Board members are the kind that make knee jerk reactions after each game. For me, this season doesn't count - it's just a series of friendlies. I'll give the players the benefit of the doubt and judge them when fans are back in the stadiums. Being rational on Hibs.net is not permitted. Reported. :wink: