John McGinn takes aim at Hibs over brother’s treatment and slaughters recruitment

[Winston Ingram]

https://www.nottheoldfirm.com/news/john-mcginn-takes-aim-at-hibs-over-brothers-treatment-and-slaughters-recruitment/

[Jones28]

Describes Paul as being hounded out the club, I don't remember this as being the case but maybe something behind the scenes we don't know about.

[hibee_girl]

Describes Paul as being hounded out the club, I don't remember this as being the case but maybe something behind the scenes we don't know about.

He had signed a new contract, triggered by number of appearances he’d made, around three weeks before he moved to Motherwell. It was all a bit strange.

SJM is bang on, the way the club treated Stevenson & Hanlon was awful and we are no better off without them.

[Smartie]

Describes Paul as being hounded out the club, I don't remember this as being the case but maybe something behind the scenes we don't know about.

Sounds like he’s having a bit of a pop at the fans to me, for “hounding out” Lewis and Paul? The club wouldn’t hound them out, they’d just move them on.

I mean - I don’t think I’d disagree. They always got a disproportionate amount of criticism on here imo and I think both players could and should have been used more during their final year, but it’s pretty bold for him to come out and say this

[easty]

He had signed a new contract, triggered by number of appearances he’d made, around three weeks before he moved to Motherwell. It was all a bit strange.

SJM is bang on, the way the club treated Stevenson & Hanlon was awful and we are no better off without them.

There were loads of Hibs fans who were treating those two with the same levels of disrespect as the club was.

[hibee_girl]

There were loads of Hibs fans who were treating those two with the same levels of disrespect as the club was.

I’m not saying there wasn’t. I don’t blame them for leaving.

Everyone should have treated them better :greengrin

[Smartie]

I’m not saying there wasn’t. I don’t blame them for leaving.

Everyone should have treated them better :greengrin

Not everyone, certainly not you.

You were a regular beacon of support for them when they were getting it tight from certain quarters.

I’d like to think I was there with you in recognising a good thing when we had it.

[Greenio]

Did the club 'hound out' Hanlon and Lewi?

Hes spot on about the recruitment and the culture. THATS why we are so bad, not cos if Greys team selection or subs, cos this team is in pieces. Full of loan players and bad apples that dga flyin ****, like Youhan, who folk continue to defend despite him intentionally takin the piss (LJ pics etc)

Jan needs to come fast, he needs out asap for one

[Donegal Hibby]

Did the club hound out these players? In McGinn’s case I would have thought it would be more the manager ( LJ I think ) didn’t want him … as to Hanlon and Stevenson I don’t think they were exactly hounded out rather probably told that their game time would be limited and at their ages I suppose they want to be playing while they can …

For what it’s worth I’d have liked to have kept Paul McGinn as I thought he was decent and a handy player to have though I also thought that about Gogic too ..

All four of them are probably exactly the type of players you’d want now in our position as they’d roll up the selves and get stuck in too .

[Northernhibee]

A notable chunk of peoplestill turn our noses up about the time of Gogic, Paul McGinn, Hanlon and Lewis but also players like Simon Murray, Every single one of them would improve this squad either in terms of ability, consistency, or culture right now.

Nicky Cadden has probably been our best player as of late and there’s still murmurs about his signing.

[TrinityHFC]

A notable chunk of peoplestill turn our noses up about the time of Gogic, Paul McGinn, Hanlon and Lewis but also players like Simon Murray, Every single one of them would improve this squad either in terms of ability, consistency, or culture right now.

Nicky Cadden has probably been our best player as of late and there’s still murmurs about his signing.

More a case of not replacing well enough rather than them leaving being wrong.

[Heisenberg]

More a case of not replacing well enough rather than them leaving being wrong.

Exactly the same issue with our managers since they emptied Ross.

[Billy Whizz]

Well said John McGinn

[Onion]

I’m not saying there wasn’t. I don’t blame them for leaving.

Everyone should have treated them better :greengrin

SJM's pop was not just about hounding players out, it was as much about Hibs not having ready, competent replacements. Players moving clubs is not the problem, recruiting decent replacements is where Hibs have failed miserably for years. This is all on Hibs and nothing to do with fans.

[Since452]

Stewart, Bartley, McGinn. They can't all be wrong.

[CentreLine]

Describes Paul as being hounded out the club, I don't remember this as being the case but maybe something behind the scenes we don't know about.

Lots of abuse aimed at him by fans. Certainly in the west stand. Can only assume it happened elsewhere. He was a good player and we could do with his like now.

[Gatecrasher]

I'm glad he came out and slaughtered the club, the treatment of some of the players has been terrible, I'm glad he landed on his feet with Motherwell and it's clear we made the wrong decision as he is doing better than us right now.

[KeithTheHibby]

Describes Paul as being hounded out the club, I don't remember this as being the case but maybe something behind the scenes we don't know about.

I don't think the club can be blamed for Paul McGinn leaving - surely that decision was down to Lee Johnson?

[Exuberance1875]

Stewart, Bartley, McGinn. They can't all be wrong.

This!

[GlesgaeHibby]

A notable chunk of peoplestill turn our noses up about the time of Gogic, Paul McGinn, Hanlon and Lewis but also players like Simon Murray, Every single one of them would improve this squad either in terms of ability, consistency, or culture right now.

Nicky Cadden has probably been our best player as of late and there’s still murmurs about his signing.

Spot on. Not the best players in the world, but excellent attitude and application week in, week out. Exactly what we're missing.

[snedzuk]

Lots of abuse aimed at him by fans. Certainly in the west stand. Can only assume it happened elsewhere. He was a good player and we could do with his like now.

At Alloa - might have been that BSC Glasgow game - Paul came over to take a throw and someone shouted 'Your'e better than your brother Paul' and he turned around and said 'Tell that to my bank balance'.

[Unseen work]

To me hounded out is a term you would use towards the fans and not the recruitment team

[Jim44]

It’s all really depressing. I think nearly everyone is now aware of the seriousness of our position. Relegation, which normally would be scoffed at by most, is now a screaming reality, but, without being alarmist, I fear that our fate in the longer term could be even worse and it wouldn’t surprise me if we stayed in the football wilderness for years to come. Bar the fairly recent relegation of the Huns and Jambos, which had extenuating circumstances, our potential relegation will be purely because of the crap quality of the team, as a result of incompetence at every level.

[THESHIP]

Paul McGinn for me was a solid 7/10 most weeks and was consistently a reliable performer who often went underappreciated. Since his departure it has highlighted the gap left behind, especially given the struggles of Miller and Cadden, who have yet to deliver performances at that level. If you choose to move on from solid, dependable players, it’s crucial to ensure that the replacements are not only of equal quality but an actual upgrade. The same logic applies to Hanlon and Stevenson—letting them go without bringing in stronger, more consistent alternatives has weakned the squad overall and has contributed to us being where we are just now.

[Tyler Durden]

I don't think the club can be blamed for Paul McGinn leaving - surely that decision was down to Lee Johnson?

I think Lee Johnson was presented with Lewis Miller and asked to develop him, having had nothing to do with him signing. He would then have told McGinn that he wasn't gonna play much. McGinn being a good pro decided to move on, rather than sit and pick up wages like a JDH or Kenneh. To be fair, McGinn was probably able to get his Hibs wage matched at Motherwell.

Just my take on it.

[Unseen work]

Paul McGinn for me was a solid 7/10 most weeks and was consistently a reliable performer who often went underappreciated. Since his departure it has highlighted the gap left behind, especially given the struggles of Miller and Cadden, who have yet to deliver performances at that level. If you choose to move on from solid, dependable players, it’s crucial to ensure that the replacements are not only of equal quality but an actual upgrade. The same logic applies to Hanlon and Stevenson—letting them go without bringing in stronger, more consistent alternatives has weakned the squad overall and has contributed to us being where we are just now.

I’m the same, I really like Paul McGinn.

Good defender, good on the ball, for forward and was a really good professional.

A signing a lot probably turned their nose up at.

There are loads of players similar to Paul in this league who would improve us and be good signings but fans won’t like the thought of them to begin with.

We need to start picking up the best players in the league again imo

[Trinity Hibee]

Paul McGinn would probably be starting even now if he was still here.

Thing is though, we should be looking for better than an aging Paul and Lewis but the problem is we’ve ****ed up with replacements. Players brought in have been worse than those that have left

[Steve20]

He's clearly talking about the club. Lewis was loved by the support. Hanlon got a bit of stick on twitter but seemed liked by the majority. Paul McGinn was an ok player for us and I can't recall much 'hounding' from the support.

Love SJM, but it's very poor from him if he is having a go at the support.

You can critisise poor performances without it being hounded out a club.

[Trinity Hibee]

He's clearly talking about the club. Lewis was loved by the support. Hanlon got a bit of stick on twitter but seemed liked by the majority. Paul McGinn was an ok player for us and I can't recall much 'hounding' from the support.

Love SJM, but it's very poor from him if he is having a go at the support.

You can critisise poor performances without it being hounded out a club.

I didn’t read it as him having a go at the fans tbh

[hibsbollah]

He's clearly talking about the club. Lewis was loved by the support. Hanlon got a bit of stick on twitter but seemed liked by the majority. Paul McGinn was an ok player for us and I can't recall much 'hounding' from the support.

Love SJM, but it's very poor from him if he is having a go at the support.

You can critisise poor performances without it being hounded out a club.

I don't think its poor at all, its his opinion.
Do you think as a fan base we are immune from criticism at this point? Personally, it does my head in how some folk react to individual players.

[ekhibee]

More a case of not replacing well enough rather than them leaving being wrong.

Totally agree.

[ChuckNor]

The club did hound out all three. That’s a fact. Ian Gordon (head of recruitment at the time) wanted us to move to a model of signing sellable assets. Paul was not deemed this. Chris Cadden and Lewis Miller were. Go figure.

[Tyler Durden]

The club did hound out all three. That’s a fact. Ian Gordon (head of recruitment at the time) wanted us to move to a model of signing sellable assets. Paul was not deemed this. Chris Cadden and Lewis Miller were. Go figure.

Cadden wasn't part of that strategy. He was the prior recruitment team, when the signings around that time were likes of Jackson Irvine, Gogic, Nisbet, Wright, JDH.

Rocky and Miller were though and as McGinn and Stewart allude to, they've been disasters. Both also typify the lack of basic organisation/planning, Miller coming in when Paul McGinns extension had already been triggered. Hibs got lucky that McGinn was happy to leave really. And Rocky - we know all about that shambles.

[Since452]

I mentioned Paul McGinn on the "better than you thought they would be" thread. Paul was as steady as they come and came with with the family attitude. Terrific pro. Though he was a very clever signing and was disappointed when he was moved on.

[Pretty Boy]

I think it was time for Stevenson and Hanlon to go. I've seen them both for Raith twice this season and neither has been an absolute stand out at the level. Decent enough but if they had never been here before no one would be saying they were the answer to any of our problems. The issue isn't moving older players on at Hibs. It's the quality of the players we have brought in to replace them.

Same goes for McGinn. He was a steady Eddie at the level. By all means let him go if you can replace him with better. We failed to do that quite spectacularly and therein lie the problem yet again.

[HibsGW]

I mentioned Paul McGinn on the "better than you thought they would be" thread. Paul was as steady as they come with the family attitude. Terrific pro. Though he was a very clever signing and was disappointed when he was moved on.

Yeh we’re too keen to move on the good solid dependable players like McGinn, Gogic, Bartley etc, these guys continually do a good job in the first team and we start to get bored of it and say “ah there’s better players out there” as if it’s an easy job improving on a 7/10 every week sort of player. We should be building the team around those type of players and adding in bits of quality to complement them. Instead we end up with a full squad of project players, none proven and we have no dependable pros left.

[Winston Ingram]

Sounds like he’s having a bit of a pop at the fans to me, for “hounding out” Lewis and Paul? The club wouldn’t hound them out, they’d just move them on.

I mean - I don’t think I’d disagree. They always got a disproportionate amount of criticism on here imo and I think both players could and should have been used more during their final year, but it’s pretty bold for him to come out and say this

I don't remember them being hounded out?

[Since452]

Yeh we’re too keen to move on the good solid dependable players like McGinn, Gogic, Bartley etc, these guys continually do a good job in the first team and we start to get bored of it and say “ah there’s better players out there” as if it’s an easy job improving on a 7/10 every week sort of player. We should be building the team around those type of players and adding in bits of quality to complement them. Instead we end up with a full squad of project players, none proven and we have no dependable pros left.

Totally agree

[Pedantic_Hibee]

I think it was time for Stevenson and Hanlon to go. I've seen them both for Raith twice this season and neither has been an absolute stand out at the level. Decent enough but if they had never been here before no one would be saying they were the answer to any of our problems. The issue isn't moving older players on at Hibs. It's the quality of the players we have brought in to replace them.

Same goes for McGinn. He was a steady Eddie at the level. By all means let him go if you can replace him with better. We failed to do that quite spectacularly and therein lie the problem yet again.

Yep, fully agree. A team of Paul McGinns will comfortably have you between 5th and 7th each year so I see no issue in a club of our size looking to move them on as we aim for 3rd and 4th spot. Unfortunately for us, Ian Gordon decided to replace the Paul McGinns with a team of Lewis Millers which has us comfortably between 8th and 12th each year.

[DJ HIBBY]

Totally agree

Yep, we had players like John O’Neill, Stuart Lovell, Mixu and Gary Smith who worked hard along side quality like Sauzee and Latapy. You need these solid pros in your team.

[Pedantic_Hibee]

Yep, we had players like John O’Neill, Stuart Lovell, Mixu and Gary Smith who worked hard along side quality like Sauzee and Latapy. You need these solid pros in your team.

Paul Fenwick and Gary Smith were immeasurably better with a Franck Sauzee beside them.

Pre-season, David Gray spoke of getting solid, character rich professionals in and we would supplement them with “a sprinkle of stardust”.

Instead we got characterless charlatans and no stardust.

[ekhibee]

Yep, we had players like John O’Neill, Stuart Lovell, Mixu and Gary Smith who worked hard along side quality like Sauzee and Latapy. You need these solid pros in your team.

John O'Neil was a quality player as well, but I know what you mean.

[green day]

https://www.nottheoldfirm.com/news/john-mcginn-takes-aim-at-hibs-over-brothers-treatment-and-slaughters-recruitment/

He is absolutely right.

Wonder if anyone at the club will read and be embarrassed by that article from a Scotland hero and Aston Villa captain?

After all, they dont give a monkeys what we fans think, despite it being broadly similar.

[Lago]

Saying pretty much what's been said on here over the last few years and have we had a better right back since Paul McGinn left, I don't think so.

[Gatecrasher]

He is absolutely right.

Wonder if anyone at the club will read and be embarrassed by that article from a Scotland hero and Aston Villa captain?

After all, they dont give a monkeys what we fans think, despite it being broadly similar.

If they're not embarrassed by the state they have put the club in, why would they be embarrassed by this?

[HoboHarry]

If they're not embarrassed by the state they have put the club in, why would they be embarrassed by this?
Daft comment, how do you know they aren't? They may not have been very good at what they are doing thus far but you are implying that they don't care.

[mcohibs]

Yeh we’re too keen to move on the good solid dependable players like McGinn, Gogic, Bartley etc, these guys continually do a good job in the first team and we start to get bored of it and say “ah there’s better players out there” as if it’s an easy job improving on a 7/10 every week sort of player. We should be building the team around those type of players and adding in bits of quality to complement them. Instead we end up with a full squad of project players, none proven and we have no dependable pros left.

Absolutely spot on.

[Gatecrasher]

Daft comment, how do you know they aren't? They may not have been very good at what they are doing thus far but you are implying that they don't care.

Trust the process was the dumbest comment yet, everyone could see the car crash that was coming :rolleyes:

It's not that they don't care, I think they are too full of themselves to be embarrassed.

[DaveF]

He's right about the crap recruitment. I mean, we even found room for his brother Stephen but he probably didnt mention that.

[HarpOnHibee]

More a case of not replacing well enough rather than them leaving being wrong.

Perhaps if we focused on building a solid team overall made up of these kind of players, we'd actually get somewhere. We're too quick to turn our noses up at players that are merely solid and don't look like anything particularly special on their own. But 11 solid players on the park is all you need at this level to get at least half way up the table, if not more.

Our club seems to have an issue where by they judge players on a purely individual basis, rather than considering the bigger picture of how these players can combine together to create a solid functioning unit overall. Instead we bring in players who flatter to deceive. Players who may have a trick or two about them. But when you bunch them all together in a team, they perform as individuals rather than a solid unit capable of winning games.

I'd much rather we had a team made up of relatively average players who all play well together as opposed to players with more flashy skills about them, but only when presented with an empty room.

[B.H.F.C]

The club did hound out all three. That’s a fact. Ian Gordon (head of recruitment at the time) wanted us to move to a model of signing sellable assets. Paul was not deemed this. Chris Cadden and Lewis Miller were. Go figure.

More so with Hanlon and Stevenson, I don’t see that as being hounded out. Their contracts came to and end and they left (and many thought it was time for them to leave as well).

The club wanted to go a different direction and the merits of that are up for debate. But players leaving when their contract expires isn’t the same as the club hounding them out IMO.

[DIXIHIBS]

Perhaps if we focused on building a solid team overall made up of these kind of players, we'd actually get somewhere. We're too quick to turn our noses up at players that are merely solid and don't look like anything particularly special on their own. But 11 solid players on the park is all you need at this level to get at least half way up the table, if not more.

Our club seems to have an issue where by they judge players on a purely individual basis, rather than considering the bigger picture of how these players can combine together to create a solid functioning unit overall. Instead we bring in players who flatter to deceive. Players who may have a trick or two about them. But when you bunch them all together in a team, they perform as individuals rather than a solid unit capable of winning games.

I'd much rather we had a team made up of relatively average players who all play well together as opposed to players with more flashy skills about them, but only when presented with an empty room.

Spot on.

[wookie70]

I think it was time for Stevenson and Hanlon to go. I've seen them both for Raith twice this season and neither has been an absolute stand out at the level. Decent enough but if they had never been here before no one would be saying they were the answer to any of our problems. The issue isn't moving older players on at Hibs. It's the quality of the players we have brought in to replace them.

Same goes for McGinn. He was a steady Eddie at the level. By all means let him go if you can replace him with better. We failed to do that quite spectacularly and therein lie the problem yet again.

No idea if it would have suited either of them but I think I would have tried to have them as squad players and used them to keep the dressing room right etc. I doubt either was on very much cash and they would both be worthy squad players. Fair enough if that didn't suit them and they wanted to play every week but we were never getting better at that price point imo. As it is I think Hanlon would likely be a regular and Lewis would have added to his appearances with sub outings and replacing Obita when he had a brain fart.

Totally agree though that it is who is coming in that is the biggest problem. Same could be said for Gogic, Laidlaw, Debrowski and McGiin. All of them are better than what we have and were likely far cheaper. Becoming a club that sells on talent is a good plan but you have to accept the whole team can't be gambles and that most won't work out. Nisbet is a good example of a no brainer who we made a few quid out of and who did a decent turn for us. Players highly rated abroad come with a massive risk imo as most can't cope with the physical side, robust nature of our game and the sheer pace of play. I'd far rather sign the best players in our Championship than the likes of Melkerson albeit we made cash from that deal ultimately

[Smartie]

Saying pretty much what's been said on here over the last few years and have we had a better right back since Paul McGinn left, I don't think so.

I really liked Paul McGinn.

Given RB has often been a problem position for us, I’d go as far as to say we’ve not had all that many better than him.

He was a very capable player in what was our last decent side.

[Paulie Walnuts]

Daft comment, how do you know they aren't? They may not have been very good at what they are doing thus far but you are implying that they don't care.

They don’t care enough, that’s for sure. The half arsed nature of everything they done over the summer proves that.

[eastmainsmsh]

Wake up Hibees they are making us a laughing stock 100 % correct

[bingo70]

I really liked Paul McGinn.

Given RB has often been a problem position for us, I’d go as far as to say we’ve not had all that many better than him.

He was a very capable player in what was our last decent side.

My memory of Paul McGinn was him really surprising me, he was a much better signing than i expected him to be.

I also remember him having a really tough few months before he was moved on. In hindsight he was maybe just going through a bad spell but at the time I thought he initially over achieved or performed but was gradually reverting back to the level that reflected his career prior to joining us.

[HarpOnHibee]

Daft comment, how do you know they aren't? They may not have been very good at what they are doing thus far but you are implying that they don't care.

Would you say our performances are reflective of a squad of players that really care? If we were simply losing games to great pieces of skill and high quality attacking from the opposition after putting in a gutsy determined performance against them, then sure, you could argue that these players do care but are simply not good enough. That isn't the case though. Teams don't even have to play that well against us to put 3 or 4 goals past us. We basically do it for them. This lot are not simply bad, they fold like a deck of cards. That's not an issue of lacking skill or ability, that's an issue of attitude.

[AdidasHibernian]

He is spot on with the article.

Paul Mcginn was always a solid 7/10 player. I liked him you knew what you got. Was sorry when he left.

Says it all when years down the line we haven't had a better player in that position since him.

[eastmainsmsh]

Apart from Molotnikov when the next youngsters going to get a chance must be better than crap we play every week do the owners want us to go down clear decks then start again it’s shocking

[CapitalGreen]

Saying pretty much what's been said on here over the last few years and have we had a better right back since Paul McGinn left, I don't think so.

Egan-Riley and Harry Clarke were both better RBs than Paul McGinn.

[Donegal Hibby]

They don’t care enough, that’s for sure. The half arsed nature of everything they done over the summer proves that.

They made mistakes alright though as to them not caring I think they are two different things .. the first one I agree they have , the second one in they don’t care I don’t agree with as I think they do genuinely care ..

[Billy Whizz]

Egan-Riley and Harry Clarke were both better RBs than Paul McGinn.

You talk some garbage on here. Clarke played 7 times for Hibs and CJ around 14, in a mixture of positions
McGiin played 70 times so there’s no comparison

[Hiber-nation]

You talk some garbage on here. Clarke played 7 times for Hibs and CJ around 14, in a mixture of positions
McGiin played 70 times so there’s no comparison

Exactly, how can you compare to a couple of loanees that we couldn't afford to buy anyway. Paul McGinn was a very underrated player and we've missed him badly. He went through a wee rough spell but came through it and should have been kept.

[LNHibs]

McGinn was a decent SPL player. Never brilliant for us but never let us down, and while I do agree that you need guys like him around the place, we have the financial power to get better players than him, Gogic & Bartley. As mentioned 100 times on here, it's replacing these guys we struggle with, and that's the scary thing. Replacing guys like Mcginn or Porto is difficult because they are a class above, our attempts at replacing average SPL players with some of the dross that walks through the doors at ER is laughable at times.

By no means am I slating the guys mentioned above, all came in and done a good job, but were paying guys double what they earned and getting no where near the returns.

[Smartie]

Egan-Riley and Harry Clarke were both better RBs than Paul McGinn.

Clarke probably was but did he even ever play there for us? I remember him being injured and playing LWB mainly.

Egan-Riley was a good player and our team was poorer by the time he was with us but I'd have probably had him level with McGinn.

I started going early 90s. First spell Whittaker and De la Cruz were both excellent going forward and probably the best right backs we've had in my time watching Hibs - allowing for both being suspect and open defensively.

McGinn's probably in a bunch of players of similar ability - Willie Miller, Derek Collins, Egan-Riley just a bit behind Whittaker and De la Cruz. We've played a lot of 3 at the back and wingbacks which takes out a few folk but there's a whole world of Michael Renwick, Michael Hart, the current incumbents, Alan Maybury and so on who were nowhere near as good as Paul McGinn.

Right back really isn't a position in which he have excelled in recent years.

[CapitalGreen]

You talk some garbage on here. Clarke played 7 times for Hibs and CJ around 14, in a mixture of positions
McGiin played 70 times so there’s no comparison

Thanks BR, hope you’re keeping well.

[Hibiza]

Egan-Riley and Harry Clarke were both better RBs than Paul McGinn.

10/10.

[1875M]

Players like Paul McGinn, Paul Hanlon and Lewis Stevenson are important to have around the place. They are solid pro’s who set a good standard, kept the dressing room in line and probably made the mangers job a little bit easier. Whilst I agree they are not the best players in the world, that’s where we’ve went wrong. We’ve replaced solid SPFL pro’s, 7/10 every week, who get on with their job, with journeyman and players who clearly don’t care. Players attitude and personality is just as important as their ability. Any top team, in any sport, talk about culture. That’s set in the dressing room and by the manager. At the moment, our culture is all wrong.

[CapitalGreen]

Exactly, how can you compare to a couple of loanees that we couldn't afford to buy anyway. Paul McGinn was a very underrated player and we've missed him badly. He went through a wee rough spell but came through it and should have been kept.

Fairly easily actually, in the same way that I can compare Maolida with Jamie Murphy despite being a loanee who only played a handful of games and we couldn’t afford to buy him.

[Hiber-nation]

Fairly easily actually, in the same way that I can compare Maolida with Jamie Murphy despite being a loanee who only played a handful of games and we couldn’t afford to buy him.

Good stuff 👍

[JimBHibees]

I think it was time for Stevenson and Hanlon to go. I've seen them both for Raith twice this season and neither has been an absolute stand out at the level. Decent enough but if they had never been here before no one would be saying they were the answer to any of our problems. The issue isn't moving older players on at Hibs. It's the quality of the players we have brought in to replace them.

Same goes for McGinn. He was a steady Eddie at the level. By all means let him go if you can replace him with better. We failed to do that quite spectacularly and therein lie the problem yet again.

Yes exactly this

[JimBHibees]

He's right about the crap recruitment. I mean, we even found room for his brother Stephen but he probably didnt mention that.

:greengrin

[Jock O]

By no means am I slating the guys mentioned above, all came in and done a good job, but were paying guys double what they earned and getting no where near the returns.

I think this is the key here, and sums up the deficiencies in our recruitment process to date perfectly, and why its key we really target a couple, 3 hopefully, of positions in January to get significant improvements. There is still a risk at our level obviously, they will underperform more than not, but again that is part of recruitments job to hopefully get the right people. I do think its an incredibly difficult ask, one we often underestimate, at our level. Like it or not Joe Newell's or Rocky Bushiri's equivalents that don't make mistakes are unlikely to come to Hibs permanently, especially currently, so there is a selling job too across the organisation, and like it or not we need to take an element of risk, hopefully managed, to achieve these improvements. The key decision I think on what level we get is if we decide to target the big improvements on a short term basis, i.e. loan for the 6 months, or look for permanent additions. I think the risk of permanent in January, other than pre contract signings, is much higher, so there is a lot of work to do.

I more worry we will start to fill the team with proficient SPL players, like the Paul McGinns, who I was a fan of and didn't want him to go, but if we now take that as our strategy going forward then to me its like back to before all this begun, and solidifying our position as in or around top 6. I appreciate that is an improvement on now but this journey was meant to move us on beyond that, and I think it still can, maybe a hybrid model of recruitment to start with and build on that, but I think it is key we target a couple of decent loan improvements for this season and then 2 or 3 for permanent next season. It is really all about now if we can fix the recruitment process, maybe more important than having the right coach by next season for me at this moment in time.