The near post !!!

[NAE NOOKIE]

Something mentioned on the 'this is how it feels' thread that really needs some attention.

Not just since Maloney took over but all through Jack Ross's time in game after game after game when Hibs have gotten round the back to put a cross in no Hibs players make a run to the near post. Yesterday I absolutely lost the plot at Cadden as for the umpteenth time he hit a low ball towards the near post where it was easily cleared by the St Mirren defence without a Hibs player to be seen.

My anger at Cadden was because when you play in game after game with this team exactly how long does it take to dawn on you that you might as well just turn round and kick the ball back up the park yourself as hit it towards the near post and yet he does it continually.

But at the end of the day the real question is WTF are they teaching at East Mains? It is absolutely basic that when you have the ball out wide someone should be making a run to the near post, the last player I can recall doing it was Ryan Porteous a few games back and he nearly scored. FFS my pals kid played for the Hibs under 14s or whatever it was about 20 years ago and I went to some of his training sessions, the get a guy to the near post was one of the drills they had them repeating over and over, that's how sodding basic it is.

No wonder we are having such a bother scoring from open play ... even if the forward at the near post doesn't get the ball at least he makes it more difficult for the defenders, yesterday and in game after game in the last few seasons opposition defenders are smoking cigars as the lump near post balls up the park under absolutely no pressure !!!

[Skol]

This annoys me as well. Our strikers are always caught on their heels rather than anticipating and putting a run into the right area.

[Coco Bryce]

No point having fast wingers bursting down the wings when our strikers are slower than a weekend in the cells trying to get into the box.

[Winston Ingram]

Nisbet doesn’t make any runs. Just meanders into the box in a straight line every time

[munchar]

Something mentioned on the 'this is how it feels' thread that really needs some attention.

Not just since Maloney took over but all through Jack Ross's time in game after game after game when Hibs have gotten round the back to put a cross in no Hibs players make a run to the near post. Yesterday I absolutely lost the plot at Cadden as for the umpteenth time he hit a low ball towards the near post where it was easily cleared by the St Mirren defence without a Hibs player to be seen.

My anger at Cadden was because when you play in game after game with this team exactly how long does it take to dawn on you that you might as well just turn round and kick the ball back up the park yourself as hit it towards the near post and yet he does it continually.

But at the end of the day the real question is WTF are they teaching at East Mains? It is absolutely basic that when you have the ball out wide someone should be making a run to the near post, the last player I can recall doing it was Ryan Porteous a few games back and he nearly scored. FFS my pals kid played for the Hibs under 14s or whatever it was about 20 years ago and I went to some of his training sessions, the get a guy to the near post was one of the drills they had them repeating over and over, that's how sodding basic it is.

No wonder we are having such a bother scoring from open play ... even if the forward at the near post doesn't get the ball at least he makes it more difficult for the defenders, yesterday and in game after game in the last few seasons opposition defenders are smoking cigars as the lump near post balls up the park under absolutely no pressure !!!

This seems to be a team problem. As you said, surely these things get worked on at training. If I’m playing with wingbacks & that’s my main source off attack, i would have more than a near post cross as an option. The biggest problem just now is that there’s nobody busting a gut to get into the box. If our own players don’t know what their doing from their attacks, we have no advantage over our opponents. There should be numerous options for Cadden when he’s delivering. Near post run, back post, Doidge in the air, cut back into areas, 6/12/18 yards. When you know your team mates are making these runs, you can put the ball into these areas, & you should create a few good opportunities. It looks like we’re just hitting the byline & hammering a ball across goal hopefully.

[SlickShoes]

None of our strikers are really ever beating defenders to the ball while attacking in the box, lots of decent balls going in at the weekend but no one on the end of them. Which makes them not decent balls I guess if they are to no one, it's like the midfield and the strikers are playing a different set of tactics.

[wookie70]

Jamie MacLaren was the last player that done it regularly with Jason Cummings before that. Bothe would score 10 a season just from near post runs alone with the balls getting whipped in. As said before it is an absolute basic. Another that could be added to the list is men on posts at corners. I know it isn't fashionable but all 11 players back and both posts with nobody on them. Most of the time I think coaches complicating football makes teams worse. When Goodwin talked about traps after Saturdays games I get the feeling it was nothing more complicated that let them get used to having a bit of time and then every now and then press. I've never understood players like Doidge who constantly make runs to the back of defenders. Looking back at his successful season I reckon more than half his goal came from running to the ball side of the defender. This year he looks like he is trying to get away from the ball

[WeeRussell]

Nisbet doesn’t make any runs. Just meanders into the box in a straight line every time

Here was me thinking you’re a big fan of our Kev.

[Winston Ingram]

Here was me thinking you’re a big fan of our Kev.

If he contributed something, I would be.

[JammyDoidger]

When you play with one central striker he should always be looking to hit the front post with the winger hitting the back post. Nisbet is hopeless at this and instead just lurks about hoping it'll fall to him, surely they should all know what to do by now, we get in the positions enough. It really is schoolboy stuff.

[Stubbsy90+2]

Someone like Cummings would thrive playing in this team. The amount of goals he used to score from getting across his man and in at the front post he’d have scored a good few for us since Maloney came in.

[Jones28]

I've said this before, but Caddens deliveries across the front post are dynamite. Strikers need be hitting that area. Nisbet dropping so deep to pick the ball up is **** all good when Cadden gets in the positions he gets in to. Hopefully Melkerson or Jasper can offer something like that.

[Shrekko]

I've said this before, but Caddens deliveries across the front post are dynamite. Strikers need be hitting that area.

I agree- I don't think anyone can argue that the balls are played into the correct area almost every time and I wouldn't criticise him for not lifting his head either... the strikers should now know exactly where they need to be. Cadden is currently our best player by a fair bit.

[Stubbsy90+2]

I agree- I don't think anyone can argue that the balls are played into the correct area almost every time and I wouldn't criticise him for not lifting his head either... the strikers should now know exactly where they need to be. Cadden is currently our best player by a fair bit.

Especially when he does it time and time again.

We all know where his crosses are going, why the forwards don’t make the run is beyond me.

[Waxy]

Wonder if our two main strikers are bottom of the SPFL scoring table.

[superfurryhibby]

Especially when he does it time and time again.

We all know where his crosses are going, why the forwards don’t make the run is beyond me.

I'm a bit confused. My sense of Cadden's cross balls are long raking crosses aimed from distance towards the back post. I rarely recall him getting past a man and sending in a front post ball.

[SlickShoes]

I'm a bit confused. My sense of Cadden's cross balls are long raking crosses aimed from distance towards the back post. I rarely recall him getting past a man and sending in a front post ball.

He put in at least 2 or 3 on Saturday that went directly across the face of goal

[Unseen work]

Wonder if our two main strikers are bottom of the SPFL scoring table.


According to BBC and transfer market ;

Boyle is 9th place on 7 goals and Nisbet 15th place on 5 goals. After that you have Doidge, Cadden, Murphy, Porteous and Magennis on 2.


Assists wise Boyle is our highest with 3 putting him in 18th place.

Grim reading.

[superfurryhibby]

He put in at least 2 or 3 on Saturday that went directly across the face of goal

I wasn't at the game, but I did watch the first 60 mins or so.

Generally speaking, he doesn't really go past a man. He runs about plenty and clearly has fantastic stamina, but my overall impression is a that he tends to cross the ball early and goes deep with his efforts.

[ancient hibee]

:flag:

Especially when he does it time and time again.

We all know where his crosses are going, why the forwards don’t make the run is beyond me.

Presumably if we all know defenders do as well:greengrin

[Hibiza]

No point having fast wingers bursting down the wings when our strikers are slower than a weekend in the cells trying to get into the box.

Spot on Coco.

[Smartie]

I'm a bit confused. My sense of Cadden's cross balls are long raking crosses aimed from distance towards the back post. I rarely recall him getting past a man and sending in a front post ball.

They vary, depending on the situation.

I've seen a lot comments that he needs to get his head up. If he's got the ball in enough space, he gets his head up. If he's got to beat a man at pace first, he hits it into dangerous areas. It's not always possible to get the head up.

One constant is that are that there are what look like dangerous balls going into the opposition box with reasonable regularity. The other is that we seldom have anybody looking remotely interested in getting on the end of them.

Doidge is decent at attacking floaty ones in the air. Mitchell scored from one by nipping in at the back post against Livingston. IIRC Doig got a right foot volley away just before half time against Cove.

Nisbet has played up front constantly throughout the run, got a goal against Cove, but has never really even looked close to getting on the end of anything from Cadden.

[GibbytheHibby2]

FFS my pals kid played for the Hibs under 14s or whatever it was about 20 years ago and I went to some of his training sessions, the get a guy to the near post was one of the drills they had them repeating over and over, that's how sodding basic it is. !!!

It’s much more basic than Hibs U14s. it’s one of the very first drills they teach to any football coach on the SFA community courses at 11a-side level.