What's with these half-hearted starts to games?

[He's here!]

LJ is rightly taking plenty of flak after today's latest letdown, but I very much doubt he ever says to his players before a game: "OK, I want you go out there, start at half pace, look largely disinterested, get the crowd on your backs, give yourself an uphill battle by conceding the first goal and only start to play when it's almost too late".

It's an all-too familiar pattern and my question is does this come down 100% to the manager being unable to get his instructions across or is the problem that the players lack the savvy to take on board those instructions properly? Today in particular, being the first game of the season, you'd think there would be some evidence of enthusiasm and hunger about them but they looked almost beaten from the start. Even allowing for the manager getting his tactics wrong there's not really any excuse for a lack of desire.

[MWHIBBIES]

The manager just cannot implement a plan. Literally press us and we totally fold. Totally panic. Defense crap on the ball, give it away constantly. Goalie is a bombscare. Wingers get doubled up on and then don't do their defensive work. Its a shambles.

[SaulGoodman]

It always seems like it’s a half hearted start because the manager isn’t giving the players proper instructions or a proper game plan before kick off.

[Hibby70]

Every single one of the St Mirren players were fired up for this game led by O'Hara who barked instructions at each of them to drive them on. Meanwhile their manager was doing the same.

Our side were the complete opposite. Not one player won their personal battles. Nobody and especially the captain and manager seemed bothered.

I've got tickets for Thursday and depending on the performance will determine whether I buy a ticket for Sunday.

[Cat Stanton]

So, so many games like this since Johnson has been in charge. It's surely not a coincidence.

[Willis1875]

I’ve lost count the amount of times I’ve said “that’s the worst half of football I’ve ever seen Hibs play” whilst Johnson has been in charge

[He's here!]

The manager just cannot implement a plan. Literally press us and we totally fold. Totally panic. Defense crap on the ball, give it away constantly. Goalie is a bombscare. Wingers get doubled up on and then don't do their defensive work. Its a shambles.

This gets said a lot. I remember Potter, way back in his first spell as Hearts boss, saying that a high press was the way to beat Hibs. Yogi mentioned our soft underbelly when he was Falkirk boss and Lennon called us a boy band. Obviously the playing and management personnel at ER have changed numerous times since Potter made that comment but it seems we retain a tradition of collapsing when pressed. Why don't we try to do the pressing from the start?!

[DH1875]

St Mirren had to change their game plan 5 minutes before kick off. Their players managed to listen to their manager and it take it on board. Our manager has had a year with our players and they still don't have a clue.

[Not In The Know]

LJ is rightly taking plenty of flak after today's latest letdown, but I very much doubt he ever says to his players before a game: "OK, I want you go out there, start at half pace, look largely disinterested, get the crowd on your backs, give yourself an uphill battle by conceding the first goal and only start to play when it's almost too late".

It's an all-too familiar pattern and my question is does this come down 100% to the manager being unable to get his instructions across or is the problem that the players lack the savvy to take on board those instructions properly? Today in particular, being the first game of the season, you'd think there would be some evidence of enthusiasm and hunger about them but they looked almost beaten from the start. Even allowing for the manager getting his tactics wrong there's not really any excuse for a lack of desire.


Shan starts are due to the player’s following the instructions the manager has tried to give them. They then start working things out for themselves and it gets a bit better

[Not In The Know]

I’ve lost count the amount of times I’ve said “that’s the worst half of football I’ve ever seen Hibs play” whilst Johnson has been in charge

Post of the year.

[MWHIBBIES]

This gets said a lot. I remember Potter, way back in his first spell as Hearts boss, saying that a high press was the way to beat Hibs. Yogi mentioned our soft underbelly when he was Falkirk boss and Lennon called us a boy band. Obviously the playing and management personnel at ER have changed numerous times since Potter made that comment but it seems we retain a tradition of collapsing when pressed. Why don't we try to do the pressing from the start?!

Lennon boy band thing was based on our players appearance. Pure nonsense quote. We were as soft under him as anyone.

I'm speaking just about this Hibs side. We literally do not have a plan for moving the ball forward. It goes from goalie, to centre backs to full backs to the opposition. Every time. Or it gets punted forward, which has a very low success rate anyway. It wasn't the case under Stubbs and Lennon because they had loads of different ways of moving it forward. Often a long ball out to gray high on the right. Or McGeouch/Fyvie moving it forward. Or McGinn driving forward. That side consistently got out from the back without much trouble.

Johnson has had over a year to sort this and we're arguably getting worse.

[Alfred E Newman]

So, so many games like this since Johnson has been in charge. It's surely not a coincidence.

It also can’t be a coincidence that our full backs and centre half’s resort to long diagonal hoofs at every opportunity.

[Tambo]

I'm not going to include the Blackpool game in the stat. So far this season we have played 7 games and conceded 13 goals and apart from the screamer from Brooks Vs Bournemouth, from my memory most have been soft and from slow starts.

[Tyler Durden]

Lennon boy band thing was based on our players appearance. Pure nonsense quote. We were as soft under him as anyone.

I'm speaking just about this Hibs side. We literally do not have a plan for moving the ball forward. It goes from goalie, to centre backs to full backs to the opposition. Every time. Or it gets punted forward, which has a very low success rate anyway. It wasn't the case under Stubbs and Lennon because they had loads of different ways of moving it forward. Often a long ball out to gray high on the right. Or McGeouch/Fyvie moving it forward. Or McGinn driving forward. That side consistently got out from the back without much trouble.

Johnson has had over a year to sort this and we're arguably getting worse.

Think you’re spot on. Couldn’t believe how much we hoofed it today. The full backs basically take no part in building an attack. They seem to be instructed to give it to Youan or Boyle and hope for the best.

Then you have guys like JDH who are hiding. And Campbell who throws in these shockers much too often.

There is no pattern of play.

[WestStandWillie]

It’s been the same for the last 2 or 3 managers. When does it stop being a manager issue and becomes the player’s attitude?

[HarpOnHibee]

Lennon boy band thing was based on our players appearance. Pure nonsense quote. We were as soft under him as anyone.

I'm speaking just about this Hibs side. We literally do not have a plan for moving the ball forward. It goes from goalie, to centre backs to full backs to the opposition. Every time. Or it gets punted forward, which has a very low success rate anyway. It wasn't the case under Stubbs and Lennon because they had loads of different ways of moving it forward. Often a long ball out to gray high on the right. Or McGeouch/Fyvie moving it forward. Or McGinn driving forward. That side consistently got out from the back without much trouble.

Johnson has had over a year to sort this and we're arguably getting worse.

We certainly weren't soft under Lennon. He's one of the few examples where we haven't been.

[Willis1875]

Lennon boy band thing was based on our players appearance. Pure nonsense quote. We were as soft under him as anyone.

I'm speaking just about this Hibs side. We literally do not have a plan for moving the ball forward. It goes from goalie, to centre backs to full backs to the opposition. Every time. Or it gets punted forward, which has a very low success rate anyway. It wasn't the case under Stubbs and Lennon because they had loads of different ways of moving it forward. Often a long ball out to gray high on the right. Or McGeouch/Fyvie moving it forward. Or McGinn driving forward. That side consistently got out from the back without much trouble.

Johnson has had over a year to sort this and we're arguably getting worse.

Bang on

[Feed McGraw]

I’ve lost count the amount of times I’ve said “that’s the worst half of football I’ve ever seen Hibs play” whilst Johnson has been in charge A trend that has gone on for quite a few seasons ( even before
Johnson) is the fact that Hibs rarely play two good halves, there regularly seems to be a "bad" or "worst" half.

[Jones28]

The manager just cannot implement a plan. Literally press us and we totally fold. Totally panic. Defense crap on the ball, give it away constantly. Goalie is a bombscare. Wingers get doubled up on and then don't do their defensive work. Its a shambles.

This really irks me, John Collins pointed this out yesterday on Sportsound that Youan had 4 opposition players round about him so St Mirren had left gaps elsewhere but we couldn't exploit that. So disappointing.

[MWHIBBIES]

We certainly weren't soft under Lennon. He's one of the few examples where we haven't been.

You sure? Lennon had some terrible results. Just because he shouted a bit didn't make us tough. Blew many leads and lost many winnable games under him.

[HarpOnHibee]

You sure? Lennon had some terrible results. Just because he shouted a bit didn't make us tough. Blew many leads and lost many winnable games under him.

We had a loss percentage under Lennon of 19.5% (24 losses in 123 games). We certainty weren't soft.

[Smartie]

You sure? Lennon had some terrible results. Just because he shouted a bit didn't make us tough. Blew many leads and lost many winnable games under him.

Also, funny how were were never soft under Lennon and had skewered the boy band thing, but as soon as the McGinn, McGeough and Allan midfield left it was back again.

It's about the players, and having ones you can rely upon to do what is expected more often than not, none of this mythical nonsense about having "a winner" at the helm.

[The Captain....]

I’ve lost count the amount of times I’ve said “that’s the worst half of football I’ve ever seen Hibs play” whilst Johnson has been in chargeAye..it's a recurring theme all right. It's not just poor either it's utterly shambolic.

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