The biggest team selection of Lee Johnson's entire career

[Springbank]

Thursday, 3 August
Easter Road, Edinburgh

Lee Johnson's career will be in tatters this time next week if he picks another feckless lineup & crashes out in the most embarrassing European exit by any Scottish club

He didn't realise it today.

I hope he realises it now.

You become quickly unemployable in this game (ask Liam Fox of Dundee Utd who even beat Alkmaar in his first leg game in 2022)

First names to put on the bench, and away from the starting xi
Rocky
Marshall
Stevenson (sorry Lewis)
Doyle Hayes
Le Fondre

Pick those guys & join Liam Fox in the job queue. Just don't expect too many calls...

[Potty78]

Thursday, 3 August
Easter Road, Edinburgh

Lee Johnson's career will be in tatters this time next week if he picks another feckless lineup & crashes out in the most embarrassing European exit by any Scottish club

He didn't realise it today.

I hope he realises it now.

You become quickly unemployable in this game (ask Liam Fox of Dundee Utd who even beat Alkmaar in his first leg game in 2022)

First names to put on the bench, and away from the starting xi
Rocky
Marshall
Stevenson (sorry Lewis)
Doyle Hayes
Le Fondre

Pick those guys & join Liam Fox in the job queue. Just don't expect too many calls...

Jack Ross was in charge but I know what u mean👍

[Johnny_Leith]

Do you mean Jack Ross?

[B.H.F.C]

I don’t think it makes much difference to LJ in terms of his job.

Even if we got knocked out next week (which we won’t) we wouldn’t sack himself

But for the sake of us, rather than him, he needs to pick the right team. Tonight has to be the end of Marshall being our number one. And having signed two centre halves, Rocky needs to take his place as fourth choice.

Stevenson will probably play as Obita will probably still won’t be fit.

[Diclonius]

Wollacott

Miller Fish Hanlon Stevenson

Jeggo

Campbell Newell

Levitt

Boyle Youan

[sauzeelegod]

I’d like a 4231

Wallacott

Miller
Fish
Hanlon
Obita

Levitt
Newell

Boyle
Campbell
Youan

Alf

[Unseen work]

I have a feeling he’ll change it it up quite a bit

………………………Wollacott……….

Miller…….Fish………………..Hanlon…..Stevenson……

………………………..Levitt……..

……………JDH…………………Newell……..

Youan……………………………………….Obita…..

………………………….ALF……….

Unless he goes for it with 2 up top, Youan and Obita wide and takes out one of the centre mids

[B.H.F.C]

For his faults, I thought we were poorer without Jeggo. We were all over the place and I thought he helped with that side of stuff last season.

Wollacott

Miller
Fish
Hanlon
Stevenson (unless Obita is fit)

Jeggo
Newell
Levitt if fitness has improved but Campbell if not.

Boyle (if he passes these physical tests LJ has mentioned he needs to start).
Doidge (can’t believe I’m typing this)
Youan

[Tyler Durden]

For his faults, I thought we were poorer without Jeggo. We were all over the place and I thought he helped with that side of stuff last season.

Wollacott

Miller
Fish
Hanlon
Stevenson (unless Obita is fit)

Jeggo
Newell
Levitt if fitness has improved but Campbell if not.

Boyle (if he passes these physical tests LJ has mentioned he needs to start).
Doidge (can’t believe I’m typing this)
Youan

Agree with all this

Jeggo at least knows his job. His passing isn’t great but he gives us balance and gives full backs and other midfielders bit more license to attack. The sooner we move Levitt out of that deep role the better. It’s a matter of time.

[matty_f]

He needs to realise that if he wants the players to lose the complacency that they showed today, he needs to lose it from his team selection.

No room for players out of position (Melkersen), for players who aren't ready (Levitt), who have cost us too many goals previously (Marshall) and no room on the bench for cheerleaders (Boyle).

There's no room for playing Rocky and leaving the guy signed to play in that position on the bench.

If Johnson, by his actions, doesn't show the correct attitude when picking the team next week, he'll get another performance like that.

[overdrive]

Wollacott

Miller
Fish
Harbottle
Obita (MacIntyre if he’s not fit)

Campbell (purely for his goal threat)
Jeggo
Newell

Boyle (Mackay if he’s not fit)
Doidge (for lack of a better option)
Youan

[Since452]

Boyle needs to play.

[7Hero]

Its a tragic state of affairs and a sad indictment of the way the footballing department has been run that he has got this far..

[GloryGlory]

He needs to realise that if he wants the players to lose the complacency that they showed today, he needs to lose it from his team selection.

No room for players out of position (Melkersen), for players who aren't ready (Levitt), who have cost us too many goals previously (Marshall) and no room on the bench for cheerleaders (Boyle).

There's no room for playing Rocky and leaving the guy signed to play in that position on the bench.

If Johnson, by his actions, doesn't show the correct attitude when picking the team next week, he'll get another performance like that.

Is it true that Johnson said to the fans who were giving him and the team pelters at the end "calm down, it's pre season"? If so that's shocking complacency from the management - it's not pre season, it's our first competitive game in a European tie. The manager and the players should have been ready for that - not treating it as a pre season jolly in the sunshine.

[flash]

Is it true that Johnson said to the fans who were giving him and the team pelters at the end "calm down, it's pre season"? If so that's shocking complacency from the management - it's not pre season, it's our first competitive game in a European tie. The manager and the players should have been ready for that - not treating it as a pre season jolly in the sunshine.

Probably not.

[LaMotta]

He needs to realise that if he wants the players to lose the complacency that they showed today, he needs to lose it from his team selection.

No room for players out of position (Melkersen), for players who aren't ready (Levitt), who have cost us too many goals previously (Marshall) and no room on the bench for cheerleaders (Boyle).

There's no room for playing Rocky and leaving the guy signed to play in that position on the bench.

If Johnson, by his actions, doesn't show the correct attitude when picking the team next week, he'll get another performance like that.

Agree with all that, however Harbottle is a LCB so more likely to be signed to play in Hanlon's position. Fish must be back in on Saturday and next week to replace Rocky.

[GreenNWhiteArmy]

Doubt he'll see it as his biggest game tbh, or even care if its his last for us

Wollacott

Megwa/Miller (Toss of a coin tbh)
Fish
Hanlon
Stevenson

Campbell
Newell

Levitt (further forward)

Boyle
ALF/Doidge (see Megwa/Miller)
Youan

[Alvin]

Will Fish be eligible?


Doubt he'll see it as his biggest game tbh, or even care if its his last for us

Wollacott

Megwa/Miller (Toss of a coin tbh)
Fish
Hanlon
Stevenson

Campbell
Newell

Levitt (further forward)

Boyle
ALF/Doidge (see Megwa/Miller)
Youan

[Jones28]

Doubt he'll see it as his biggest game tbh, or even care if its his last for us

Wollacott

Megwa/Miller (Toss of a coin tbh)
Fish
Hanlon
Stevenson

Campbell
Newell

Levitt (further forward)

Boyle
ALF/Doidge (see Megwa/Miller)
Youan

Why on earth would he view a game that could well cost him his job as inconsequential?

[LaMotta]

Will Fish be eligible?

Yes was registered in time.

[Allant1981]

I'd change it completely next week

Wollacott
Miller
Fish
Harbottle
Mcintyre
Jeggo
Newell
Levitt
Boyle
Youan
Mackay

[Smartie]

I’m now really worried about this game. We were absolutely atrocious up to a spirited last 5 minutes yesterday and we’ve got to try to do better with pretty much exactly the same players.

Positives - we’re at home, the pitch is bigger. Some players may well have proven that they’re not to be trusted under any circumstances.

The ALF / Melkerson part of our attack is weak as piss. There’s just not going to be an attacking threat from those players for 90 minutes, their defenders will be in dreamland if they line up against them again. This will sound like I’m making excuses but it makes the job for the central midfielders much harder when the players around them are so poor. I’d be amazed if Boyle was able to go from vibes man to starter in the space of a week.

So I’d be tempted to drop Marshall and bring in Wollacott, drop Rocky and bring in Fish, bring Newell in for Campbell, bring McKay and Doidge in for ALF and Melkersen and go with that.

But I’m sorry to say, even with all that I’m not sure we have what it takes to improve sufficiently from the first leg to be confident in this one as we’re going to still be trusting too many players / combinations of players deemed not good enough to play for us to get the goals we need so badly.

[GreenNWhiteArmy]

Why on earth would he view a game that could well cost him his job as inconsequential?

Decent pay off and get a gig down south somewhere in league 1 or 2 midway through the season?

[overdrive]

I’m now really worried about this game. We were absolutely atrocious up to a spirited last 5 minutes yesterday and we’ve got to try to do better with pretty much exactly the same players.

Positives - we’re at home, the pitch is bigger. Some players may well have proven that they’re not to be trusted under any circumstances.

The ALF / Melkerson part of our attack is weak as piss. There’s just not going to be an attacking threat from those players for 90 minutes, their defenders will be in dreamland if they line up against them again. This will sound like I’m making excuses but it makes the job for the central midfielders much harder when the players around them are so poor. I’d be amazed if Boyle was able to go from vibes man to starter in the space of a week.

So I’d be tempted to drop Marshall and bring in Wollacott, drop Rocky and bring in Fish, bring Newell in for Campbell, bring McKay and Doidge in for ALF and Melkersen and go with that.

But I’m sorry to say, even with all that I’m not sure we have what it takes to improve sufficiently from the first leg to be confident in this one as we’re going to still be trusting too many players / combinations of players deemed not good enough to play for us to get the goals we need so badly.

Yep I’m not as confident as most folk seem to be either. We showed very little yesterday. As you say, the home advantage and pitch size are the only positives and I just don’t trust the manager, coaching staff and the majority of the players to dig us out of this. I don’t trust the manager to even realise how important this game is.

Most people were confident we would steam roll Inter yesterday. We didn’t. I’m not sure what makes people confident we can do it next week.

[overdrive]

I know I'm one of the ones who has said Will Fish is registered to play next week but I started to get a doubt in my mind about it - mainly as to why he was added to the list of players on the UEFA website yesterday. I was thinking:

(a) surely there is a deadline to name a squad that is more than the day of the game,
(b) if we did register him last week, why did his name not appear on that list - surely UEFA wouldn't just take him off the submitted list because Hibs and Man Utd wanted it kept a secret until yesterday,
(c) there was that B list that related to players under 21 that was published later - he's under 21 so maybe that's how we are registering him

Here's what I found - and spoiler alert I think he's good to play:

Points (a) and (b) above: there is indeed a deadline and it was the 21st for the whole of this round. So did we register him with UEFA last week then? Doubtful as his name would have appeared on that list. Again, I really doubt UEFA would play ball with us/Man Utd keeping it a secret.

Point (c): Nope, he doesn't qualify under that either. "A player may be registered on List B if he is born on or after 1 January 2002 and since his 15th birthday has been eligible to play for the club concerned for any uninterrupted period of two years, or a total of three consecutive years with a maximum of one loan period to a club from the same association for a period not longer than one year."

How can he be registered for next week? According to the Regulations of the competition: "For the qualifying phase and the play-offs, a club may register a maximum of two new eligible players on List A after the above-mentioned deadlines, provided the quota of locally trained players is respected. Such registration must be completed by 24.00CET on the day before the relevant first-leg match and the club’s association must confirm in writing that the new player is eligible to play at domestic level at this time."

I think we must have registered him on Wednesday night and the website was updated yesterday. That's an assumption that there was a delay in updating the website and it not just him being registered yesterday and added to the list for the next round.

Interesting as well, once the group stage starts, that's you for the entire competition with the exception of three additional players in January. Not that it will affect us, but it would put a spanner in the works if you got out of the groups and then made wholesale changes in January.

https://documents.uefa.com/r/Regulations-of-the-UEFA-Europa-Conference-League-2023/24/Article-45-Player-lists-Online

[lucky]

Can’t believe anyone would have Milker starting he was awful last night and that’s compared to some of the others

[Smartie]

Can’t believe anyone would have Milker starting he was awful last night and that’s compared to some of the others

Who else would you play there though?

I agree that he was poor, just don't see a better alternative other than a young lad who has never made a first team appearance or Josh Campbell.

[B.H.F.C]

Yep I’m not as confident as most folk seem to be either. We showed very little yesterday. As you say, the home advantage and pitch size are the only positives and I just don’t trust the manager, coaching staff and the majority of the players to dig us out of this. I don’t trust the manager to even realise how important this game is.

Most people were confident we would steam roll Inter yesterday. We didn’t. I’m not sure what makes people confident we can do it next week.

I thought we’d make hard work of things last night for a number of reasons. But I didn’t expect us to be that bad and that disjointed.

I still think it’ll be a completely different game next week and we’ll have a number of better players on the park with Fish and Newell starting and I also expect to see Boyle at some point.

[overdrive]

Can’t believe anyone would have Milker starting he was awful last night and that’s compared to some of the others

What's the alternative? Megwa couldn't even get on the bench last night. Delfierre played out of position there in last week's friendly and although came onto a game later on looked like a fish out of water for much of the game.

I suppose we could go 3 at the back with Boyle as a RWB but that would probably involve having to play one of Hanlon or Rocky (I accept unfortunately that Hanlon probably will play) and it would negate the main benefit of playing Boyle in this game. It would also probably mean Stevenson playing LWB (not great) assuming Obita is still injured and LJ still has an aversion to playing MacIntyre along with probably having to move Youan inside.

Edit: or play Campbell at RB which hasn't exactly worked in the past either.

[Bobby's Cinema]

Newell was maybe the only player to get anywhere near pass marks for me. Goal aside he definitely made a bit of an impact and looked about the only one looking like taking the game by the scruff of the neck. He will need to do the same next week.

IN - Newell Doidge Wollacott Mackay
Out - Melkerson JDH Marsh Levitt

Wollacott

Miller
Rocky
Hanlon
Stevenson

Campbell
Newell
JDH

Youan
Doidge
Mackay

As for the manager - there's a good chance he's being quite casual in the media about it all to avoid negativity from day 1 but fuming in the dressing room - but he would have been better saying nothing as it gives off the impression he's not that arsed. We played all last season for this.

[DinkyTwo]

As for the manager - there's a good chance he's being quite casual in the media about it all to avoid negativity from day 1 but fuming in the dressing room - but he would have been better saying nothing as it gives off the impression he's not that arsed. We played all last season for this.

Despite the headline, I thought this was a fairly balanced interview:

https://www.skysports.com/watch/video/sports/12928868/lee-johnson-hibernians-defeat-to-inter-club-descaldes-not-an-embarrassment

Points out many of the things we've been saying - passing atrocious, lots of individual errors, knew we don't have any god given right to turn up and expect victory, criticism justified but don't want to go into the next game with tension and negativity

Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk

[Bushwoof]

I can't help but think that there must have been some environmental factors (altitude, weather, pitch etc) involved in yesterday's abysmal performance. Surely our players - even Lewis! - can't all have had an off day at the same time for no reason. It's simply inexplicable otherwise why they (with the possible exception of Newell) were so sh**e. We know they can play way better than that. And if that's so, then there's decent cause to be optimistic for the 2nd leg.

[DinkyTwo]

As for the players, I'd probably give Newell and Miller pass marks, but that's it. Felt that Miller was given absolutely no protection at all on the right side and that with Rocky's positioning made it a real weak spot.

Hanlon and Stevenson had terrible games, but enough credit in the bank.

Marshall, enough is enough. I'd drop him.

Rocky, if Fish is available, drop.

If Obika is fit, swap for Stevenson.

JDH, Levitt, swap for Jeggo and Newell

Melkerson, swap for Boyle or Mackay

We then line up with something more like this:

Wollacott

Miller
Fish
Hanlon
Obika / Stevenson

Jeggo
Newell
Campbell

Youan
Alf (no other option here)
Boyle / Mackay

Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk

[Nicho87]

Walicott
Miller Fish Hanlon Lewis
JDH
Levitt Newell
Boyle Striker Youan

[Saint Hibee]

The most worrying thing is that in a game where we absolutely have to score, our line will be led by Doidge or ALF. Here's hoping we've signed a striker by then.

[JamesHFC]

Fish should be fit, get him straight in for Rocky. Marshall has to be dropped.

[badabing67]

I'd change it completely next week

Wollacott
Miller
Fish
Harbottle
Mcintyre
Jeggo
Newell
Levitt
Boyle
Youan
Mackay

Seriously! you would drop Hanlon and try an untested pairing in the middle of the defence in a must win game..... Why?

[Tambo]

Wollacott

Miller
Fish
Hanlon
Stevenson

Jeggo
Levitt
Newell

Mackay
Doidge
Youan

I actually thought Miller was ok first half so would keep him.

Will probably be to soon for Obita maybe to start? Our only other option at LB has been left at home while the team went to Spain and has not been involved at all this season.

Newell done much more than Levitt when he come on and I agree without Jeggo we did look a bit weak in midfield.

Would love Boyle to start but I think it will be off the bench if he's involved and needed.

[Hibees1973]

Marshall

Miller Hanlon Bushiri Stevenson

Henderson Tavares JDH

Melkersen ALF Doidge

Imagine the meltdown if this was selected.

This selection sums up the poor recruitment that has gone on the last few years.

[Smartie]

Wollacott

Miller
Fish
Hanlon
Stevenson

Jeggo
Levitt
Newell

Mackay
Doidge
Youan

I actually thought Miller was ok first half so would keep him.

Will probably be to soon for Obita maybe to start? Our only other option at LB has been left at home while the team went to Spain and has not been involved at all this season.

Newell done much more than Levitt when he come on and I agree without Jeggo we did look a bit weak in midfield.

Would love Boyle to start but I think it will be off the bench if he's involved and needed.

With who we realistically have available, this is 100% my choice and exactly the same reasons.

[blackpoolhibs]

I think he will change it, simply because he hasnt got a clue and a couple of players might become available.

[Musselbound]

I can't help but think that there must have been some environmental factors (altitude, weather, pitch etc) involved in yesterday's abysmal performance. Surely our players - even Lewis! - can't all have had an off day at the same time for no reason. It's simply inexplicable otherwise why they (with the possible exception of Newell) were so sh**e. We know they can play way better than that. And if that's so, then there's decent cause to be optimistic for the 2nd leg.

I disagree with the thread title but agree with you that the environment last night probably had a number of factors. I really hope so as we will need to be a lot better next week. Worryingly, the performance last night was even worse than the result.