Giving Credit

[matty_f]

When things were at their worst earlier this season, blame was getting handed out left right and centre -the board, the Gordons, Kensell, Malky, Gray, McDermott, BKFC/Foley, the coaching team, Newell all came under fire individually and at times collectively.

So now things have turned, top six is assured and we're right in the hunt for third place - how do you apply the credit?

Was there anyone held accountable that now has to be given credit on the same criteria?

[Greenworld]

You know it's a great question and I would love to know the Answer.
I really do not know .

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[JimBHibees]

When things were at their worst earlier this season, blame was getting handed out left right and centre -the board, the Gordons, Kensell, Malky, Gray, McDermott, BKFC/Foley, the coaching team, Newell all came under fire individually and at times collectively.

So now things have turned, top six is assured and we're right in the hunt for third place - how do you apply the credit?

Was there anyone held accountable that now has to be given credit on the same criteria?

Malky Mackay for me. Clearly the football department is working incredibly well at the moment

[HIBS NUTS]

When things were at their worst earlier this season, blame was getting handed out left right and centre -the board, the Gordons, Kensell, Malky, Gray, McDermott, BKFC/Foley, the coaching team, Newell all came under fire individually and at times collectively.

So now things have turned, top six is assured and we're right in the hunt for third place - how do you apply the credit?

Was there anyone held accountable that now has to be given credit on the same criteria?
Mostly SDG, he kept calm, whilst every thing, and almost everyone was panicking, including me, he has turned it round, by sticking to his principles, and sticking by his squad.

[cubehindthegoal]

When things were at their worst earlier this season, blame was getting handed out left right and centre -the board, the Gordons, Kensell, Malky, Gray, McDermott, BKFC/Foley, the coaching team, Newell all came under fire individually and at times collectively.

So now things have turned, top six is assured and we're right in the hunt for third place - how do you apply the credit?

Was there anyone held accountable that now has to be given credit on the same criteria?

Such a good point, and would be good to hear from more vocal negative posters on this. I mean that genuinely, I get some fans can be negative - sometimes - and so where their positives are now applied is very interesting and pertinent.

For me, the players and manager deserve the most .. they’ve done it. But fair play that there is more beyond that too.

[Pretty Boy]

That ref who sent off Obita and forced us to change shape.

Seriously though I think credit is due across the board. Our recruitment looked markedly different in the summer and given time that has played out well. That probably means credit to Ian Gordon for admitting his mistakes and letting someone fix the mess and to Mackay and Gray for making a fairly quick impact. Definitely to Gray for staying calm when everyone else was losing their heads and indeed to the board for backing him. Sacking him after the Dundee game would have been the easy thing to do, a sacrificial lamb for those baying for blood, but they backed him and have been rewarded.

It's also not really in the spirit of the thread but I think Kensell going has been a positive. Not necessarily in the way things are being done but in the sense he was divisive and a lightning rod for either OTT criticism or gushing praise to try and counteract that. Whether he chose to go or was removed it's been a positive step for unity imo.

[SHODAN]

Gray above all others imo. Turned around a misfiring squad of players.

Credit also due to Ian Gordon for taking a step back, firing Kensell and letting MacKay and Gray run things.

[Hibspur]

Malky Mackay for me. Clearly the football department is working incredibly well at the moment

He certainly took a lot of flak for appointing David Gray, who a lot of fans felt was simply the cheap option. Gray himself also took a lot of flak for being part of several 'failed' managerial/coaching teams so he's also made people eat humble pie.

Thinking about it, Gray could probably quite easily have found himself out of a job on several occasions when new managers came in so we should be thankful he endured and is now showing what he can do as his own man. To be fair, he always did a pretty sound job on the numerous occasions he was in interim charge.

[B.H.F.C]

Gray is the obvious one. I still think he got a bit of luck in terms of being forced in to the changes a bit. But once that side of things was done, it worked because the players had clearly stayed with him.

McKay - The summer window has worked out well and we already look like we’re being sensible about next season with the signing of McGrath.

Think it’ll be next season before we know what kind of impact the Black Knights are having now that they are, belatedly, properly involved.

[Billy Bunter 07]

Credit goes to the guys taking a step back, admitting it was the right thing to do for the sake of the club. Credit also to our lord and saviour Sir Dave, MMc and the rest of the footballing operations but also the players for having the baws to turn it around where it matters, on the field of play.

[Libby Hibby]

Block 7 for the upside down banner

[Billy Bunter 07]

He certainly took a lot of flak for appointing David Gray, who a lot of fans felt was simply the cheap option. Gray himself also took a lot of flak for being part of several 'failed' managerial/coaching teams so he's also made people eat humble pie.

Thinking about it, Gray could probably quite easily have found himself out of a job on several occasions when new managers came in so we should be thankful he endured and is now showing what he can do as his own man. To be fair, he always did a pretty sound job on the numerous occasions he was in interim charge.
MMc didn’t appoint SDG.

[Northernhibee]

I’ve recently had to give credit to Ian Gordon and as things stand, will continue to do so.

He appears to have realised that he’s not a football man and has a lot to learn and is doing the best thing he can - let experts do their job whilst he ponies up for the losses made partly through all the mistakes made.


It’s not easy or palatable to eat humble pie but to appear to take a big step back deserves credit.

We do need to start being financially sustainable under our own steam soon though.

[Jack]

Whoever pushed Kensell.

[leith lynx]

Whoever suggested changing to white shorts and socks.

[Broken Gnome]

Rocky Bushiri.

[McD]

Gray, and by extension his coaching team (I was one who thought he should go some months ago)
McKay, for keeping his head and making signings (along with Gray and the scouting team) who have largely made a positive impact - apart from Kwon and arguably Myko, have any failed?
Ian Gordon for hearing the voices telling him to step back, and empowering good people to make a difference
The players, who to a man have bought into the manager and his team, and look a really cohesive group. This is particularly true for those players who were on the periphery at the beginning of the season but have taken their chance and shone when on the pitch

[Ribs1875]

I credit Gray for having the decency to realise his tactics at the start of the season were pish. Since he changed the system the players and coaching staff bought into it.

I was thinking the other day there, our January transfer window neither weakened or improved us. Yet we have maintained the good results. So the manager, players and coaching staff have really shielded the board and behind the scenes folk. Supporters as usual have backed the club. Long may it continue.

[cubehindthegoal]

I credit Gray for having the decency to realise his tactics at the start of the season were pish. Since he changed the system the players and coaching staff bought into it.

I was thinking the other day there, our January transfer window neither weakened or improved us. Yet we have maintained the good results. So the manager, players and coaching staff have really shielded the board and behind the scenes folk. Supporters as usual have backed the club. Long may it continue.

I thought we did good in the January window, and many just might look back in future and see its benefit. We are sorting ourselves out at last, and all credit to the team and manager, and this no doubt should be shared beyond that too somewhat.

[Donegal Hibby]

I think everyone at the club can take a bit of credit but for me especially I think the Gordon family deserve an awful lot in their financial support to the changes made like the appointments of MM and DG which were brave as both appointments didn’t really have everyone happy or on board at the time and then…

To stick by David Gray when things were bad when most owners / boards would have pulled the trigger..

Malky McKay also seems to have been a good appointment as well …

I’m sure Ron would be proud of the progress the football club has made this season so far .

Onwards and upwards as they say …

GGTTH :flag:

[Ribs1875]

I thought we did good in the January window, and many just might look back in future and see its benefit. We are sorting ourselves out at last, and all credit to the team and manager, and this no doubt should be shared beyond that too somewhat.

We did well to get a few out the door indeed, Menneh is probably one for next season, although he and Youan could maybe string a run of games during the split.

[Vini1875]

I agree with many of the names mentioned across the whole club.

Also Joe Newell played the captain's part, cancelled the xmas do and got the players together for a clear the air meeting just before the Aberdeen game. The results of which were clear to see.

[Pagan Hibernia]

Whoever suggested changing to white shorts and socks.

This. Best football kit decision since Ferguson binned United's grey one at halftime.

[Northernhibee]

Whoever pushed Kensell.

The place feels so much better with him gone. He’d make a very entertaining candidate on The Apprentice.

[PatHead]

This. Best football kit decision since Ferguson binned United's grey one at halftime.

Eddie May told me it was the kitman who suggested it.

[Onion]

Sure it's been a team effort, with lots of contributing factors. But in the absence of specifics, I have no problem heaping all praise on SDG. After all, if this had continued to go tits up in Dec, he would have been the first to lose his job.

So all hail Sir David Gray for the most spectacular of transformations of a Hibs team. Deserves all the plaudits coming his way. :thumbsup:

[HoboHarry]

To everyone with influence inside the club who could have spoken about firing SDG but didn't. Individual errors were kicking our collective erses for the most part and we just couldn't go on being that unlucky indefinately. Anyway, long may this continue....

[NAE NOOKIE]

Whoever suggested changing to white shorts and socks.

:agree: This club should never pair green shorts with the home top ever again ..... I know we won the league cup in 07 in a strip like that, but I hated it then and I hated it when we announced we were going to do it this season. Hibs should ALWAYS play in white shorts, not as fussed with the socks, though for me green with white turnovers is classic Hibs.

As for our upturn in fortunes. If you batter folk for things when we fail, then you have to give folk credit when we do better, so well done to everybody involved with the club, but especially SDG who as folk are saying kept the heid when everybody else was panicking ... not least of all me :greengrin

We did have a few things go our way that might not have .... EG Nicky Cadden turning out to be so good and Jack Iredale turning out to be such a consistent performer ... not to mention Triantis working out better than we could have hoped. In fact a lot of players have improved markedly since that first quarter of the season and SDG and his coaching team have to take great credit for that, and of course the players themselves.

But ..... The elephant in this particular room is the number of times Hibs have managed to take what has looked like a step forward and utterly failed to build on it. If this isn't to prove to be yet another false dawn what we do in the summer is going to be massive.







.

[Baader]

Credit to them all. Mostly SDG as he has turned it around when I could only see him getting sacked. He has improved just about every player at the club too.

We are riding a wave just now but the summer is big. A few likely away so we need to sign well, keep the momentum going and hopefully build on it. Onwards and upwards!

[Viva_Palmeiras]

When things were at their worst earlier this season, blame was getting handed out left right and centre -the board, the Gordons, Kensell, Malky, Gray, McDermott, BKFC/Foley, the coaching team, Newell all came under fire individually and at times collectively.

So now things have turned, top six is assured and we're right in the hunt for third place - how do you apply the credit?

Was there anyone held accountable that now has to be given credit on the same criteria?

Everyone that used the phrase “trust the process” :)

[The Modfather]

When things were at their worst earlier this season, blame was getting handed out left right and centre -the board, the Gordons, Kensell, Malky, Gray, McDermott, BKFC/Foley, the coaching team, Newell all came under fire individually and at times collectively.

So now things have turned, top six is assured and we're right in the hunt for third place - how do you apply the credit?

Was there anyone held accountable that now has to be given credit on the same criteria?

Credit is deserved all round, would be mean spirited not to. The type of sensible signings we’ve made this season and McGrath on a pre contract also give some confidence the upward trajectory is sustainable. However it’s worth remembering our season very much mimicks Barry Robsons at Aberdeen. That fell apart the next season and we could very easily slide back into the pack of utter dross next season.

Need a longer period to see if we have finally got out our act together and the right people are stepping back and letting those qualified to do so run the footballing side, which appears so. For the credit due, the youth academy is still a black mark that doesn’t look like any inroads made to getting that functioning IMO.

[Alex Trager]

That ref who sent off Obita and forced us to change shape.

Seriously though I think credit is due across the board. Our recruitment looked markedly different in the summer and given time that has played out well. That probably means credit to Ian Gordon for admitting his mistakes and letting someone fix the mess and to Mackay and Gray for making a fairly quick impact. Definitely to Gray for staying calm when everyone else was losing their heads and indeed to the board for backing him. Sacking him after the Dundee game would have been the easy thing to do, a sacrificial lamb for those baying for blood, but they backed him and have been rewarded.

It's also not really in the spirit of the thread but I think Kensell going has been a positive. Not necessarily in the way things are being done but in the sense he was divisive and a lightning rod for either OTT criticism or gushing praise to try and counteract that. Whether he chose to go or was removed it's been a positive step for unity imo.

Agree with all of this.

It is important to realise that this is a collective effort.

One thing I always feel at pains to point out is that there were plenty calling for MM in November etc. I never ever felt that was a suitable length of time to give someone in a post like his.

I am not convinced he was the best choice out there, far from it - and in fact when you also consider his personal past, an almost insane choice when coupled with his lack of experience in a similar role - HOWEVER, once he was employed, you've got to give him more than 20 minutes to have a go at sorting it all out.

[Iain G]

I think we are giving Ben Kendall short shift here and we should be giving him more praise for bringing quality and variety of sponsorship into the club, fostering his fatherly relationship with Block 7 and investing in the profits of the Old Eastway Tap. With BK we might never have got BK.

Especially today, his legacy can be and should be clearly appreciated and celebrated.

[Bostonhibby]

Great question and a tough one as there's going to be a range of different opinions.

My view is we were suffering from too many talkers and not enough doers.

David Gray has quietly, and with a bit of class, got his head down and turned the bit that matters most around, credit to him for getting largely the same group of players to respond and fill credit to them for doing so.

Kensell going was the beginning of the end of an time where there was a lot not to like for some, me included.

Those above and around Gray have got a bit of breathing space because of what he has achieved and some deserve a bit of credit for whatever backing they are now giving him.



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[Jones28]

The coaching staff for doing what they've done.

The players for giving their all every match, Matty you made a great point on the podcast about the workrate, the dirty shorts and the standard being set which comes from the players. I think you said Levitt was one of them who looks to have really bought in to that idea.

The board and Ian Gordon deserve a lot of credit too. They brought in Malky, got rid of Kensall and had the balls to stick with Gray.

McKay deserves a huge amount too, he's running the football department which is exceeding everyones expectations. The coolness the club showed in Janaury to make a single signing - and the pre contract for McCart - and not push the panic button was well judged.

Gray. Just wow, what a turnaround. He takes a pragmatic approach, plays to our strengths and exploits the oppositions weaknesses on a game by game basis. St Johnstone as a case in point, played a high press - a very well drilled one at that.

Everyone involved deserves a share but a special mention for the Gordon family as well for investing in the club and funding what we are seeing happen.

The fans have backed the team for next season as well, and for the first time in a long time I believe we have the right people in charge to build, rather than flounder.

[worcesterhibby]

I credit Gray for having the decency to realise his tactics at the start of the season were pish. Since he changed the system the players and coaching staff bought into it.

I was thinking the other day there, our January transfer window neither weakened or improved us. Yet we have maintained the good results. So the manager, players and coaching staff have really shielded the board and behind the scenes folk. Supporters as usual have backed the club. Long may it continue.

I think the january Transfer window was a real sign of progress. We signed one player, who we beleive will improve the squad and we signed one other on a pre-contract for the same reason. We then resisted the temptation to bring in anyone else, just because everyone else was sigining players that wasn't a good reason for us to do the same. In the meantime, SDG and his team have improved the players we already have, with forgotten men like Levitt and NMW stepping up and contributing.

Building a better squad, player by player. Improving the players we have got, keeping the unity and positivity within the squad. None of that happens if you keep having a big turnover of players and buy 6 hoping 2 will be decent.

[Chorley Hibee]

Gray, the coaching staff and the players all deserve immense credit for getting us into this position, especially given where we were.

But, it's important to complete the job now (European qualification) in order to keep this feel good factor going into next season.

We don't want to take a proverbial step back by undoing all the work that has gone into getting us here.

[Neil4Hibs]

Me!!

I found myself in Edinburgh for a home match for the first time in ages in November. So I got my ticket and told my mates that the turnaround would start against Aberdeen that night....... I think the 96th minute equaliser from Rocky proved my point!

[Pretty Boy]

I think the january Transfer window was a real sign of progress. We signed one player, who we beleive will improve the squad and we signed one other on a pre-contract for the same reason. We then resisted the temptation to bring in anyone else, just because everyone else was sigining players that wasn't a good reason for us to do the same. In the meantime, SDG and his team have improved the players we already have, with forgotten men like Levitt and NMW stepping up and contributing.

Building a better squad, player by player. Improving the players we have got, keeping the unity and positivity within the squad. None of that happens if you keep having a big turnover of players and buy 6 hoping 2 will be decent.

I think this is a good point.

We have been so used to annual rebuilds in recent times because of bad transfer windows that there is almost an expectation that every window needs to see multiple signings.

In an ideal world there should only really be a handful of transactions in the summer and less still in January. I still think we will do a bit wheeling and dealing this summer but beyond that, less activity every window is very much a positive for me because it suggests we aren't shedding duds and desperately trying to replace them twice a year.

[GloryGlory]

I must admit after the defeat at Dundee I was in the "let Gray go" camp, more in sorrow than anger.

However the coaching team and players deserve most credit for sticking together through the bad times and turning things around. The only criticism of Gray that I still have is that he persevered with Bursik for too long.

The board deserve some credit for not rushing to pull the trigger on Gray, especially since it seems that BKG were not happy at that point and given their previous record in operating a managerial revolving door.

Mackay deserves some credit for bringing in players in the summer who eventually gelled together, especially considering some were not fully fit/recovering from long term injury. Hope this summer recruitment is at least equal but hopefully a bit better with players ready from the off.

[B.H.F.C]

Gray, the coaching staff and the players all deserve immense credit for getting us into this position, especially given where we were.

But, it's important to complete the job now (European qualification) in order to keep this feel good factor going into next season.

We don't want to take a proverbial step back by undoing all the work that has gone into getting us here.

I’m pretty confident we’ll have European football as I think we’ll finish 4th at worst. It’s just whether we can get over the line for 3rd and get the guaranteed group stage place (providing Celtic win the cup).

If we got 4th that would be a decent season but it would also feel like we’d fallen short with where we find ourselves today and given the run we’ve been on.

[O'Rourke3]

After the draw with Aberdeen where I left buzzing, the good win away to Motherwell but back to earth with a bump defeat to Celtic I finally got the fear when Ross County scored in the first minute, should maybe have a got a quick second and we looked hopeless for the whole first half, before somewhere beyond the allotted VAR we got an equaliser. We've never looked back from there.

[SChibs]

Gray above all others imo. Turned around a misfiring squad of players.

Credit also due to Ian Gordon for taking a step back, firing Kensell and letting MacKay and Gray run things.

I agree regarding Gray. If you knew nothing about the run you may have assumed we spent big and improved the squad substantially in January but in reality we signed one player who's barely kicked a ball yet

[Speedy]

I'll take some of the credit please. I was out the country for every game of our unbeaten run.

Was back for the Celtic & Killie games in March, and have been out the country again since.

Don't worry, I'm going to stay away until at least June just to be sure.

[Brightside]

Surely the exec should get Credit for ignoring the fans and sticking with Gray?

[Cooshed Kid]

Me!!

I found myself in Edinburgh for a home match for the first time in ages in November. So I got my ticket and told my mates that the turnaround would start against Aberdeen that night....... I think the 96th minute equaliser from Rocky proved my point!

Let me be the first to thank you.

You have Rocky under remote control? Be sure to change the batteries frequently ........and get him to re-sign!

[Cooshed Kid]

I agree with many of the names mentioned across the whole club.

Also Joe Newell played the captain's part, cancelled the xmas do and got the players together for a clear the air meeting just before the Aberdeen game. The results of which were clear to see.

This is something I haven't previously heard about and maybe JN deserves more credit for our turnaround than he's received because he has missed so many games. Is it covered on a thread somewhere? As described by you it seems to have had great significance.