The sad thing is that Livi EXPECT to beat us

[He's here!]

New manager, same old script. Tricky trip to Livi in the wake of a confidence-boosting result. A chance to capitalise and show our mettle? No, yet another letdown against a side we now lose to more often than not. It's pathetic.

Also alarming to see how much Boyle carries us. We had become a one-man team with him previously and were lifeless until he came on today.

[Pagan Hibernia]

To be honest, in that ghastly season last year most teams expected to beat us.

today was a kick in the teeth. Could easily have won, paid for a calamitous first half performance, bad finishing and some dreadful defending

[Hibernia&Alba]

On the way home. I've seen us lose there a number times now. I don't know what the head-to-head record is, but in recent years we've lost several times at Livi.

[Since452]

I said it earlier but I felt less confident about today's game than the previous two. Every more so when I realised Rocky was out.

[Unseen work]

Yeah no real surprise.

I’d actually be really interested to see what Martindale could achieve at a bigger club.

[Alfred E Newman]

Maybe Martindale was the obvious choice to replace Ross despite the baggage he carries.

[The Harp Awakes]

Yeah no real surprise.

I’d actually be really interested to see what Martindale could achieve at a bigger club.

Martindale runs the entire show at Livi. He couldn't do that at a bigger club. Who knows but I think his level is Livi - low expectations and consistently overachieves.

[Wheat Hound]

Lost the last 4 games Vs Livi with 4 different Hibs managers in charge...

[Jones28]

Their pitch is such a leveller. It’s ridiculous that is allowed in professional football. You heard Johnson say yesterday we had to have two game plans depending on if they’d watered the pitch or not. How can that be allowed?

[matty_f]

Pathetic first half today. Some improvement in the second half when we at least showed some fight, but if Johnson can’t get his around setting us against sides who won’t let us play and who are physically stronger then we’re in trouble.

The biggest worry for me was the complete lack of fight and desire in the first half. Second to everything, Livi worked their way to the win.

[He's here!]

Martindale runs the entire show at Livi. He couldn't do that at a bigger club. Who knows but I think his level is Livi - low expectations and consistently overachieves.

Livi's 'level' is currently higher than ours. They're quite simply a better team and have been for a while. They've turned us over at ER a few times recently too.

It's an embarrassing state of affairs.

[Paulie Walnuts]

Their pitch is such a leveller. It’s ridiculous that is allowed in professional football. You heard Johnson say yesterday we had to have two game plans depending on if they’d watered the pitch or not. How can that be allowed?

To be fair we could do the same with our pitch. We can cut it, not cut it, water it or not water it depending on who we’re playing.

It could go from being long and dry against Celtic to short and wet against St Johnstone.

[Pagan Hibernia]

Lost the last 4 games Vs Livi with 4 different Hibs managers in charge...

that’s an incredible stat

[Pagan Hibernia]

Their pitch is such a leveller. It’s ridiculous that is allowed in professional football. You heard Johnson say yesterday we had to have two game plans depending on if they’d watered the pitch or not. How can that be allowed?

He must have used the wrong one

[Pretty Boy]

I've been disappointed going to Livi since we took about 6K through a few days after the Athens games and promptly lost 1-0.

It's not a happy hunting ground for us so today's result was no real surprise. We're not a great side and with that pitch and a plucky opposition getting a result was always a tall order.

[Hibernia&Alba]

Lost the last 4 games Vs Livi with 4 different Hibs managers in charge...

What a mess. That's just terrible on two levels - results and manager turnover.

[Alfred E Newman]

I've been disappointed going to Livi since we took about 6K through a few days after the Athens games and promptly lost 1-0.

It's not a happy hunting ground for us so today's result was no real surprise. We're not a great side and with that pitch and a plucky opposition getting a result was always a tall order.

When it’s a tall order getting a result against Livingston maybe it’s time to throw in the towel.

[TAHibby]

On the way home. I've seen us lose there a number times now. I don't know what the head-to-head record is, but in recent years we've lost several times at Livi.

Worse than one would ever imagine

Hibs 14 wins
Livi 22 wins

[H18 SFR]

Four consecutive games with four different managers in our dug out and they’ve deserved every win.

[Jim44]

Why shouldn’t Livingston expect to beat us? They do it regularly these days. They finished above us last season, they are better organised and have more desire to win. It’s a bit of a cheek for us to look down down our noses at them and it’s about time folk realised that we are a very ordinary middle of the table team. I was surprised to see that the bookies had us favourites to win today.

[NC1875]

As long as we have guys like Hanlon, Newell and Doidge on the pitch, Livi will beat us time and time again.

Spine of the team is terrible, yet people tell us they’re all good players. Not for me. And we’ll fail miserably until something is done about it

[cabbageandribs1875]

but the pitch
the pitch

[Hibernia&Alba]

Worse than one would ever imagine

Hibs 14 wins
Livi 22 wins

That doesn't even surprise me. It feels about right.

[Pretty Boy]

When it’s a tall order getting a result against Livingston maybe it’s time to throw in the towel.

I don't like it but I think it's a realistic assessment of where we are.

An unbalanced squad that is less than the sum of it's parts. Trips to Livi, Ross County, Motherwell, St Mirren and the like are all going to be slogs this season.

[BT58]

Havent we invested in a plastic pitch at East Mains so that were used to playing on plastic ??
Stats are absolutely horrific reading.

[JohnM1875]

but the pitch
the pitch

That pitch should be nowhere near a professional league. It's an absolute shambles and crazy to suggest it isn't an advantage to them.

[cabbageandribs1875]

That pitch should be nowhere near a professional league. It's an absolute shambles and crazy to suggest it isn't an advantage to them.


so when we play livi on real grass we should beat them, because then we have the advantage ? or are their players just good enough to adjust to different surfaces, Livingston won on grass two weeks ago at tannadice, the livingston surface didn't help them v Sevco, or did Sevco just simply have better players ?

[JohnM1875]

so when we play livi on real grass we should beat them, because then we have the advantage ? or are their players just good enough to adjust to different surfaces, Livingston won on grass two weeks ago at tannadice, the livingston surface didn't help them v Sevco, or did Sevco just simply have better players ?

Their pitch absolutely did help them against the huns. It was a close game and I bet huns take three or four off them at Ibrox. We were absolutely brutal first half today but I won't believe for a second that their awful pitch doesn't benefit them.

I also don't think Livi are a bad team by the way so don't mean any disrespect in that regard, just think that pitch is up there with one of the worst you'll see in any decent top league in Europe.

[chrisski33]

Aye lets blame the pitch for noy being able to beat livi! Need to look at ourselves tbh

[Feed McGraw]

Another sad thing is that Hibs rarely play two good halves in a match, quite often one but rarely two!

[GreenCastle]

Worse than one would ever imagine

Hibs 14 wins
Livi 22 wins

Awful record.

[JohnM1875]

Aye lets blame the pitch for noy being able to beat livi! Need to look at ourselves tbh

I'm not solely blaming the pitch. We were an embarrassment first half. Anyone watching that couldn't argue otherwise.

[Paulie Walnuts]

Their pitch absolutely did help them against the huns. It was a close game and I bet huns take three or four off them at Ibrox. We were absolutely brutal first half today but I won't believe for a second that their awful pitch doesn't benefit them.

I also don't think Livi are a bad team by the way so don't mean any disrespect in that regard, just think that pitch is up there with one of the worst you'll see in any decent top league in Europe.

Rangers beat them 1-0 at Ibrox last season so I’m not sure why it’s so likely they’ll win by 3 or 4 this time round.

Livi do a better job of adapting to the surfaces they’re playing on. It’s that simple.

It’s been the same story for years now with Hibs. The minute we face any sort of adversity we struggle big time, whether that’s pitch, style of play, coming up against a big guy up top etc.

We’ve watched us collapse twice against St Johnstone at Hampden because they didn’t let us have it all our own way. We collapse every time we go to Livi because we don’t get it all our own way.

If things are ticking along nicely then we’ll do ok. The minute someone does something to us that we don’t like, such as have the audacity to have a different pitch from us, we fold like a house of cards. We’ve used it as an excuse at Tynie for years as well.

[Hibernia&Alba]

Awful record.

Against a 'new' club it certainly is, but what do we expect with Hibs? We are always bearing gifts for opponents.

[LoaningCrHibbie]

Awful record.

It's actually ...

23 wins for Hibs

14 for Livingston

6 draws

according to Soccerbase

[Hibernia&Alba]

It's actually ...

23 wins for Hibs

14 for Livingston

6 draws

according to Soccerbase

I will take those stats instead :greengrin

Alternative facts to ease the pain.

[Alfred E Newman]

It's actually ...

23 wins for Hibs

14 for Livingston

6 draws

according to Soccerbase

26 wins actually.

[He's here!]

Why shouldn’t Livingston expect to beat us? They do it regularly these days. They finished above us last season, they are better organised and have more desire to win. It’s a bit of a cheek for us to look down down our noses at them and it’s about time folk realised that we are a very ordinary middle of the table team. I was surprised to see that the bookies had us favourites to win today.

I'm mot saying they SHOULDN'T expect to beat us. They absolutely should given, as you say, that they do it regularly.

The reason I'm saying it's sad is because it sums up where we are as a club. Well resourced with a fan base many times that of Livi's yet we carry zero fear factor with us and do next to nothing to justify our status as a supposed 'big' club.

What is the point of digging deep in the derby only to turn in that first half display today? Livi don't think uh-oh here come those big city heavyweights with their intimidating support. Tough game ahead. They think here come those softies who can't handle us.

Sea change of attitude required at Hibs, but I just don't think we have it in us.

[Stonewall]

I'm not solely blaming the pitch. We were an embarrassment first half. Anyone watching that couldn't argue otherwise.

I know, but how is it possible to have an artificial pitch where the ball bobbles?

[LoaningCrHibbie]

26 wins actually.

Great and I stand corrected; but what's your source ?

[Alfred E Newman]

Great and I stand corrected; but what's your source ?

Fitbastats

[LoaningCrHibbie]

Fitbastats

Cheers