"We're Hibernian Football Club; too big to go down"

[Greentinted]

Amongst the jubilant Jambos and hostile Huns bashing the eardrums of James Traynor earlier on this evening there were a good few of our number voicing their concerns and all things being told, the opinions expressed while unmistakingly impassioned were fairly rational, pragmatic and circumspect - with the exception of one chap who insisted that we are too big a club to be relegated.
While initially I took this to be a statement of stoic defiance and an admirable one at that, there was no reason for this other than 'we are Hibs'.

Apart from the dispicable double-headed serpent through-by who will always be protected, even recent history dictates that we and other self-proclaimed 'big clubs' can never be certain to avoid the ultimate ignomony (and not just in our crappy league set-up)

Is there really anybody out there who deeply believes this? And more worryingly (as it seems to me) is this the prevalent attitude in the corridors at ER? If so, we are in deep trouble!

[Sir David Gray]

I certainly don't believe that but I think a few of our players do.

[SlickShoes]

Last relegation is still fresh in my memory, i remember the media then saying we are too big a club to go down, so when i hear that i know they are talking out of there *****!

[Hibercelona]

I think that although people who say "we won't get relegated" are just trying to be positive, I don't think its the right attitude to have.

I personally believe the right attitude in these circumstances should be "We can get relegated and will get relegated if we don't do anything about it. So lets do something about it."

[Greentinted]

You just have to think Newcastle United, Manchester City, Dundee United, Aberdeen (saved by a shake-up), etc to get the reality check. After all the knashing of teeth, hand-wringing and all-round abjection it was that comment, said exactly as I have used in the thread title, that truly enraged me.
Normally I can put football in it's place but I'm really pissed-off with what has become a proper club-in-crisis situation and those who are desecrating OUR club, just don't seem to be arsed!
If this is the attitude that prevails inside Easter Road then they can all do one as far as I'm concerned.
No happy, no happy at all!

[HUTCHYHIBBY]

The **** is almost waist deep, I fear the worst!

[hibs4life]

What a long-winded post to ask a straightforward question. Of course no one is 'too big' to go down, our performances confirm that!

[Carheenlea]

Heard that caller on the way home from Fir Park in car. I don`t think the fellow was actually saying we are too big a club to go down in the sense that we have the stadium, training facility, fan base etc so all will be OK, more a sense of that for us to go down would not only be a disaster for Hibernian, but for the SPL as well, and he knew fine well that relegation is a real possibility for us this season if things don`t take a turn for the better soon.

That`s the way I interpreted it anyway.

[Greentinted]

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What a long-winded post to ask a straightforward question. Of course no one is 'too big' to go down, our performances confirm that!

Surely better than all that 'lol' bollocks

[Greentinted]

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Heard that caller on the way home from Fir Park in car. I don`t think the fellow was actually saying we are too big a club to go down in the sense that we have the stadium, training facility, fan base etc so all will be OK, more a sense of that for us to go down would not only be a disaster for Hibernian, but for the SPL as well, and he knew fine well that relegation is a real possibility for us this season if things don`t take a turn for the better soon.

That`s the way I interpreted it anyway.

Aye, its a fair take on it. It was the guys indignace and apoplexy that came through most to me (but I was a bit aggrieved at the time).

[NAE NOOKIE]

If we are too big to go down somebody forgot to tell Hamilton & St Mirren who both picked up points away from home today.

[Leishy1995]

Are we even a big club anymore, we are a mere selling club, we stand on our own two feet. We stand a massive chance of failure if we do this, look at Aston Villa, all that building for a scaffolding to collapse. To fix this, one player. A goalscorer.
Hibs scaffolding has collapsed in a disatorous way, time to rebuild, that means from the bottom to the top. Nobody in this club should be considered safe. Nobody at this club is untouchable.

[erin-go-bragh87]

I think as Hibbies most of us deep down think this. However, relegation or not, we really need to get behind the team. I don't think we can criticise the players when we seem to have this mentality that we should be up there challenging at the top every season despite the fact that any time we get a half decent squad together our players are sold and we need to start all over again. I love hibs and always try to look for the positives but without financial investment from the board it's impossible to build on a good season when the backbone of good squads of the past have been sold or have left for more money.

[sesoim]

Sory to be pessimistic, but I've thought seriously about this tonight and I think we have NO CHANCE of staying up with CC in charge. Can anyone honestly see us winning even four or five games under him before the end of the season?

We are dropping point after point with him in charge. Even with a couple of good signings (which I don't think CC is capable of making), I just don't see CC being capable of organizing or motivating the team.

I know another manager isn't guaranteed to improve things, but think about it, does anyone truly expect us to start winning games under CC? I reckon we have to take a gamble now before it is too late. Jimmy Calderwood would be my choice, he is the only (affordable) guy with a proven record of turning teams around in the SPL. And he could probably make a few quick signings with his links. If anyone has any better suggestions fine, but i reckon we have to do it now.

The club waited and waited with Duffy in charge in 1998, even though it was clear we weren't going to turn things around under him. I think things are exactly the same now. If Petrie waits until March to make the (inevitable) decision to sack him, then he will have effectively consigned us to the First Division.

[Dashing Bob S]

This is going sound a bit strange, but in some ways i'd almost prefer relegation than survival, if its accompanied with the 'our year from hell, now lets show them' type of complacency.

I'd would get rid of the last of the delusions that anything less than a major change was required on the playing, managing, coaching side, and a shift in boardroom attitudes.

I think if the support saw a 'new broom' approach to the First division, they would galvanize, and we'd probably sell more ST's than in the SPL. Survival, a couple of iffy new signings and the Petrie-Calderwood still in control will only result in 4,000 ST's and 3,000 walk ups.

[H18Y GW]

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Sory to be pessimistic, but I've thought seriously about this tonight and I think we have NO CHANCE of staying up with CC in charge. Can anyone honestly see us winning even four or five games under him before the end of the season?

We are dropping point after point with him in charge. Even with a couple of good signings (which I don't think CC is capable of making), I just don't see CC being capable of organizing or motivating the team.

I know another manager isn't guaranteed to improve things, but think about it, does anyone truly expect us to start winning games under CC? I reckon we have to take a gamble now before it is too late. Jimmy Calderwood would be my choice, he is the only (affordable) guy with a proven record of turning teams around in the SPL. And he could probably make a few quick signings with his links. If anyone has any better suggestions fine, but i reckon we have to do it now.

The club waited and waited with Duffy in charge in 1998, even though it was clear we weren't going to turn things around under him. I think things are exactly the same now. If Petrie waits until March to make the (inevitable) decision to sack him, then he will have effectively consigned us to the First Division.

Come on Jimmy have a bit of patience... Tut tut

[HFC 0-7]

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This is going sound a bit strange, but in some ways i'd almost prefer relegation than survival, if its accompanied with the 'our year from hell, now lets show them' type of complacency.

I'd would get rid of the last of the delusions that anything less than a major change was required on the playing, managing, coaching side, and a shift in boardroom attitudes.

I think if the support saw a 'new broom' approach to the First division, they would galvanize, and we'd probably sell more ST's than in the SPL. Survival, a couple of iffy new signings and the Petrie-Calderwood still in control will only result in 4,000 ST's and 3,000 walk ups.

Nah.

Remember the last time we were relegated, yeah we came back up straight away but we went into a lot of debt for that. We bought good players to make sure we came right back up, paying good wages. Then we had to endure a regime of cost cutting again, where all the good young talent was sold. I wouldnt want that only for us to be right back here in 5 or 6 years time.

I want whatever the problem is at the club to be sorted. The scouting system seems rank, as, even although it could be blamed on previous managers for the duff signings, why were the scouts even highlighting some of these players? As I understand it the scouts go out and have a look at come back to the manager with a list of players. Many of the players we have bought over the last few years shouldnt have been on any 'to buy' list.

IMO, relegation is not an option as, financially, it would be brutal for us. Add to that if we never got back up at the first time of asking and the 10 team SPL gets the go ahead we will have a further 3 recently relegated from the SPL in the league with us. Being in this position after being relegated only 10 years ago should be a big enough wake up call for everyone at the club.

[Speedway]

According to Rankin, the changing room is full of talk about the fact that we're in a relegation battle.

[PeeJay]

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Is there really anybody out there who deeply believes this? And more worryingly (as it seems to me) is this the prevalent attitude in the corridors at ER? If so, we are in deep trouble!

The attitude surely has to always be: "We are not going down", but naturally it has to be coupled with a work ethic aimed at ensuring that we don't go down. We need a few lucky breaks to boost confidence and turn that corner.
Personally, I do not believe we are going down and will only change my mind when the points total says "Hibs are relegated". Net posters saying it might be good for Hibs to get relegated are beyond my comprehension...

[H!BEE]

how many other clubs in scotland can have more than 9000 fans every other week?

that says we are one of the biggest clubs in the league and are "too big" for the drop.

too big we maybe, immune to it sadly not!

[lucky]

No one is too big to down. But in the SPL if the OF ever got close to it the league would be changed to save them.

speaking to fans of other clubs, they dont think Hibs will go down. I dont know how many I have told that I think we are going down but they just think Im covering up for some poor performances. The SPL in its current state needs Hibs to be in it. We have the 4th biggest support and 3rd best facilities. If RR come up what do they bring to the league? When we go down, I really see us being down for along time. The board will not splash the cash to get us back. We will cut our budget accordingly.

[greenlex]

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According to Rankin, the changing room is full of talk about the fact that we're in a relegation battle.

Saw that last night. I wish it showed on the park.
Wishful thinking but a goal or two scored coupled with a win might instill a bit of confidence back. Its only a matter of weeks ago that we beat Rangers at Ibrox and Hearts beat Celtic at Tynie the same night. They kicked on and went into freefall. Its really hard to take.

[steakbake]

I think that unless something very dramatic happens, Hamilton will over take us and we will go down. Someone on here made a really good point that St Mirren, Hamilton etc are used to the battle to stay up. It is the target of their season to remain in the SPL and it is what they fight for year in year out.

Those who run the club have a lot to answer for. We have the scandalous situation where we've had 5 managers in 5 years. The board, it seems, have consistently got their hiring policy of managers very wrong on several occasions. As a club, we're tied up in the vanity of having enviable training facilities (mentioned by every new player in "their" press release) and a brand spanking (half empty) new stand. On the pitch, we are an absolute disgrace, full of players who don't seem to want to try a leg, others who are convinced of their own greatness and don't think they need to try and some others who have a nerve collecting the wages of a professional sportsman in a professional league.

How many managers do we have to get through until we reach the point of realisation that the problem lies higher up? The statements the board have come out with have not reassured me in the slightest. In fact, they are bull****; self serving, patronising bull**** served up to protect their own positions.

We'll see what happens, but it's down to the players to get the finger out and save the season. However, with so many of them set for pastures new next season anyway - another disgraceful position that we are in - I don't suppose that if we were relegated, that many of them would give a monkey's anyway.

[ancient hibee]

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According to Rankin, the changing room is full of talk about the fact that we're in a relegation battle.

Not too many of them marching towards the sound of gunfire then.

[7-Heaven]

"too big to go down"

Manchester United, 1974

[H18sry]

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Are we even a big club anymore, we are a mere selling club, we stand on our own two feet. We stand a massive chance of failure if we do this, look at Aston Villa, all that building for a scaffolding to collapse. To fix this, one player. A goalscorer.
Hibs scaffolding has collapsed in a disatorous way, time to rebuild, that means from the bottom to the top. Nobody in this club should be considered safe. Nobody at this club is untouchable.

Every SPL club is a selling club.

[Jim44]

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how many other clubs in scotland can have more than 9000 fans every other week?

that says we are one of the biggest clubs in the league and are "too big" for the drop.

too big we maybe, immune to it sadly not!

We will only be missed for the drop in income the other clubs will suffer but they'll get over it. Our playing quality and ability has diminished worryingly over the past few years and we now do not compete. Our replacement by any of the better teams in the 1st division will not affect the overall quality of the SPL very much in my opinion. So I don't think we'll get any 'sympathy' from other clubs in the SPL.

[Alfred E Newman]

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We will only be missed for the drop in income the other clubs will suffer but they'll get over it. Our playing quality and ability has diminished worryingly over the past few years and we now do not compete. Our replacement by any of the better teams in the 1st division will not affect the overall quality of the SPL very much in my opinion. So I don't think we'll get any 'sympathy' from other clubs in the SPL.

Saddly that is not even the case now with our travelling support dwindling rapidly.