Are we actually quite… good?

[matty_f]

It’s obviously been a bit of an up and down season so far, with some brutal results mixed in with some really impressive ones, but now we’re settled into the season, i think the signs are there to say we’re actually a pay good team.

We dominated the game yesterday against a St Mirren side who dismantled Hearts at the weekend and have had a great start to the season.

We comfortably beat a crap St Johnstone side and strolled the win at Aberdeen.

With Vente, Boyle, Youan, and either Doidge or ALF, we’ve got a frighteningly good attack.

Is it too early to accept that we might actually be a good side?

[Since452]

I said it in the summer and got slated for it but i still believe we had our best ever transfer window. We have a very good squad but a manager who wasn't getting a tune out of them for one reason or another (apart from a very impressive European result). This squad has huge potential and we should really be aiming for 3rd. We still have the likes of Levitt and Cadden to come back in to the fray. If we can build momentum we can be very dangerous. There are goals from everywhere.

[Paul1642]

I said it in the summer and got slated for it but i still believe we had our best ever transfer window. We have a very good squad but a manager who wasn't getting a tune out of them for one reason or another (apart from a very impressive European result). This squad has huge potential and we should really be aiming for 3rd. We still have the likes of Levitt to come back in to the fray.

I thought the same thing, although admittedly started to doubt myself by the Aston Villa games.

Luckily our two main competitors for 3rd also had a poor start so we lost no ground to them before we got up and running.

Things are now looking good and Vente in particular is looking like a great signing.

[Cuikyhibs]

the makings of a really good side, think we are maybe one ball playing centre half short

[Lago]

Hibs are certainly not as bad as some have tried to make out.

[Smartie]

Possibly - a bit too soon to say for sure.

That was certainly a good result and aspects of the performance were excellent. I think St Mirren are a good side and are bona fide 3rd place challengers so any victory over a team with such credentials should be applauded as such, even if it is unfashionable St Mirren rather than Aberdeen or Hearts.

The business we did over the summer was very good, it was just that we probably needed more due to some awful recent transfer windows. The squad does look thin and we're very vulnerable to injuries or suspensions to key players. That will probably make or break our season tbh but if we keep everyone fit we could have a great season.

Lots to be optimistic about right now, but that's a tough run of fixtures just around the corner in October...

[hibsforeurope]

We had decent players, obviously still a little work to do, but now we have a good manager to go with that squad. Things looking good currently, looking forward to games now rather than them being a chore.

[Pretty Boy]

Work to do. I don't think anyone, fan or club employee alike, would argue otherwise.

I'm certainly far more confident than I was a few weeks ago though. There's always been signs we could be a good side but I had little faith we could put it all together consistently. There was near constant chopping and changing of shape and personnel and appeared no real belief in what we are doing.

We need a far bigger sample than 3 games to see where we really are now but it just feels better.

[Broken Gnome]

I thought we were pretty average first half - I'm fine with keeping the ball as long at some stage there's a spark and bit of ambition, but this wasn't really happening. Seemed a constant missed opportunity to play the ball centrally into the feet of the forwards, and as a result it did plod a bit.

Second half - it's been a fair while since I'd imagine a neutral watching our games would come away thinking we were a good team. That was definitely the case last night for long spells.

[richard_pitts]

i think we are better than we were. We are a work in progress but there is cause for optimism in what feels like the first time in a long time.

We have a manager who seems able to improve the players we have and sends them out with an actionable game plan. Things like pass completion have been noticeably better.

We did however, concede two goals for the second time in three games so there is still work to do. Some very nice football on show too though.

Next target is back to back league wins which we haven't done for a while. Another clean sheet would be a bonus.

Signs of progress methinks. :flag:

[Fergus52]

Both of the two different xG models I like to look at have us as the third best team in the league, admittedly the sample size is small and we've had some very easy fixtures.

[superfurryhibby]

I thought we were pretty average first half - I'm fine with keeping the ball as long at some stage there's a spark and bit of ambition, but this wasn't really happening. Seemed a constant missed opportunity to play the ball centrally into the feet of the forwards, and as a result it did plod a bit.

Second half - it's been a fair while since I'd imagine a neutral watching our games would come away thinking we were a good team. That was definitely the case last night for long spells.

We made St Mirren look pretty average 1st half, denied them much possession, albeit that we also gave them two decent chances. I do agree that we lacked any cutting edge in the first 45, despite largely being in control of the match.

The next five or six games will be a good test of where we are under Monty. I think he has a lot to work with and on, but yes, we are actually quite good.

[nonshinyfinish]

Both of the two different xG models I like to look at have us as the third best team in the league, admittedly the sample size is small and we've had some very easy fixtures.

Where do you see them, out of interest?

[adam middlemass]

I thought we were pretty average first half - I'm fine with keeping the ball as long at some stage there's a spark and bit of ambition, but this wasn't really happening. Seemed a constant missed opportunity to play the ball centrally into the feet of the forwards, and as a result it did plod a bit.

Second half - it's been a fair while since I'd imagine a neutral watching our games would come away thinking we were a good team. That was definitely the case last night for long spells.

Think we lack a midfielder who is comfortable taking the ball with his back to goal, turning and driving us up the park, aka John McGinn. Things open up when someone is confident enough to do that, and with the movement of our class duo ALF & Vente surely goals aplenty would follow if the weight of pass was executed. Was doing my nut last night when it kept going backwards when no one had enough confidence in themselves. Rant over :confused:

[Cocaine&Caviar]

I think Levitt will add a lot to midfield also, likely at the expense of a striker once the season settles

[HH81]

I think Levitt will add a lot to midfield also, likely at the expense of a striker once the season settles

No chance if we keep winning will he change it.

Levitt will have to wait his turn.

[B.H.F.C]

I think Levitt will add a lot to midfield also, likely at the expense of a striker once the season settles

His preference is for two up front, he ain’t going to change that IMO.

[Hermit Crab]

It is a simple case of a better management team getting a lot more out of the players who've always had it in them. Better tactics, game plans and training all contribute to this. For once I feel confident of giving anyone in the league a game now.

We really do need to shore up the defence though. We still have a tendency to leak goals, and poor ones at that. Cross balls are our downfall.

[Fergus52]

Where do you see them, out of interest?

Just a couple of accounts that do analysis on that sort of stuff for the league on twitter:

The backpass rule: https://x.com/TheBackpassRule/status/1706566774723166582?s=20

The Rangers report: https://x.com/TheGersReport/status/1706326374632566853?s=20

[weecounty hibby]

I have said for ages now that there is a good team in there, and improved in the summer. Just needed the right tactics, positions and an understanding of what we were trying to achieve. Didn't have that under LJ but the signs are promising so far with Monty

[jeffers]

While I don’t want to open up the Johnson debate again I felt a decent manager could get much more out of the players than he was doing. Recruitment has been much better since BM came in, the players we’ve brought in this summer definitely live up to his comment about not making flashy signings but ones who will improve us.

Defence could do with tightening up, but signs are encouraging.

Can’t wait til we get the Bill Foley money, maybe a Hollywood star investing too.

[DIXIHIBS]

As an attacking team we are pretty good....defensively not so good. League table shows we are 2nd top scorers behind Celtic ( ahead of huns) but one of the worst goals against. We have same GD as hertz having scored 7 more goals than them after only 6 games. Tighten up the defence and we could have a more than decent team capable of 3rd and maybe a cup:wink:.

[lyonhibs]

It’s obviously been a bit of an up and down season so far, with some brutal results mixed in with some really impressive ones, but now we’re settled into the season, i think the signs are there to say we’re actually a pay good team.

We dominated the game yesterday against a St Mirren side who dismantled Hearts at the weekend and have had a great start to the season.

We comfortably beat a crap St Johnstone side and strolled the win at Aberdeen.

With Vente, Boyle, Youan, and either Doidge or ALF, we’ve got a frighteningly good attack.

Is it too early to accept that we might actually be a good side?

Well, I'll be blaming you for tempting fate when the wheels inevitably come off :greengrin

Looking forward to seeing Montgomery's team up against Hearts and the Old Firm. That'll be a real judge of progress (and I don't mean pure results), see if we've moved past LJ's appeasement "don't tackle them too much" tactics against the OF.

[Since452]

It is a simple case of a better management team getting a lot more out of the players who've always had it in them. Better tactics, game plans and training all contribute to this. For once I feel confident of giving anyone in the league a game now.

We really do need to shore up the defence though. We still have a tendency to leak goals, and poor ones at that. Cross balls are our downfall.

I think it's too early to tell. It's only been a couple of weeks since he came in. It could be a new manager bounce.

[Centre Hawf]

I said it in the summer and got slated for it but i still believe we had our best ever transfer window. We have a very good squad but a manager who wasn't getting a tune out of them for one reason or another (apart from a very impressive European result). This squad has huge potential and we should really be aiming for 3rd. We still have the likes of Levitt and Cadden to come back in to the fray. If we can build momentum we can be very dangerous. There are goals from everywhere.

I think this is why the calls for LJ to be punted pretty much grew momentum from Inter Escaldes and as the days went on, it was evident that we had the makings of a good football team that was being hampered by poor management.

We're still not the finished article but already you can see the difference in some of these lads getting a fresh chance or some actual genuine instructions.

[Tyler Durden]

I think this new formation makes our squad feel much more balanced. It gets the best out of the forwards (who all need a partner) and so far it suits Jeggo and Newell (and surely will suit Levitt too).

However we're in that honeymoon period where other coaches/teams haven't seen much of how Montgomery wants to set up. I'm interested as to what he might do as a Plan B when his favoured formation might not work. Or when we play Rangers/Celtic also.

But it's like night and day from Johnson. We have clear patterns of play, the players quickly understand where they should be positioned. And they are not panicking or rushing things. The more wins they get, the more they'll trust the strategy too and we'll see little partnerships develop across the park.

Hopefully win the next 2 and take it from there.

[Springbank]

Just a couple of accounts that do analysis on that sort of stuff for the league on twitter:

The backpass rule: https://x.com/TheBackpassRule/status/1706566774723166582?s=20

The Rangers report: https://x.com/TheGersReport/status/1706326374632566853?s=20




I'd back this up fwiw👍

Despite the name, the Rangers Report one is very accurate over the course of a season & the guy who runs it is remarkably balanced for someone born into British Bigotry

Well worth a follow (singular)

[NAE NOOKIE]

Clearly good enough to go up against the non OF clubs and have a chance of winning and it's our failure to pick up points against the likes of St Johnston and Ross County that has hurt us in a lot of seasons, not what we do or don't do against the uglies.

Lets hope we can keep that going against Dundee this Saturday because after that if you wanted to hand Hibs simply the toughest run of fixtures you could, you couldn't pick worse than Hearts away, Sevco away and Celtic at home. If we could pick up 4 points from that run of games I for one would be filled with optimism.

I have no doubt we can score in these games, I'm far from convinced we can prevent the opposition from scoring, we lost 2 poor goals at Kilmarnock and two poor goals last night ... NM praised the St Mirren players for their finishing, I'm willing to bet he wasn't as fulsome in his praise behind closed doors for a defence that left a player totally unmarked at the edge of the box for the first and were far too slow closing down the St Mirren player for the second.

So far so good on the entertainment front though, you cant really complain about 8 goals in our last 3 games :greengrin

[Libby Hibby]

As an attacking team we are pretty good....defensively not so good. League table shows we are 2nd top scorers behind Celtic ( ahead of huns) but one of the worst goals against. We have same GD as hertz having scored 7 more goals than them after only 6 games. Tighten up the defence and we could have a more than decent team capable of 3rd and maybe a cup:wink:.

Since the removal of LJ, it’s 10F and 4A. That is defensive improvement right there. Long may it continue.

[Centre Hawf]

Clearly good enough to go up against the non OF clubs and have a chance of winning and it's our failure to pick up points against the likes of St Johnston and Ross County that has hurt us in a lot of seasons, not what we do or don't do against the uglies.

Lets hope we can keep that going against Dundee this Saturday because after that if you wanted to hand Hibs simply the toughest run of fixtures you could, you couldn't pick worse than Hearts away, Sevco away and Celtic at home. If we could pick up 4 points from that run of games I for one would be filled with optimism.

I have no doubt we can score in these games, I'm far from convinced we can prevent the opposition from scoring, we lost 2 poor goals at Kilmarnock and two poor goals last night ... NM praised the St Mirren players for their finishing, I'm willing to bet he wasn't as fulsome in his praise behind closed doors for a defence that left a player totally unmarked at the edge of the box for the first and were far too slow closing down the St Mirren player for the second.

So far so good on the entertainment front though, you cant really complain about 8 goals in our last 3 games :greengrin

I agree. For the last few years I've always kinda said to people I know that I would perhaps gladly sack off going to watch us play the uglies as it's not a great environment at times and we're usually on a hiding to nothing whether we sit in and try to counter or go press high and catch them off guard.

It's also usually because we get beat and some people you sit round genuinely expected us to run a repeat of the 3-0 wins over Rangers back in the day and turn into right animals about it.

The game on Saturday and St Johnstone last weekend are the actual big matches for us as we need to be picking up wins in them.

[Keith_M]

As an attacking team we are pretty good....defensively not so good. League table shows we are 2nd top scorers behind Celtic ( ahead of huns) but one of the worst goals against. We have same GD as hertz having scored 7 more goals than them after only 6 games. Tighten up the defence and we could have a more than decent team capable of 3rd and maybe a cup:wink:.


Yeah, the goals per game side of things, for and against, is on a whole different level compared to Hearts.

For a neutral, it must be more fun watching our games than theirs... though the goals against isn't great if you're a Hibs Fan.

[ScottB]

The manager / tactics was what was holding us back. I see no reason why we can’t be in the fight for third.

We’re probably still a bit light at the back, but have a wealth of attacking options most other clubs in the division would bite your hand off for.

[JeMeSouviens]

A lot of folk said we had some good players but weren't a good team. I still think we have some pretty thin areas in the squad, but hopefully signs that Monty can build a team out of it.

[Hibbyradge]

Looking forward to seeing Montgomerie's team up against Hearts and the Old Firm.

https://i.postimg.cc/6QQ3h5zY/IMG-20230928-WA0001.jpg

:greengrin

[nonshinyfinish]

https://i.postimg.cc/6QQ3h5zY/IMG-20230928-WA0001.jpg

:greengrin

Am I missing something? The spelling of Montgomery is wrong, but the apostrophe is correct.

[Hibbyradge]

The manager / tactics was what was holding us back. I see no reason why we can’t be in the fight for third.

We’re probably still a bit light at the back, but have a wealth of attacking options most other clubs in the division would bite your hand off for.

We were in the fight for third last season so there's definitely no reason we can't be again.

[JeMeSouviens]

Am I missing something? The spelling of Montgomery is wrong, but the apostrophe is correct.

I'm glad you said that, I was feeling thick. :greengrin

[Hibbyradge]

Am I missing something? The spelling of Montgomery is wrong, but the apostrophe is correct.

Yes, it should be Montgomery's.

I've been waiting to use that cartoon and my patience ran out.

[WeeRussell]

Yes, it should be Montgomery's.

I've been waiting to use that cartoon and my patience ran out.

Now write it out 100 times.

[.Sean.]

Can’t wait til we get the Bill Foley money, maybe a Hollywood star investing too.
?

[lyonhibs]

Yes, it should be Montgomery's.

I've been waiting to use that cartoon and my patience ran out.


Hahaha, glad to have been of service.

[lyonhibs]

?

Jeffers must be a massive Bournemouth fan :agree:

[Col2]

Up front, wide, midfield all seem to be working and we have options. I think we can go into every game with hope that we will create and score goals. The level of genuine hope going into a derby, a tricky away game, a hampden semi or final is now significant higher.

However I can’t help felling that we remain suspect in the centre of defense. Last night, St Mirren had two shots on target and scored both. I still don’t have the confidence we can be very tight at the back or have a goalie who can regularly perform at the highest level required.

If Monty can sort that over the coming weeks and especially in January the. Baring any major injuries we should be in the hunt for 3rd and decent cup runs. If not I can see more ups than under LJ but still some surprises not in a good way!

[basehibby]

I agree with the OP - we have a very dangerous attack supported by a steady looking midfield with Joe Newell pulling the strings while playing the best football of his career. In defence we have a little bit of quality in depth too and with a manager in place who seems set on addressing previous failings, things are looking up.
We had a scattergun approach to transfers last summer but have shown a much more structured approach in the two windows since. Much as many on here will be reluctant to admit it, LJ did contribute to this progress- making big strides forward in Jan by thinning excessive squad numbers while bringing in some select signings to address specific problem areas. This more structured transfer strategy has been further improved with the arrival of McDermott and I think we are now starting to see the fruits of this improved approach - and put this together with the better of last summer's recruits really starting to click (see Miller and Youan) and its all coming together quite nicely.
I'm giving LJ some credit where its due above, but also recognise he had his failings and struggled massively to deliver any consistency of performance. I'm very hopeful that Monty is the man to address this and feel pretty excited about the season ahead.

[Centre Hawf]

Up front, wide, midfield all seem to be working and we have options. I think we can go into every game with hope that we will create and score goals. The level of genuine hope going into a derby, a tricky away game, a hampden semi or final is now significant higher.

However I can’t help felling that we remain suspect in the centre of defense. Last night, St Mirren had two shots on target and scored both. I still don’t have the confidence we can be very tight at the back or have a goalie who can regularly perform at the highest level required.

If Monty can sort that over the coming weeks and especially in January the. Baring any major injuries we should be in the hunt for 3rd and decent cup runs. If not I can see more ups than under LJ but still some surprises not in a good way!

I do agree to an extent, but I'm less concerned about the individuals in defence than our goalkeeper. Conceding just two shots on target in a game is actually not that bad at our level. The issue is Marshall can't seem to stop them anymore. Definitely need to consider Wollacott when he's back.

[Hibby Kay-Yay]

We have a top 6 defence and a top 3 attack. I’d say we are anywhere between 5th at worst and 3rd at best.

[B.H.F.C]

Pretty obvious but we’re as good as anyone in the final third.

We might just need to accept that defensively, things aren’t going to be perfect. With only having the two in the middle of the park there is going to be times where we get exposed, especially when you have an out and out winger on either side. We just need to try and limit the individual mistakes. Left side of the defence is still an area of concern for me. Been saying for long enough that we needed to move on from Hanlon but I’m not convinced that should be with Rocky. And Obita, who I think has done all right last couple of games, still has a fair bit to prove.

Said all along the biggest improvement we could make was in the dugout.

[Vault Boy]

I don’t think many are surprised that a superior coaching staff is getting more out of the players we have at our disposal, particularly in attack. As others have said, there’s work to do, but this squad should never have been in the position we were under Johnson.

[Smartie]

Up front, wide, midfield all seem to be working and we have options. I think we can go into every game with hope that we will create and score goals. The level of genuine hope going into a derby, a tricky away game, a hampden semi or final is now significant higher.

However I can’t help felling that we remain suspect in the centre of defense. Last night, St Mirren had two shots on target and scored both. I still don’t have the confidence we can be very tight at the back or have a goalie who can regularly perform at the highest level required.

If Monty can sort that over the coming weeks and especially in January the. Baring any major injuries we should be in the hunt for 3rd and decent cup runs. If not I can see more ups than under LJ but still some surprises not in a good way!


Pretty obvious but we’re as good as anyone in the final third.

We might just need to accept that defensively, things aren’t going to be perfect. With only having the two in the middle of the park there is going to be times where we get exposed, especially when you have an out and out winger on either side. We just need to try and limit the individual mistakes. Left side of the defence is still an area of concern for me. Been saying for long enough that we needed to move on from Hanlon but I’m not convinced that should be with Rocky. And Obita, who I think has done all right last couple of games, still has a fair bit to prove.

Said all along the biggest improvement we could make was in the dugout.

We do have that dilemma about balancing attacking prowess with defensive strength. The GK, back 4 and DM were all excellent at Aberdeen but we've changed that set up since Montgomery came in. If we were to restore Stevenson and Hanlon to the back line I don't doubt that we'd look more solid defensively but I think we'd sacrifice a bit of attacking threat as well as depriving Rocky of the game time he needs to up his game through experience.

I'm on board with what Montgomery is doing - but sometimes I think we need to be careful not to expect to have our cake and eat it. So far his approach has been to sacrifice a bit of defensive solidity to add to our attacking threat, imo the right thing to do consider the fixtures we've had. It'll be interesting to see what he does through October.

[hibsbollah]

There were three things that really jumped out at me from my view lower in the East. One of the nice thing about Cup games is it gets you out of your usual seat in the stadium and presents you with a different view and sometimes a different take on things.

1. We could have a really good pair of full backs now. Obita saw a lot of the ball first half and he did everything simply and executed everything perfectly. Ive liked him since he arrived and he's showing his qualities now. On the left, Miller is just immense. Physically commanding and dominates his opponent. Very different types of players but it could be the best potential pair since Whittaker/Murphy days. They've clearly been asked to move into different formations and shapes; sometimes Miller is up high past the halfway line from restarts like a winger while on the other side one is deeper, and then they switch. Cadden in particular is going to struggle to get back in to the starting eleven.

2. Options up front. So many options now. Things werent really clicking for Doidge, who has been on a great wee run of form? No problem, we've got Le Fondre who is showing his allround class to come on, Vente, who just seems to look like he knows where the net is, Boyle obviously is always going to be a handful, and Eli who when he's on it can change a game in an instant. Thats before we start talking about young Whittaker (im guessing he can play across the front positions or advanced midfield at this stage in his career. Fish and Miller at the end of crosses and corners into the box for assists and/or goals in recent weeks. There are a lot of goals in this team.

3. Some folk need to cut Rocky a break, certainly where i was sitting. You know theres a little bit of lack of trust at the moment because he's been at the centre of a few of the goals we've conceded recently, but on a wet pitch the ball is just going to come off your foot sclaffed sometimes, it happens. For the groans and abuse to start at that point ten minutes in, is just wrong IMO. I thought he did well for the time he was on, and that tackle just after we equalised at 1-1 was as good as a goal, absolutely tremendous tackle. (Especially considering the amount of times we concede just after we score and then crumble, does my head in!)

4. (OK I said three, but i forgot about...) Joe Newell. He's doing the Dylan McGeough work, the Scott Allan work and can do the Matty Jack role as well now. His progression has been nothing less than astonishing and he seems to be doing it consistently.

All in all, one of the most enjoyable evenings ive had at ER for a while, Dundee cant come soon enough.

[Nakedmanoncrack]

Improving, but still weak defensively. Vente looks like being a rare signing that lives up to expectations, will surely score a lot of goals & we have good attacking options meaning we are finally no longer dependent on one player (Boyle) to be creative. Levit has no doubt been a disappointment, its early days but not seen anything to suggest he's going to get in the team & be a key player.

[PatHead]

Up front, wide, midfield all seem to be working and we have options. I think we can go into every game with hope that we will create and score goals. The level of genuine hope going into a derby, a tricky away game, a hampden semi or final is now significant higher.

However I can’t help felling that we remain suspect in the centre of defense. Last night, St Mirren had two shots on target and scored both. I still don’t have the confidence we can be very tight at the back or have a goalie who can regularly perform at the highest level required.

If Monty can sort that over the coming weeks and especially in January the. Baring any major injuries we should be in the hunt for 3rd and decent cup runs. If not I can see more ups than under LJ but still some surprises not in a good way!

Decent cup runs? We are already in a semi! 😁

[B.H.F.C]

Improving, but still weak defensively. Vente looks like being a rare signing that lives up to expectations, will surely score a lot of goals & we have good attacking options meaning we are finally no longer dependent on one player (Boyle) to be creative. Levit has no doubt been a disappointment, its early days but not seen anything to suggest he's going to get in the team & be a key player.

Harsh on Levitt. He came in playing catch up but played a big part in the Luzern tie. Then got a bad injury and hasn’t played since.

[Jim44]

It’s obviously been a bit of an up and down season so far, with some brutal results mixed in with some really impressive ones, but now we’re settled into the season, i think the signs are there to say we’re actually a pay good team.

We dominated the game yesterday against a St Mirren side who dismantled Hearts at the weekend and have had a great start to the season.

We comfortably beat a crap St Johnstone side and strolled the win at Aberdeen.

With Vente, Boyle, Youan, and either Doidge or ALF, we’ve got a frighteningly good attack.

Is it too early to accept that we might actually be a good side?

Where did you actually see that swallow, Matty? :greengrin Seriously tho’, I think the signs are very promising and I’m feeling 100% more confident today than I was a month or so ago under LJ.

[Iain G]

Decent cup runs? We are already in a semi! 😁

Monty gets a quick semi 😁

[The Captain....]

There's so many elements that make a good side..up until Montgomery's appointment we were sorely lacking one of the most important.

I know one current player at the club, he very rarely gives much away and I rarely ask. However he has been uncharacteristically effusive about the new management team and their effect on the playing staff as a whole. Its music to my ears as I think at a club like ours a harmonious and confident group of players is absolutely vital. We're seeing the good players start to express themselves and the underperformers/less talented improve.

The squad has its strengths and we all pretty much agree where it can improve. The exciting thing for me is the amount of chances we're creating..if we can ( and I think we will over time) tighten up without the ball we're going to be a very decent team by our leagues standards.

I've not had this level of optimism for quite a while..it really feels like for once everyone is pulling in the same direction and there is a clear plan.


Sent from my SM-S906B using Tapatalk

[Up-the-slope]

It’s obviously been a bit of an up and down season so far, with some brutal results mixed in with some really impressive ones, but now we’re settled into the season, i think the signs are there to say we’re actually a pay good team.

We dominated the game yesterday against a St Mirren side who dismantled Hearts at the weekend and have had a great start to the season.

We comfortably beat a crap St Johnstone side and strolled the win at Aberdeen.

With Vente, Boyle, Youan, and either Doidge or ALF, we’ve got a frighteningly good attack.

Is it too early to accept that we might actually be a good side?

The same Team that beat us only a few weeks ago and had yet to be beaten - so a VERY positive result, and more than indications that the squad has quickly bought into the changes and look more comfortable. Too early? Yes - 10/11 games when we have played everyone then we will see. Can we get a result against either of the OF and avoid losing points in 'should win' games

[JimBHibees]

Harsh on Levitt. He came in playing catch up but played a big part in the Luzern tie. Then got a bad injury and hasn’t played since.

Agree disappointing he got injured after it looked he was getting some form. Looks quality on the ball and will be a huge asset imo

[jeffers]

?

Sorry I wasn’t clear. When I read up on Foley I saw that Michael B Jordan was a minority investor in Bournemouth.

[Seafield Scott]

Pleased to see we seem to now have a manager that can motivate the players and start to get a great tune out of them. Early days I know but I have that warm fuzzy feeling about NM. For me it's a pretty decent squad we have with additional potential to come. The attacking threat is excellent now but my slight concern is still the defence. Love Rocky as I do I think he has too many scary moments for my liking and I would be happier if we had more options for LB and CH. In the main though I am happy with the squad and realistically feel we should be pushing for 3rd spot this season - we just need more belief in ourselves.

[DIXIHIBS]

Very early days but NM has connected very quickly with the fans which is hugely important as it gives a "we're all in this together" vibe and it will cut him a bit slack if we have a few dodgy results. Maloney/johnson just didnt have any rapport with the fans and as a result when things went wrong it turned sour quickly.

[Donegal Hibby]

Found Robinson post - match interview strange in that he thought they had total control of the first half :confused:
https://youtu.be/gYql-pZADXw?si=LFVOSmH07AIJm0M0

[Mikey_1875]

Found Robinson post - match interview strange in that he thought they had total control of the first half :confused:
https://youtu.be/gYql-pZADXw?si=LFVOSmH07AIJm0M0

Total control would be a stretch but he would be forgiven for thinking that their game plan was working very well. Limited us to virtually nothing and got their goal. Very good half for an away cup quarter final tie.

Fortunately we turned it on in the second half and they couldn’t live with us.

Edit - not to take the thread off track. Yes we are quite good with a clear system and the players in attack. Early days but promising signs.

[Fuzzywuzzy]

Marshall is still giving me the fear. Maybe just irrational on my part

[One Day Soon]

There were three things that really jumped out at me from my view lower in the East. One of the nice thing about Cup games is it gets you out of your usual seat in the stadium and presents you with a different view and sometimes a different take on things.

1. We could have a really good pair of full backs now. Obita saw a lot of the ball first half and he did everything simply and executed everything perfectly. Ive liked him since he arrived and he's showing his qualities now. On the left, Miller is just immense. Physically commanding and dominates his opponent. Very different types of players but it could be the best potential pair since Whittaker/Murphy days. They've clearly been asked to move into different formations and shapes; sometimes Miller is up high past the halfway line from restarts like a winger while on the other side one is deeper, and then they switch. Cadden in particular is going to struggle to get back in to the starting eleven.

2. Options up front. So many options now. Things werent really clicking for Doidge, who has been on a great wee run of form? No problem, we've got Le Fondre who is showing his allround class to come on, Vente, who just seems to look like he knows where the net is, Boyle obviously is always going to be a handful, and Eli who when he's on it can change a game in an instant. Thats before we start talking about young Whittaker (im guessing he can play across the front positions or advanced midfield at this stage in his career. Fish and Miller at the end of crosses and corners into the box for assists and/or goals in recent weeks. There are a lot of goals in this team.

3. Some folk need to cut Rocky a break, certainly where i was sitting. You know theres a little bit of lack of trust at the moment because he's been at the centre of a few of the goals we've conceded recently, but on a wet pitch the ball is just going to come off your foot sclaffed sometimes, it happens. For the groans and abuse to start at that point ten minutes in, is just wrong IMO. I thought he did well for the time he was on, and that tackle just after we equalised at 1-1 was as good as a goal, absolutely tremendous tackle. (Especially considering the amount of times we concede just after we score and then crumble, does my head in!)

4. (OK I said three, but i forgot about...) Joe Newell. He's doing the Dylan McGeough work, the Scott Allan work and can do the Matty Jack role as well now. His progression has been nothing less than astonishing and he seems to be doing it consistently.

All in all, one of the most enjoyable evenings ive had at ER for a while, Dundee cant come soon enough.

Very good to see you back.

[Tambo]

I would like us to try and cut down on the amount of chances against us, especially in Home games.

A promising start for Monty and for the past few games I have felt much more confident that we will get a result and I think that will continue vs Dundee.

I do expect us to have a few more first halfs like last night but full credit to the staff for getting the boys fired up in the second half.

Some tough games coming up for Monty.

[babahibs]

Yes

[ekhibee]

For me nothing much has changed on the pitch, we're fine mid to front, pretty average at the back. I thought we deserved to beat St Mirren yesterday but the defensive frailties were glaringly obvious IMO.

[CapitalGreen]

For me nothing much has changed on the pitch, we're fine mid to front, pretty average at the back. I thought we deserved to beat St Mirren yesterday but the defensive frailties were glaringly obvious IMO.

27251

[GRA]

Very early days but NM has connected very quickly with the fans which is hugely important as it gives a "we're all in this together" vibe and it will cut him a bit slack if we have a few dodgy results. Maloney/johnson just didnt have any rapport with the fans and as a result when things went wrong it turned sour quickly.

Early days I know, given he's only been in the door less than a month and had 3 games, but been very impressed with the way Monty comes across.

Seems to have formed a strong connection with the players and the fans already. Reminds me of the way Postecoglou did at Celtic & is doing at Tottenham. I'm not saying he's anywhere near his level yet but their friendship could benefit us long term.

And yes we are a good team. Certainly offensively. Defending still needs to be sorted to have a really good season with Monty at the helm.

[Tyler Durden]

For me nothing much has changed on the pitch, we're fine mid to front, pretty average at the back. I thought we deserved to beat St Mirren yesterday but the defensive frailties were glaringly obvious IMO.

How many times did the ball get hoofed last night? Maybe once or twice under pressure for us. Massive change to the “tactics” that Lee Johnson employed this season.

[147lothian]

I thought the passing game we played from back to front was awesome, no signs of being weak in defense or light weight in midfield it was a proper team performance last night.

[Potty78]

First half was poor, Miller seen a lot of the ball but seem scared to take a man on. Second half I thought we were excellent. Pace, quicker passes and Le Fondre very clever. Thought we kept the ball really well most of the night. Jeggo and Newell outstanding. We carry a great threat going forward but I fear we may need to score 2 or more most weeks as our defence not great. Stop leaking goals and we'll be fine. Downside, the abuse Rocky took from one punter behind me was shocking, telling him tae #### off at halftime. We can all get frustrated but that's to far. Roll on sat👍

[matty_f]

I thought the passing game we played from back to front was awesome, no signs of being weak in defense or light weight in midfield it was a proper team performance last night.

I agree with that. I thought we were in control the whole match other than right after their second goal until our third.

I thought there were loads of positive signs and we’re playing very much like a high functioning team.

[Alfred E Newman]

I thought the passing game we played from back to front was awesome, no signs of being weak in defense or light weight in midfield it was a proper team performance last night.

We struggled to create any openings in the first half, as we did against St Johnstone but as Monty said in his interview it's all about wearing down the opposition and keeping them chasing the ball. You can see spaces starting to open up as the game goes on and we were excellent in the second half of both games .

[StockbridgeGoat]

I'll come back to this at the end of October as we've got a brutal month coming up with Hearts, Huns and Tims all to play. It's absolutely essential we take 6 points tomorrow to keep momentum.

[matty_f]

I'll come back to this at the end of October as we've got a brutal month coming up with Hearts, Huns and Tims all to play. It's absolutely essential we take 6 points tomorrow to keep momentum.

It’s unlikely we’re going to get 6 points tomorrow.

[StockbridgeGoat]

It’s unlikely we’re going to get 6 points tomorrow.
:greengrin my error!

[Iain G]

We struggled to create any openings in the first half, as we did against St Johnstone but as Monty said in his interview it's all about wearing down the opposition and keeping them chasing the ball. You can see spaces starting to open up as the game goes on and we were excellent in the second half of both games .

It will be a quick and steep learning curve for him but so far he seems to be able to adapt and inspire. Will be interesting to see how he sets us up against the ugly sisters.

And yes Matty, we are a good team, hopefully now with the right manager and some concentrated style and formation of how we want to play that will bring consistency. It's exciting times!

[JeMeSouviens]

It’s unlikely we’re going to get 6 points tomorrow.

Monty out! :protest:

[Iain G]

It’s unlikely we’re going to get 6 points tomorrow.

If we beat one Dundee team that counts as beating both so we get 6 points 🤣

[hibsbollah]

Very good to see you back.

Thank you my friend. Still fighting the good fight.

[Lancs Harp]

It’s unlikely we’re going to get 6 points tomorrow.

Ah they said that about getting 3 points when when it was only 2 points for a win and now look it three points left right and centre.

Like an 8 dart finish and or winning the 100 meytrs before its actually started. Constant human improvement makes these things inevtiable.

Best add the smiley i guess :)

[James70]

These are exciting times certainly. I get the impression that we don't worry too much about the number of goals we concede as long as we score more.

We are very good when attacking but we do leave our defence quite exposed.

It will be interesting to see how we do against the OF and also on the narrower Tynecastle pitch.

[jacomo]

Monty out! :protest:


The central coast mariners fan will be along soon to tell you off. How very dare you treat Monty this way!

[WhileTheChief..]

Removing LJ was always going to see an upturn in our performances.

Too early to say what impact NM is having, but things are certainly improving and should continue to do so once he can move on the players he doesn't fancy and brings in a couple of new faces.

[Since452]

Removing LJ was always going to see an upturn in our performances.

Too early to say what impact NM is having, but things are certainly improving and should continue to do so once he can move on the players he doesn't fancy and brings in a couple of new faces.

That was kinda my point earlier in the thread. Far too early. The upturn (results wise) started as soon as LJ left with the very comfortable win at Pittodrie under SDG. It will take NM a while to get his ideas and philosophy across. At the moment we're pretty similar performance wise to LJ's games. Pretty mediocre in one 45 and pretty good in the other 45, scoring some good goals and giving away poor goals. Don't get me wrong, 4 points against Killie and St Johnstone and progression in the cup is a good start but i'd have expected that under LJ too. We have the squad to get those kind of results.

Two big things have given him credit in the bank for me though. Not insisting on playing Hanlon and Stevenson at all costs and coming back from 1-0 at HT to win. Can't remember the last time we did that. His triple substitution the other night had me scratching my head but we went on to win so what do i know? Happy with how things are progressing.

[Kato]

HIBEES!

Sent from my SM-A528B using Tapatalk

[B.H.F.C]

That was kinda my point earlier in the thread. Far too early. The upturn (results wise) started as soon as LJ left with the very comfortable win at Pittodrie under SDG. It will take NM a while to get his ideas and philosophy across. At the moment we're pretty similar performance wise to LJ's games. Pretty mediocre in one 45 and pretty good in the other 45, scoring some good goals and giving away poor goals. Don't get me wrong, 4 points against Killie and St Johnstone and progression in the cup is a good start but i'd have expected that under LJ too. We have the squad to get those kind of results.

Two big things have given him credit in the bank for me though. Not playing Hanlon and Stevenson at all costs and coming back from 1-0 at HT to win. Can't remember the last time we did that. His triple substitution the other night had me scratching my head but we went on to win so what do i know? Happy with how things are progressing.

Since LJ left the performances have been nothing like what they were previous.

The performances, Luzern aside, prior to him being sacked were awful, with the exception of a 20 minute spell against St Mirren when they beat us.

We’ve even managed to play twice in the space of a few days without complaint.

[degenerated]

It’s unlikely we’re going to get 6 points tomorrow.Booooo, Montgomery oot.

[Hibbyradge]

It’s unlikely we’re going to get 6 points tomorrow.

He'll be gone by November.