Pat Fenlon

[joe_hfc]

I know its early days, but I would just like to say how encouraged I am by our manager so far.

He inherited one of the most difficult jobs in Scottish football. One of the worst Hibs teams I have seen in my life with a massive confidence and moral problem to boot; little money, and a struggling league position. The fact that he kept us safe was impressive never mind reaching a Scottish Cup final last season. He exceeded expectations.

This season, surely our aim is to finish in a semi-respectable position. Again, he hasn't had millions to spend, but he has built, imo, a solid SPL team. Retaining the likes of McPake and Griffiths are evidently top class signings. Without counting my chickens, it seems that his others signings look very decent too. He has massively built on our team at a time when other SPL teams have gotten weaker.

His achievements have not only been on the transfer front as you have to admire his management philosophy. We have heard many managers say that we need to be tougher to beat, but they did f*** all about it except getting bus beaten more. Penlon, whether through himself or indirectly through signing better characters in the dressing room or his through his coaching shuffle, looks to have made our team give a ***** about the shirt, and about winning. It looks as though that there is a shift in mentality in ER, and this is evident by the shift in mentality of our fans in the stands, pubs, and message boards.

He looks to be frank and honest and has passion to burn. He listens to fans. And imo gets his game plan and substitutions right most of the time.

As I say, it's early days yet, but I am encouraged. I think we may have found ourselves the right man to take us forward. He's done more already and in more trying circumstances than the last 3 managers.

All up from here! :pfgwa

[Ultrabee1-0]

Very good post! In paddy we trust

[Onion]

Yip, in Fatty we trust

[Lucius Apuleius]

God bless Fatty. :pfgwa

[hibsbollah]

I agree. Three cheers for Pat Pending

[WellingtonHibby]

Nae Collins six pack on that boy.

[mcvie7]

I agree he's building a team that can realistically top 6 which I would take after last few years. I do think for us to be successful this season we really need to try and sign Leigh on a permanent basis.

[dangermouse]

Why the derogatory name in the title?

[Chuck Rhoades]

Faddy Penlon's!

[Judas Iscariot]

Faddy Penlon's White & Green Regiment...

[RoxburghHibs]

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Why the derogatory name in the title?

Yeah that was my first reaction! Nothing fat about Pat

[matty_f]

Think the names are a wee joke at predictive text's expense!

[Lucius Apuleius]

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Think the names are a wee joke at predictive text's expense!

Or thick, drink induced, fingers at 1 o'clock in the morning.

[Ozyhibby]

Far to early to say if he has turned things round. His record in the job is still atrocious. The performance against Dundee utd just two weeks ago would make your eyes bleed. He needs a consistent run of about ten games where we take 2 point out of 3 over the piece before we can say he has turned it round. Taking 4 point out of 6 over 2 games is no indication.
I'll be delighted of I'm wrong but I doubt he will last the season.
Sorry to be negative when everyone else is feeling positive but I don't rate him.

[JIm]

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Far to early to say if he has turned things round. His record in the job is still atrocious. The performance against Dundee utd just two weeks ago would make your eyes bleed. He needs a consistent run of about ten games where we take 2 point out of 3 over the piece before we can say he has turned it round. Taking 4 point out of 6 over 2 games is no indication.
I'll be delighted of I'm wrong but I doubt he will last the season.
Sorry to be negative when everyone else is feeling positive but I don't rate him.

Pretty much agree with this. Although what i saw on Saturday in the first half gave me some proper optimism for what lies ahead. If we can take the first half performance and replicate it for longer and on a more consistent basis then i will have been proved wrong. Another area of optimism was the togetherness and fight from the players evident in the second half when we took a bit of a pummelling.

Come on Paddy prove me wrong

[joe_hfc]

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Or thick, drink induced, fingers at 1 o'clock in the morning.

Wan't 1am here in Australia

:pfgwa

[Lucius Apuleius]

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Wan't 1am here in Australia

:pfgwa

Toulouse in Australia? Or is that a self descriptor?

[JimBHibees]

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Far to early to say if he has turned things round. His record in the job is still atrocious. The performance against Dundee utd just two weeks ago would make your eyes bleed. He needs a consistent run of about ten games where we take 2 point out of 3 over the piece before we can say he has turned it round. Taking 4 point out of 6 over 2 games is no indication.
I'll be delighted of I'm wrong but I doubt he will last the season.
Sorry to be negative when everyone else is feeling positive but I don't rate him.

Incredibly negative post given the performance in the last two games sounds like you are wishing him to fail so you can say you didnt rate him all along. I think his record at his previous clubs are very good and he needs to be given decent time to get it right. His signings have to me shown he knows exactly what is required to turn the club and the team around. How anyone can't see the improvement in the last 2 games when one or two signings have started to settle is beyond me to be honest.

I see you have concentrated on the United game which was awful how about the battling performance against Hearts when we were written off or the excellent 3 points v a decent St Mirren side. Bottom line is he kept us up, got us to a Scottish cup final for the first time in 11 years and is now IMO signing the right sort of players which are starting to improve the team.

[matty_f]

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Incredibly negative post given the performance in the last two games sounds like you are wishing him to fail so you can say you didnt rate him all along. I think his record at his previous clubs are very good and he needs to be given decent time to get it right. His signings have to me shown he knows exactly what is required to turn the club and the team around. How anyone can't see the improvement in the last 2 games when one or two signings have started to settle is beyond me to be honest.

I see you have concentrated on the United game which was awful how about the battling performance against Hearts when we were written off or the excellent 3 points v a decent St Mirren side. Bottom line is he kept us up, got us to a Scottish cup final for the first time in 11 years and is now IMO signing the right sort of players which are starting to improve the team.

Good post Jim. The disastrous cup final result did more damage to Pat than if he'd had us knocked out at an earlier round, which is ironic, but understandable given just how bad that day was.

He had no money really in which to bring players in last January, at least not significant amounts but he kept us up despite some bad luck along the way - specifically things like pens not given for us, pens given against us that weren't, Sparky deciding to gesture a few times so missing matches because of that, O'Connor's injury/fitness/off field issues... Pat certainly never had s troubles to seek last season.

This window he appears to have brought some much needed experience and character to the squad and early signs are that there is a better balance about the team, and the effort and work rate certainly seems to give the impression that the players are playing for him.

It is early days, but I'm certainly more optimistic now than I was in the immediate aftermath of the Dundee United game.

[jacomo]

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Come on Paddy prove me wrong

and me!

[chriswood1401]

I remember when we were first quoted as being interested in Fenlon after CC left and being disappointed, mainly because at the time I was holding out all hope for Michael O'Neill.

Then I done a bit of research. Watched a few post match interviews of him with Bohs and done a bit of reading on wikipedia. Was struck by his approach, no nonsense, says exactly what he means without any of the all too common gibberish that managers use. That, plus his track record and I was feeling feeling quite a bit better about the possibility of him taking over. I never subscribed to the 'aye he's done well, but it was in Ireland' mentality that some people did. I've always felt that if you have a winning mentality and you are given the right support, it makes no difference what level you're at, you'll be successful.

A few more interviews were watched, listened to some of his former players talking about him, and they emphasised his approach to the game, and more importantly, the fact that he took no shuck from the players, something that we were crying out for at Hibs.

I remember the night before he was announced, me and my Dad saying that finally, THIS could be the guy that turns it around, that gets rid of the dead weight and the loser mentality that has hung around us for way too long. The guy that would command respect among the players, the guy that would unite the crowd, the guy that would lead us out of the mess that we were in.

Nothing that has happened since PF was appointed has changed that. Yes, on an overall picture results have not been amazing, but I think that the scale of the job he had has proven to be bigger than any of us expected. As far last season was concerned, the job was to stay up. Mission achieved. The cup final was a bonus, albeit a very disappointing one, but hey, if Fenlon could get us to Hampden with that squad, what could he do with his own players?

Summer has come and gone, and whilst Tannadice was horrific, the last two games have shown a change in mentality, a togetherness in the team that I haven't seen in a long time. This season may ultimately turn out to be another damp squib, with us languishing in the lower reaches of the SPL, but I think, now more than ever, we need to get right behind our manager and give him the time he needs to stamp his mark on our club. Do this, and I'm still absolutely convinced that Fenlon will have us up there, where we deserve to be, challenging for silverware. It may take a couple of years at least, but it will happen.

[VickMackie]

If Pat can change the culture at the club and put us on a solid footing, even without a great deal of success, it will stand us in good stead for years to come. Possibly even after he's gone.

This is what we need right now. If it doesn't work out for him in the next 2-3 seasons but we shake the soft touch culture at the club his time will probably still be viewed as a success IMO.

[JimBHibees]

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I remember when we were first quoted as being interested in Fenlon after CC left and being disappointed, mainly because at the time I was holding out all hope for Michael O'Neill.

Then I done a bit of research. Watched a few post match interviews of him with Bohs and done a bit of reading on wikipedia. Was struck by his approach, no nonsense, says exactly what he means without any of the all too common gibberish that managers use. That, plus his track record and I was feeling feeling quite a bit better about the possibility of him taking over. I never subscribed to the 'aye he's done well, but it was in Ireland' mentality that some people did. I've always felt that if you have a winning mentality and you are given the right support, it makes no difference what level you're at, you'll be successful.

A few more interviews were watched, listened to some of his former players talking about him, and they emphasised his approach to the game, and more importantly, the fact that he took no shuck from the players, something that we were crying out for at Hibs.

I remember the night before he was announced, me and my Dad saying that finally, THIS could be the guy that turns it around, that gets rid of the dead weight and the loser mentality that has hung around us for way too long. The guy that would command respect among the players, the guy that would unite the crowd, the guy that would lead us out of the mess that we were in.

Nothing that has happened since PF was appointed has changed that. Yes, on an overall picture results have not been amazing, but I think that the scale of the job he had has proven to be bigger than any of us expected. As far last season was concerned, the job was to stay up. Mission achieved. The cup final was a bonus, albeit a very disappointing one, but hey, if Fenlon could get us to Hampden with that squad, what could he do with his own players?

Summer has come and gone, and whilst Tannadice was horrific, the last two games have shown a change in mentality, a togetherness in the team that I haven't seen in a long time. This season may ultimately turn out to be another damp squib, with us languishing in the lower reaches of the SPL, but I think, now more than ever, we need to get right behind our manager and give him the time he needs to stamp his mark on our club. Do this, and I'm still absolutely convinced that Fenlon will have us up there, where we deserve to be, challenging for silverware. It may take a couple of years at least, but it will happen.

Great post, agree with every word.

[Hibs7]

He has admitted he got it wrong and has gone back to a 4-4-2 set up which suits the players,we have, this is a new team which is still settling in, something the jumbos used as an excuse for their display at ER, funny how our team has more changes but was not given the credit for the way we played, that is why the jumbos looked as bad, this team will get better as they play more together, PF is the man to get the best out of them and I think we will at least have a top 6 finish this season

[Wotherspiniesta]

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Far to early to say if he has turned things round. His record in the job is still atrocious. The performance against Dundee utd just two weeks ago would make your eyes bleed. He needs a consistent run of about ten games where we take 2 point out of 3 over the piece before we can say he has turned it round. Taking 4 point out of 6 over 2 games is no indication.
I'll be delighted of I'm wrong but I doubt he will last the season.
Sorry to be negative when everyone else is feeling positive but I don't rate him.

How can you say its too early to say we've turned it around when you were already having a go at him 29 days after he got the job?

http://www.hibs.net/showthread.php?2...lon&highlight=

Be honest, you've never even given him a chance.

[Hibercelona]

Fenlon is showing small glimpses of what he's capable of as a manager.

Even if we don't finish in the top 6 this season, he should still be given more time as long as we continue to see small improvements here and there.

We need to understand that a complete U-Turn is going to take a fair bit of time and probably at least a couple of more transfer windows.

Improvements might seem slow, but they are improvements non the less. If we were to let him go this season because improvements aren't quick and dramatic enough, we'd just be going down the same route for the upteenth time.

[CorrieHibs]

[edit] Manager

ShelbourneWinner

• League of Ireland (3): 2003, 2004, 2006

Runner-up

• League Cup (1): 2006
• Setanta Cup (1): 2005

BohemiansWinner

• League of Ireland (2): 2008, 2009
• FAI Cup (1): 2008
• League Cup (1): 2009
• Setanta Cup (1): 2010

Runner-up

• League of Ireland (1): 2010

Record in Ireland speaks for itself. Lets be honest the league of Ireland isn't any worse than ours excluding Celtic. Shamrock got to the group stages last season.

[Hibercelona]

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[edit] Manager

ShelbourneWinner

• League of Ireland (3): 2003, 2004, 2006

Runner-up

• League Cup (1): 2006
• Setanta Cup (1): 2005

BohemiansWinner

• League of Ireland (2): 2008, 2009
• FAI Cup (1): 2008
• League Cup (1): 2009
• Setanta Cup (1): 2010

Runner-up

• League of Ireland (1): 2010

Record in Ireland speaks for itself. Lets be honest the league of Ireland isn't any worse than ours excluding Celtic. Shamrock got to the group stages last season.

I agree, I don't think they're much worse than us either, we've only ever really gotten more recognition because of 2 clubs (now 1)

Regardless, it shows that Fenlon is a manager with winning credentials. I personally believe we'll win silverware under Fenlon in due time.

[Long Time Hibee]

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I remember when we were first quoted as being interested in Fenlon after CC left and being disappointed, mainly because at the time I was holding out all hope for Michael O'Neill.

Then I done a bit of research. Watched a few post match interviews of him with Bohs and done a bit of reading on wikipedia. Was struck by his approach, no nonsense, says exactly what he means without any of the all too common gibberish that managers use. That, plus his track record and I was feeling feeling quite a bit better about the possibility of him taking over. I never subscribed to the 'aye he's done well, but it was in Ireland' mentality that some people did. I've always felt that if you have a winning mentality and you are given the right support, it makes no difference what level you're at, you'll be successful.

A few more interviews were watched, listened to some of his former players talking about him, and they emphasised his approach to the game, and more importantly, the fact that he took no shuck from the players, something that we were crying out for at Hibs.

I remember the night before he was announced, me and my Dad saying that finally, THIS could be the guy that turns it around, that gets rid of the dead weight and the loser mentality that has hung around us for way too long. The guy that would command respect among the players, the guy that would unite the crowd, the guy that would lead us out of the mess that we were in.

Nothing that has happened since PF was appointed has changed that. Yes, on an overall picture results have not been amazing, but I think that the scale of the job he had has proven to be bigger than any of us expected. As far last season was concerned, the job was to stay up. Mission achieved. The cup final was a bonus, albeit a very disappointing one, but hey, if Fenlon could get us to Hampden with that squad, what could he do with his own players?

Summer has come and gone, and whilst Tannadice was horrific, the last two games have shown a change in mentality, a togetherness in the team that I haven't seen in a long time. This season may ultimately turn out to be another damp squib, with us languishing in the lower reaches of the SPL, but I think, now more than ever, we need to get right behind our manager and give him the time he needs to stamp his mark on our club. Do this, and I'm still absolutely convinced that Fenlon will have us up there, where we deserve to be, challenging for silverware. It may take a couple of years at least, but it will happen.

Great post and bang on the money. I like him and think if he's given the correct support from the board and the fans, he will make us great again.

[Ozyhibby]

All I'm saying is wait and see before getting too excited.
When Pat arrived we had a defence that had been shipping a couple of goals a game for about two years. He did not manage to improve that despite making wholesale changes to the defensive line up.
So far this season we have managed to ship 5 goals in our first three games.
We still lack creativity going forward and our fitness looks poor compared to the teams around us. Thankfully Griffiths is on fire just now.
I really hope I'm wrong on this and I've been wrong on plenty before. I thought both Yogi and Collins (league cup aside) would be a success. Let's hope Pat makes me look a right muppet.