What Hibs Really Need

[Keith_M]

I liked this article in the EEN, from Craig Fowler, about where he feels Hibs are lacking.

Whether you agree or disagree, I thought this part would at least raise a smile...

"Levitt will likely go on to be a very good player for the Easter Road club. He certainly has the ability to do so. He’s got quick feet, good technique, a creative streak and composure on the ball. But he’s the type of player Hibs have routinely fallen in love with over the years and often seem to bloat their squad with; players who are nice, when what they really need is a right b*****d."

https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/sport/football/hibs/analysis-the-one-player-hibs-need-to-sign-to-solve-their-early-season-struggles-4247442

[Smartie]

I liked this article in the EEN, from Craig Fowler, about where he feels Hibs are lacking.

Whether you agree or disagree, I thought this part would at least raise a smile...

"Levitt will likely go on to be a very good player for the Easter Road club. He certainly has the ability to do so. He’s got quick feet, good technique, a creative streak and composure on the ball. But he’s the type of player Hibs have routinely fallen in love with over the years and often seem to bloat their squad with; players who are nice, when what they really need is a right b*****d."

https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/sport/football/hibs/analysis-the-one-player-hibs-need-to-sign-to-solve-their-early-season-struggles-4247442

I think he’s spot on.

[Keith_M]

I think he’s spot on.


Yeah, agreed.

He was absolutely correct about St Mirren just waltzing through our midfield, and I couldn't believe how much they dominated the first half.

[McD]

I think he’s spot on.


I said a few weeks ago, I wanted an aggressive physical ball winner in our midfield, who will let our ball players be a bit higher up the pitch

[Hibbyradge]

I said a few weeks ago, I wanted an aggressive physical ball winner in our midfield, who will let our ball players be a bit higher up the pitch

Isn't that Jeggo?

[McD]

Isn't that Jeggo?


I think it is (although I believe we could get someone better), I’d have Jeggo in the starting lineup. LJ doesn’t appear to want him there, but I feel we play better and are more balanced when he is

[Northernhibee]

Isn't that Jeggo?

It is. He’s an organiser too.

I have no idea why he’s not starting games just now as he improves players around him.

[Centre Hawf]

I said a few weeks ago, I wanted an aggressive physical ball winner in our midfield, who will let our ball players be a bit higher up the pitch

People say this, then when we sign someone like Jeggo (which for my money improved us last season) they then debate about his use of the ball. If we were to ever unearth someone who could do the nasty side of the game and move it about well enough to start attacks as well, they'd be sold within 6 months for big cash. There's not many of them about.

[blackpoolhibs]

We need about 4 better players than we currently have starting.

[Kato]

I think he’s spot on.It wad spot on last season when we brought in the "project" players.

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[McD]

People say this, then when we sign someone like Jeggo (which for my money improved us last season) they then debate about his use of the ball. If we were to ever unearth someone who could do the nasty side of the game and move it about well enough to start attacks as well, they'd be sold within 6 months for big cash. There's not many of them about.


I agree mate, I’d have Jeggo in. I think those kinds of players you’ve described can be found, for some reason we’ve had a few managers who don’t want them (Jeggo aside, and even he can’t get on the pitch much based on the manager’s choices)

[nickwhibs]

I think it’s also about having someone in the midfield with some drive. Strength and the ability to break the lines. Be able to take the game by the scruff of the neck and drive us up the pitch.

[Keith_M]

I think it’s also about having someone in the midfield with some drive. Strength and the ability to break the lines. Be able to take the game by the scruff of the neck and drive us up the pitch.


John McGinn?

[lyonhibs]

I think it’s also about having someone in the midfield with some drive. Strength and the ability to break the lines. Be able to take the game by the scruff of the neck and drive us up the pitch.

Yeah, being a nasty ******* has nothing to do with it. Calum McGregor doesn't strike me as a nasty ******* but he's indispensable to Celtic.

As mentioned though, a midfielder that can do it all in Hibs budget is a rare thing indeed. I think it's fine to have players in the midfield who specialise in different things as long as they can play together as a unit

[nickwhibs]

John McGinn?

Ha yes, that kind of player. Newell does it sometimes but not enough.

[Centre Hawf]

I think it’s also about having someone in the midfield with some drive. Strength and the ability to break the lines. Be able to take the game by the scruff of the neck and drive us up the pitch.

Josh Campbell does this constantly, but it quite weak at reading the game defensively (despite getting put at RB). I think the trick is we're rarely going to find someone who does everything we're all listing here, we're basically outlining the perfect midfielder that some big clubs don't even have. But finding that balance between 3 midfielders to give us a bit of everything. At the moment we're not doing too well at that either.

[Northernhibee]

We need a strategy.

A strategy of how we play, who we sign, how we replace older players, how we bring younger players through, how we react to injuries and suspensions.

All of the above feels lacking somehow (with the potential exclusion of younger players coming in as that feels as if it may be developing).

[Stuart93]

I want a few horrible *******s in our team.

Ones that’ll take one for the team. Take an opposing player out within reason if need be.

Players that don’t leave the referee alone and keep at him all game.

I reckon we’ve got a team full of nice guys. Too nice sometimes.

[Cat Stanton]

I agree mate, I’d have Jeggo in. I think those kinds of players you’ve described can be found, for some reason we’ve had a few managers who don’t want them (Jeggo aside, and even he can’t get on the pitch much based on the manager’s choices)

It's obvious we need Jeggo to start. It's more than obvious that Campbell-Newell-Doyle-Hays never works as a midfield. Lots of things are highly obvious to everyone except Coco The Clown in the dugout.

[JammyDoidger]

Aye he's bang on, but if we bring in a DM, he can't play left and right back at the same time, there is going to be times in every match our full backs are asked to defend 1 V 1, they just aren't up to it.
And there is times in every match where our full backs are going to be asked to provide width, provide an attacking threat, put a good cross in, again incapable of consistently doing so. Fixing the issues at full back are more important than a DM for me, if we want to play with one Jeggo is experienced enough to do so.

[Rumble de Thump]

We need a CJ Egan-Riley. I hope we can get him back on loan when he's recovered from his injury.

[neil7908]

I want a few horrible *******s in our team.

Ones that’ll take one for the team. Take an opposing player out within reason if need be.

Players that don’t leave the referee alone and keep at him all game.

I reckon we’ve got a team full of nice guys. Too nice sometimes.

That's Jeggo no? He's guaranteed a yellow every time he plays.

I wouldn't mind a bit of steel but I'm not convinced throwing a couple of Vinnie Jones knock offs into the team will solve our problems.

We need folk that can defend by the looks of Sunday. How hard they are isn't my main concern.

[jeffers]

Who are the leaders in the current squad ? The guys who will step up when the going gets tough ?

[Stuart93]

That's Jeggo no? He's guaranteed a yellow every time he plays.

I wouldn't mind a bit of steel but I'm not convinced throwing a couple of Vinnie Jones knock offs into the team will solve our problems.

We need folk that can defend by the looks of Sunday. How hard they are isn't my main concern.

I never said hard men?

Of course I want players that will make us better.

We just need someone in there that can give us that, I’m not too convinced that’s jeggo tbh

[Lago]

I think he’s spot on.
Need a Matty Jack

[Pretty Boy]

I think a 'right *******' is quite different from a ball winning midfielder.

Do we have many players opposition fans love to hate? I think a player who can wind up oppositions fans and players whilst getting their own fans onside is a big part of being the aforementioned right *******.

The two can overlap of course but I'm not sure I'd consider Jeggo as being the archetypal bad *******, he's a pretty run of the mill defensive midfielder, I doubt he'd get to opposing fans in the way Paul Hartley got to us, Cantwell gets to certain opposing fans or the likes of Dennis Wise, El Hadji Diouf, Kevin Muscat or Duncan Ferguson carried themselves on the park. On the flip side someone like Makalele was a brilliant defensive midfielder but I wouldn't consider him a *******. Averaged just 5 bookings a season at Chelsea despite the role he played.

I reckon Hibs must be quite a nice team to play over the last couple of seasons, you never really think opposing teams will feel like they are going to be dragged into the trenches and have to grind it out.

[The_Exile]

The problem with a player like that is that they don't really play football and get hounded out of the starting line up. The single, only job of that kind of player is to close down the passing lanes and win the ball back by marshalling a specific space, i.e the area between the midfield and defence where opposition creativity tends to happen. No chances are created from this player, no goals come from this player, no last ditch tackles, no goal line clearances, so people think they sit and do nothing and are passengers.

We had it with Jorge Claros for example, he was fantastic at this but everybody thought he was rubbish. We do need this with the style of football we seem to be wanting to play, but I dont' think we give this type of player any kind of slack here. Then we all bicker about it and decide these types of players aren't what we need, we need to create more chances etc etc, and then the cycle repeats.

[Bushwoof]

Funny enough I said that very thing on the 'midfield' thread just this morning - not that it takes any special skills to work that out. As I said there, even the guy from Inter Escalades who went off at half time was dominating our lot.

[ancient hibee]

A prime example was the third goal on Sunday. Levitt had the opportunity to pull a jersey 50 yards from our goal.Instead he chased the guy and did nothing to stop him getting a cross in. I know what St. Mirren would have done.

[Dmas]

A prime example was the third goal on Sunday. Levitt had the opportunity to pull a jersey 50 yards from our goal.Instead he chased the guy and did nothing to stop him getting a cross in. I know what St. Mirren would have done.

Saw this last night the amount of touches kiltie was given before picking his cross was unreal no pressure on him at all and a half ersed slide to block a cross 🙄 just hammer him and take the yellow

[Spike Mandela]

Need a Matty Jack

Hibs.net Bingo:greengrin

[Ronniekirk]

A prime example was the third goal on Sunday. Levitt had the opportunity to pull a jersey 50 yards from our goal.Instead he chased the guy and did nothing to stop him getting a cross in. I know what St. Mirren would have done.
I noted that as well It’s pointless tracking a run but then allowing a cross to go in But as a team we can’t go chasing a winner and have the whole team so far up the pitch a simple throw out from Thier keeper leads to a break away that can’t be covered

[Since452]

We need a Kyle Magennis

[Hibees1973]

I've said a few times on the transfer thread that we should have signed Mark O'Hara in this transfer window.

He is the perfect number 6. Tall, strong, physical, can pass and scores 6-8 goals a season. Penalty taker and captain.

We need to sign a Centre Back (Jason Kerr), know he is working his way back to fitness. We desperately need 2 good full backs. Maybe Obita is one but needs time.

We need to ship out the likes of Henderson, Tavares, JDH and numerous others who contribute nothing. Also, Stevenson needs to go. Put him on the transfer list and the likes of Raith or Morton will take him. Thanks Lewis but it's time to move on and cut the sentiment.

Once we get this done we then need to appoint a manager who doesn't talk cr*p and able to get Hibs organised, disciplined and be difficult to beat.

Do we have the guys in charge at Hibs to do this. I very much doubt it.

[LaMotta]

Totally agree with the article from Fowler, but can't believe people are claiming the physical ball winning ******* we need is Jeggo.

He is not particularly physical, rarely wins the ball, and seems like a fairly nice guy. He was as much to blame as anyone for the winning Saints goal on Sunday.

[007]

A prime example was the third goal on Sunday. Levitt had the opportunity to pull a jersey 50 yards from our goal.Instead he chased the guy and did nothing to stop him getting a cross in. I know what St. Mirren would have done.

I'm not seeing where he had the opportunity to pull a jersey, when should he have done it?

https://youtu.be/iNNQ3tqYkqM?t=230