Watford match

[SChibs]

Agree with this. The general feeling at games is fairly positive and then come on here and it really doesn't reflect how the majority of the fans feel. Maybe a few specific posters skewing the narrative?

It's always the same. Have a poor game and immediately posters are claiming we are certainties to be relegated despite having not seen any of our rivals play

[may 21/05/2016]

It's always the same. Have a poor game and immediately posters are claiming we are certainties to be relegated despite having not seen any of our rivals playAgree

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[Alfred E Newman]

Funny reading the negative comments, we're no as bad as you say and SDG already has us set up to play better football than last year.

To be fair, most of the negative comments were aimed at the Hibs TV commentary team.
Absolutely dreadful.

[Northernhibee]

I thought there were some good things to take away from the game. It’s possible that backup to our first team may come better from our youngsters than our fringe players on the first team, and some of the passing was good. Boyle looks more dangerous again. McKirdy looked decent.

We defo need a couple more strikers, another wide player, and a backup left back.

[Bobby's Cinema]

I thought the guys that came on second half that are on the fringes done well. Without giving a backhanded compliment I think the fact our guys coming on had something to prove and were a bit more energetic and in their faces where Watford were treating it at walking pace had a fair bit do with that.I found it quite noticable and amusing when Watford kicked off after going 1-0 down, it was almost like a switch had been flicked from beginner to world class on Fifa the way they immediately went to quick direct slick passing. They will enjoy watching their number 2 this season.

[EGL2000]

How many league places would a decent goalscorer make? From 8th to 4th possibly? Certainly if they can hold up play and stay fit.

Molotnikov is a brilliant bit of timing as well. He'll make mistakes, but I also think he'll materially contribute.

I was really impressed with molotnikov again. Against much better quality as well so nice to see. Vente can hold the ball up well just needs to do it more, the first goal was lovely hold up play for him and knocked it outside for Boyle to cross in.

[DIXIHIBS]

I thought Levitt had a good game last night. Clearly a talented player but very frustrating at times and doesn't show it often enough.

[Heisenberg]

I thought Levitt had a good game last night. Clearly a talented player but very frustrating at times and doesn't show it often enough.

I think he could be useful but he needs his midfield partner to do all the defensive work and Newell isn’t that player.

[EGL2000]

I thought Levitt had a good game last night. Clearly a talented player but very frustrating at times and doesn't show it often enough.

I think he looks fine in these games where you get alot more time on the ball and there is less desire. As soon as the intensity ups in the league I think he really struggles with the pace and physical aspects of the game. Id be punting him, could probably get a fee for him.

[flash]

I think he could be useful but he needs his midfield partner to do all the defensive work and Newell isn’t that player.

That's what I think. He needs the right players around him to flourish.

He had Fuchs at Dundee Utd the season he was outstanding for them.

[Unseen work]

I think Levitt is quality, albeit not shown anywhere near enough for the amount he has

I actually think he was good at the weekend against Kelty. I know the majority will probably go against that because of the score.

But some of his play, passing and even defensively was much better. I think he’s got to play it forward with intensity more though as he’s got the vision and ability to execute it.

I think having a really intelligent number 10 would really benefit him. Someone that finds little pockets of space in between the defence and midfield as Levitt would find them. He should hopefully benefit from grays style too as we want to switch the play a lot more to isolate the wingers.

He done well again last night.

Hopefully he kicks on this season.

Unfortunately his rather languid style will never win some people over.

[B.H.F.C]

Levitt was good when he came on last night. It’s obvious he’s got ability but we need to work out how to use him.

Problem for me is that you’re going to be playing Newell and Campbell. No point in just sticking Levitt in there as well or it’s going to be more of the same.

Whatever the arguments about individuals it’s been a midfield that is less than the sum of its parts for some time now. If we continue sticking those individuals together, it’ll continue to be the case.

[Trinity Hibee]

Levitt was good when he came on last night. It’s obvious he’s got ability but we need to work out how to use him.

Problem for me is that you’re going to be playing Newell and Campbell. No point in just sticking Levitt in there as well or it’s going to be more of the same.

Whatever the arguments about individuals it’s been a midfield that is less than the sum of its parts for some time now. If we continue sticking those individuals together, it’ll continue to be the case.

Cliff and Stuart Lovell were talking about this in commentary last night. He keeps being used as a 6 but that is not his game. Levitt needs to push his way in as an 8 or 10(although they acknowledged we don’t see 10s in the game much now) but he needs to be used ahead of newell. He hasn’t performed to his abilities whilst he’s been here but he probably isn’t being played to his strengths either. His best work at DU was playing higher up so it confuses me we are persisting with him as a 6.

The 3rd goal yesterday was a good example. Fault lies with harbottle for getting in a mess at the touch line but we need a CDM who is aware that the centre of the penalty area needs to be covered which it wasn’t yesterday

[CapitalGreen]

Cliff and Stuart Lovell were talking about this in commentary last night. He keeps being used as a 6 but that is not his game. Levitt needs to push his way in as an 8 or 10(although they acknowledged we don’t see 10s in the game much now) but he needs to be used ahead of newell. He hasn’t performed to his abilities whilst he’s been here but he probably isn’t being played to his strengths either. His best work at DU was playing higher up so it confuses me we are persisting with him as a 6.

The 3rd goal yesterday was a good example. Fault lies with harbottle for getting in a mess at the touch line but we need a CDM who is aware that the centre of the penalty area needs to be covered which it wasn’t yesterday

All of our midfielders would benefit from having a decent defensive midfielder alongside them. There were signs last night and against PAOK that any half decent team can play through us with ease.

[Coco Bryce]

Hopefully he kicks on this season

This has to be without doubt the most used phrase for about 80% of our players for the last three seasons!

[yerauldda]

Some of Levitt's passing last night was still very poor but he was trying to be positive, at least. He tries to do things that our other midfielders don't.I'm going to continue to bang the drum for Amos. I think he's a very good player. His pressing alone last night caused Watford all sorts of problems and he's pretty decent on the ball too. He wasn't great against Kelty and without making excuses for him, it's probably the first time in his professional career he's played an actual game on artificial turf. The point made about a proper defensive midfielder is a good one, I think it's the key to unlocking the strengths of the midfielders at our disposal. Unfortunately too many of them can do the same things to varying degrees of ability.I think in an ideal world you'd have a defensive midfielder, one of Levitt/Newell and one of Amos/Campbell/NMW/JDH. It's all very unbalanced and a pretty damning indictment of recent recruitment that we've continually signed players of a similar profile and ignored the same glaring deficiencies that have been obvious for 3 seasons. I appreciate that on occasion we've tried to fix the DM issue (signing Kenneh) but that was a bit of a gamble on a position that can't really be gambled on.

[yerauldda]

I did paragraph the previous post but hasn't worked for some reason!!

[GreenCastle]

All of our midfielders would benefit from having a decent defensive midfielder alongside them. There were signs last night and against PAOK that any half decent team can play through us with ease.

100%

All our midfielders will improve with a CDM. I don’t understand why we don’t sign one when we lose so many goals in an area where a CDM could be covering.

[WestStandWillie]

Midfield feels completely out of sorts.NMW showed McGinn characteristics on his debut but never really kicked on. He'd a bad injury so hopefully with a proper pre season under his belt we'll see the best of him. Not seen enough of Amos to form an opinion so hopefully he'll add something to the side. Newell's signed a new deal and got the captaincy so he's going nowhere. Campbell is improving season on season - Gray seems to rate him. I think it's end of the road for JDH. Unfortunate with injuries but he probably needs a fresh start elsewhere. I'd also move Levitt on if we were able to get a proper hard ******* into the midfield.

[1875M]

Levitt is a good footballer but is soft as s***. We need people beside him who will run. He was very good at United because he played beside 2 workhorses and he was able to focus on the football side. We don’t have those players at Hibs hence why he’s not playing his best football. The midfield is unbalanced.

[Smartie]

Levitt is a good footballer but is soft as s***. We need people beside him who will run. He was very good at United because he played beside 2 workhorses and he was able to focus on the football side. We don’t have those players at Hibs hence why he’s not playing his best football. The midfield is unbalanced.

I agree with Lovell's point last night about Levitt - for me he's a 10, but one who will occasionally drop deeper in order to create if need be. He needs to be relatively unshackled and relatively unbothered by defensive responsibility.

We've built teams around players before - Scott Allan was deeply flawed, struggled almost everywhere other than at Hibs yet had a couple of managers who managed to find a sweet spot for him where he could use his attributes to quite brilliant effect. Gray needs to find the same for Levitt, I just wonder if Joe Newell is ever going to be the type who can do that sort of thing for Levitt? A base of Newell and NMW and Levitt trying to get up to support a decent striker might work.

This whole "he's always played deeper" stuff - being played in a normal midfield role with normal defensive duties, Levitt will always be abysmal. I don't even think it will be his fault, but he just doesn't have what it takes to play there and any team he plays for in that role will repeatedly pick up minging results and be in deep trouble.

If Youan moves on, Levitt then becomes one of the few players we've got who has that unpredictability factor in the final third and arguably it becomes more important for us to find a way to get him into the team.

[Smartie]

Midfield feels completely out of sorts.NMW showed McGinn characteristics on his debut but never really kicked on. He'd a bad injury so hopefully with a proper pre season under his belt we'll see the best of him. Not seen enough of Amos to form an opinion so hopefully he'll add something to the side. Newell's signed a new deal and got the captaincy so he's going nowhere. Campbell is improving season on season - Gray seems to rate him. I think it's end of the road for JDH. Unfortunate with injuries but he probably needs a fresh start elsewhere. I'd also move Levitt on if we were able to get a proper hard ******* into the midfield.

For now, I think there is mileage in the Newell, NMW, Campbell combo.

Will probably need to see it in a few games against Premier League opposition to be able to say for sure - and it requires probably a new and more effective central striker and Molotnikov to keep playing well in his role.

[Brightside]

For now, I think there is mileage in the Newell, NMW, Campbell combo.

Will probably need to see it in a few games against Premier League opposition to be able to say for sure - and it requires probably a new and more effective central striker and Molotnikov to keep playing well in his role.

Rudi isn't a winger. He can do a job out there but it's not getting the best out of him.

[Smartie]

Rudi isn't a winger. He can do a job out there but it's not getting the best out of him.

Where is he best? As a 10?

I'd heard he was equally comfortable in any of the roles, left right or centre behind a striker.

It's quite hard to argue that Campbell should not be starting games with the goals he's getting right now, but Rudi's not really done anything to deserve getting dropped either and has, as you say, "done a job" out there on the left.

[Dashing Bob S]

Nope. We wanted Simon Murray for the effort he would put in. Mckirdy is showing just as much in this game.

McKirdy a big step up from Murray. The guy had an ongoing health issue probably as long as he was with us, which has now had corrective surgery. He deserves to be treated as a new signing.

[EGL2000]

Levitt isn't the quality of player you won't to be changing the whole system to accommodate though. For me I'd accept it hasn't worked and get him moved on. I imagine we could probably get a few for him as well, which makes it all the more appealing.

[BoomtownHibees]

Where is he best? As a 10?

I'd heard he was equally comfortable in any of the roles, left right or centre behind a striker.

It's quite hard to argue that Campbell should not be starting games with the goals he's getting right now, but Rudi's not really done anything to deserve getting dropped either and has, as you say, "done a job" out there on the left.

Campbell is yet to score in a competitive match this season. Had a few assists tbf

[BoomtownHibees]

For now, I think there is mileage in the Newell, NMW, Campbell combo.

Will probably need to see it in a few games against Premier League opposition to be able to say for sure - and it requires probably a new and more effective central striker and Molotnikov to keep playing well in his role.

Newell, NMW and Campbell is not a great midfield however agree with previous posts that it’s an area of the park we probably won’t look to strengthen at the moment due to how many players we have in there, despite how poor they are

[JohnM1875]

What goals? Campbell is yet to score this season. Had a few assists tbfHuh? Campbell scored last night and against Edinburgh City.

[Unseen work]

Rudi isn't a winger. He can do a job out there but it's not getting the best out of him.

I think he’s looked best wide left for the first team

Maybe development squad etc he’s at his best as a 10. But first team, getting used to the standard and pace etc maybe the wing isn’t a bad thing for him to start with.

Once he develops in the first team then hopefully he can move to the 10

[BoomtownHibees]

Huh? Campbell scored last night and against Edinburgh City.

Sorry, meant in competitive games

[JohnM1875]

Sorry, meant in competitive games

Ah, fair enough 👍

[Smartie]

Campbell is yet to score in a competitive match this season. Had a few assists tbf

Sorry, meant to say a sort of assist / goal combo, which between the league cup games and friendlies has been decent.

Goal contribution I think the kids call it these days.

Either way, I think he's probably earned a place more than anyone with his efforts so far this season.

[Brightside]

Where is he best? As a 10?

I'd heard he was equally comfortable in any of the roles, left right or centre behind a striker.

It's quite hard to argue that Campbell should not be starting games with the goals he's getting right now, but Rudi's not really done anything to deserve getting dropped either and has, as you say, "done a job" out there on the left.

Yeh I agree. - if we played 2 10s it would be perfect. He just doesn't have the pace of a Boyle etc. He will be fine for us, and he works well with Obita. I just think we wont see him shine until he comes more central.

[Alfred E Newman]

This has to be without doubt the most used phrase for about 80% of our players for the last three seasons!

“There’s a player in there” runs it close.

[Colr]

Just for a bit of context: Watford's turnover last season was 86 million. In contrast, Hibs turnover was 12 million.

I realise that doesn't justify any poor parts of the match, like the third goal, but I think we competed pretty well at times against a decent side with a budget we could only dream of.

This is interesting.

Years ago, some accountant or other used to publish a ranking of the financial strength of UK teams. Hibs were usually about the same level as Watford.

Not any more!!! The money in the English league has opened up a chasm. We might be level with Rushden and Diamonds if things continue.