The recruitment is still all wrong

[Northernhibee]

The individual quality of players has improved, but we've spent big on some marquee signings and still not improved our defence and midfield enough, if at all.

We still have very poor depth of quality.

There's absolutely no point in spending £700k on a striker for an exciting front line if the rest of the team is imbalanced and/or not up to the job. At the risk of sounding like the manager, there's no point spending money on decorations if the cake is burnt and inedible.

We've - yet again - not gotten the basics right.

[Daily Hibs]

The individual quality of players has improved, but we've spent big on some marquee signings and still not improved our defence and midfield enough, if at all.

We still have very poor depth of quality.

There's absolutely no point in spending £700k on a striker for an exciting front line if the rest of the team is imbalanced and/or not up to the job. At the risk of sounding like the manager, there's no point spending money on decorations if the cake is burnt and inedible.

We've - yet again - not gotten the basics right.

Yes, we are crying out for experienced players that know the league to replace players that have been at the club too long.

[Unseen work]

Disagree the recruitment is still wrong, it’s more imo that we just have an absolute ton of work to do

[MWHIBBIES]

It's miles away. Still were signing far better in the championship.

We won the fixture jackpot. Could've been in a great position after 10 games. Instead we'll be 8th or worse with these idiots running our club.

[Is It On....]

The individual quality of players has improved, but we've spent big on some marquee signings and still not improved our defence and midfield enough, if at all.

We still have very poor depth of quality.

There's absolutely no point in spending £700k on a striker for an exciting front line if the rest of the team is imbalanced and/or not up to the job. At the risk of sounding like the manager, there's no point spending money on decorations if the cake is burnt and inedible.

We've - yet again - not gotten the basics right.

I don't think that you can judge whether the recruitment is good or bad until you have a manager that knows how to get the best out of the players. For me, that manager is NOT the current incumbent.

[neil7908]

I think we are unfortunately paying for terrible recruitment in previous years.

We have guys like Melkersen, Henderson, Tavares etc that will be on good wages but are miles off the standard needed. Even guys like Jeggo, Rocky and JDH are no more than average.

I desperately hope we can shift some of the above as this squad and manager will really struggle.

We need another 4-5 first team ready players. And a new gaffer.

[Northernhibee]

The best window/2 window spell was when we signed the likes of Nisbet, Gogic, Paul McGinn etc. - players who knew the league, gave us depth, and although not spectacular helped us play to a particular style.

We don't need exciting, spectacular signings. We need steady players who will be 7/10 most weeks and allow us to be consistent. We have very few of those.

[Smartie]

I think we’re on the right track with it but it will take us until February - again - to have the squad that we need in place.

It’s practically pre-season at Hibs. I keep going on to Johnson’s “should have enough to get through the first 3-4 games” quote - we didn’t and we don’t. We’re not ready for the season to start and we don’t have the depth of squad needed to compete in the fixtures we’ve known we were going to have from the moment we secured 5th last season.

[Hibby70]

It simply can't be right if we are bringing on players like Henderson and Melkerson

[Heisenberg]

Stevenson having to play every single game still is a damning indictment of our recruitment.

[Chorley Hibee]

You could field almost two teams with the amount of sub-standard players we currently have stinking out Easter Road.

And from what I've seen of Obita and Levitt so far,they'll not be an improvement on that list either.

It's ****ing criminal the amount of players we've signed, and the amount of money wasted, that we find ourselves in this position.

[The Spaceman]

We really need a CAM who can take the ball and spin towards the opposition goal/drive us forward middle of the park. We are far too lateral/sideways and back.

[lyonhibs]

You could field almost two teams with the amount of sub-standard players we currently have stinking out Easter Road.

And from what I've seen of Obita and Levitt so far,they'll not be an improvement on that list either.

It's ****ing criminal the amount of players we've signed, and the amount of money wasted, that we find ourselves in this position.

In principle I agree, but early days yet for those 2.

Need need need a right back and certain midfielder before the window "slams shut".

I'd rather LJ wasn't the one having any degree of a say in the recruitment, but c'est la vie. We need 1st team squad players in the door pronto pronto

[neil7908]

We really need a CAM who can take the ball and spin towards the opposition goal/drive us forward middle of the park. We are far too lateral/sideways and back.

Yup. Jeggo was a total waste of a jersey. He has games where his talents are required but he offered nothing today. We needed someone to push us forward and link with the forwards. Oh for a Scott Allan.

[CapitalGreen]

Yup. Jeggo was a total waste of a jersey. He has games where his talents are required but he offered nothing today. We needed someone to push us forward and link with the forwards. Oh for a Scott Allan.

What are those?

[Stubbsy90+2]

It’s quite incredible that only a couple of weeks ago we had people congratulating the club and declaring this our best ever window.

We’re miles off it.

[HarpOnHibee]

Yup. Jeggo was a total waste of a jersey. He has games where his talents are required but he offered nothing today. We needed someone to push us forward and link with the forwards. Oh for a Scott Allan.

The midfield was completely barren with the back line opting to hoof the ball directly up to the forward men, who didn't appear to have any awareness of one another's positioning or movement. It's no wonder we couldn't get a single shot on target from open play. Our positional sense is worse than that of a junior club outfit.

[Since452]

It’s quite incredible that only a couple of weeks ago we had people congratulating the club and declaring this our best ever window.

We’re miles off it.

On paper it's hard to argue it isn't a phenomenal window. Pumping Luzern showed the potential. What is incredible though is with the money spent we're still relying on the likes of Lewis Stevenson to play twice a week.

[Viva_Palmeiras]

The individual quality of players has improved, but we've spent big on some marquee signings and still not improved our defence and midfield enough, if at all.

We still have very poor depth of quality.

There's absolutely no point in spending £700k on a striker for an exciting front line if the rest of the team is imbalanced and/or not up to the job. At the risk of sounding like the manager, there's no point spending money on decorations if the cake is burnt and inedible.

We've - yet again - not gotten the basics right.

what was the first move Brian McDermott made in recruitment?

Iirc it was ALF. With that we got more than a player. In time I believe his influence will benefit the club for however long he is with us for. He is but one man. There’s work to be done but having heard Him speak in the flesh, I believe we are in great hands.

So raising the white flag on recruitment is premature.

[Centre Hawf]

The individual quality of players has improved, but we've spent big on some marquee signings and still not improved our defence and midfield enough, if at all.

We still have very poor depth of quality.

There's absolutely no point in spending £700k on a striker for an exciting front line if the rest of the team is imbalanced and/or not up to the job. At the risk of sounding like the manager, there's no point spending money on decorations if the cake is burnt and inedible.

We've - yet again - not gotten the basics right.

We wen't out and got Will Fish on loan again that everyone wanted, and we signed a star midfielder that was proven at this level with a high ceiling. The recruitment is moving in the right direction and will not fix the team in one window.

[Chorley Hibee]

It’s quite incredible that only a couple of weeks ago we had people congratulating the club and declaring this our best ever window.

We’re miles off it.

Generally the same folk telling us how good last season's summer transfer shambles was as well.

[LunasBoots]

There's some improvement but some of the standard of player I don't think is an improvement. ALF looks decent and should help Vente along, Obita has something and may do better when fully settled.

[blackpoolhibs]

Good teams build from the back plus have a good spine to the team. We've a keeper who's useless, two full backs who cant distribute the ball well and two centre halves that are slow.

Thats before we get onto the midfield, guess who went missing today?

You can have all the forwards with pace and goalscoring ability, but if you leak goals like a sieve, you are never going to succeed.

[jeffers]

I still think our recruitment has been decent. Trouble is we’ve spent a big chunk of our budget on a few players, so haven’t been able to address all the areas that need strengthening.

[Hibby Bairn]

Fish, Youan, Vente, Obita, Levitt, Le Fondre all good signings imo. Plus getting Boyle back.

[JammyDoidger]

We are signing players, some good players, without any idea of where they are fitting in. Johnson has been here for over a year now, 3 transfer windows and I've still no idea how we set up. We've played 4-3-3, 3-5-2, and 4-4-2 already this season.
He should have his shape by now, and players coming in accordingly, to fit that shape. The club is just so frustrating just now, no other manager would get this much time.

[AL-Qaholik]

People like Henderson, Melkerson, Stevenson, Jeggo, Campbell, JDH, Hanlon, Marshall, Doidge, Rocky are simply not at the level of where we claim to be aiming for.
And that’s not even mentioning the likes of Jair, McKay, Kenneh etc.
To still be relying on Marshall, Hanlon, Stevenson and at least one of Jeggo/JDH/Campbell every week is a clear indication that our recruitment is still broken.
Le Fondre & Vente look decent additions but the first 2 games have proved that having a decent (on paper) forward line alone is not enough to win games in this league.
Jury out on Levitt, Obita and Harbottle (although he seems to somehow be 4th choice…)

I have no idea what we’re actually trying to do with recruitment any more but I know it’s still not good enough.

The lack of anybody seemingly able to step up from the development/youth squad is also a major concern.

[WhileTheChief..]

It’s been a poor window overall.

Levitt and Vente will hopefully prove to be decent, but the rest aren’t really an improvement on what we had, just replacements.

[B.H.F.C]

I still don’t think this window has been bad. There’s simply too much to do because we’ve made so many mistakes over the last couple of years. We are signing players for a manager that has no plan on how to piece them together though.

[Jones28]

It’s turning an oil tanker. We’re looking at 3 or more windows of dross having to be moved on and trying to replace them all with quality is not cheap. This has been a good window, but we’re filling up the car from empty which will take time.

[Northernhibee]

It’s turning an oil tanker. We’re looking at 3 or more windows of dross having to be moved on and trying to replace them all with quality is not cheap. This has been a good window, but we’re filling up the car from empty which will take time.

The problem is that other clubs are bringing in very good players without spending quite as much, or so it would seem. I think we need to be far more clever with our money. Pre contracts, loans, and the like.

[Mikey_1875]

It sums up LJ in general I think. We have signed what look to be decent players but don’t have a system to play them in. I’d hope we are looking to sign players to fit into a system or style of play/identity. The problem is I don’t think LJ has one and it might still be too early for BM to have figured one out long term.

[AL-Qaholik]

It’s turning an oil tanker. We’re looking at 3 or more windows of dross having to be moved on and trying to replace them all with quality is not cheap. This has been a good window, but we’re filling up the car from empty which will take time.

But they aren’t being moved on, they’re still playing every week.

[Smartie]

The problem is that other clubs are bringing in very good players without spending quite as much, or so it would seem. I think we need to be far more clever with our money. Pre contracts, loans, and the like.

I expect we’ll be better at that in future now we’ve got McDermott in position.

The hard work to get stuff like than done gets done well in advance.

We’ve been a “wait until quality becomes available at the end of a window” club for too many successive summer windows, with the results evident in the state of our first team squad.

It’s frustrating when it’s still ongoing and we want the results now but we’re absolutely turning around an oil tanker.

[Silky]

But they aren’t being moved on, they’re still playing every week.

Do we know their not being moved on? McDermott may well be actively trying to move them-you can't sell if clubs don't want to buy. That's my view, of course, but equally, I've seen no firm evidence to suggest that we are not trying!

[Hiber-nation]

Stevenson having to play every single game still is a damning indictment of our recruitment.

Yep. But Obita looks miles off it, his performance today was dreadful. A full 90 minutes under his belt, yes but a worryingly poor performance. No way should Lewis have to be playing 2 games a week, it's cost us dear today.

[Helensburghhibs]

Recruitment isn't what it should be but our biggest issue is still our reluctance to give our young guys a chance. Mothereell had a 16 year old running the show today,, yet our youth teams sre consistently better than theirs

[The Modfather]

Recruitment isn't what it should be but our biggest issue is still our reluctance to give our young guys a chance. Mothereell had a 16 year old running the show today,, yet our youth teams sre consistently better than theirs

I didn’t realise Motherwell started a 16 year old, in central midfield no less, today. Wish we had the bravery and courage of our convictions to actually use our youth academy like other clubs do.

[Helensburghhibs]

I didn’t realise Motherwell started a 16 year old, in central midfield no less, today. Wish we had the bravery and courage of our convictions to actually use our youth academy like other clubs do.

Lee millers laddie as well just to make us all feel auld

[Jones28]

But they aren’t being moved on, they’re still playing every week.

Like I said, it’s a slow process.

[Simkin911]

We recruited some decent players as mentioned above. It’s the team that is the problem …. Manager is responsible for that and is also responsible for dropping those who individually perform below par.
Over to LJ but league campaign is shaping up badly despite not the most testing of opening fixtures…..

[Forza Fred]

It simply can't be right if we are bringing on players like Henderson and Melkerson

That’s the mistakes of past recruitment.

But if we want to win games, we need better subs

[Tinnitus]

Disagree the recruitment is still wrong, it’s more imo that we just have an absolute ton of work to do

It's maybe a little bit of a hangover from previous windows trying to move players on, but there is still too many hats hung on too few players imo.