Next Season's Starting XI - who do you want to be in it?

[beensaidbefore]

May be posted elsewhere, but I was wondering, who will be leaving us at the end of the season? And what shape will that potentially leave us in? Just noticed we're 3rd bottom, which has me refelcting we don't seem to have made much progress in the last 12-months, and a little worried that without another load of signings we may be short of numbers to amount to anything more than another below-par season.

[GreenOnions]

I know what you mean. It's not always easy to agree that we've made progress this year. However, on balance, I think we've shown enough to indicate we've made progress. Judging by our league placing isn't necessarily the best yardstick this year I reckon: Last year we were clearly 11th best in the league. This year I don't think there's much between DUFC in sixth and us in 10th. We could easily finish up 7th as well.

Compared to last season I also think that we have a few more players at ER at the moment that I am pleased we will have - or have the possibility of having - at the start of next season.

I'd like to see us keep Claros and McGivern but can't see it. Like all Hibbies I am crossing my fingers about Thomson and Griffiths. We look like we will be losing at least eight players: Kujabi, McGivern, Done, Claros, Deegan, Doyle, Kuqi and Wotherspoon.

If something like that happens and we can keep Thomson and Griffiths then the basis of our squad for next season seems to me to be promising.

For example:

...............................Williams

Clancy...McPake/New Centre-Back..Hanlon..New Left Back/Scott Smith?

Right Winger......Thomson......Craig......Harris

......................Griffiths..[New Striker

Squad: Stevenson, Taiwo, Robertson, Handling, Cairney, Caldwell .........

All of the players listed as "squad" could also make a case for being in a starting 11 so I think there are reasons to be optimistic.............

[Sir David Gray]

Players contracted to Hibs beyond the end of this season;

Ben Williams
Tim Clancy
Paul Hanlon
James McPake
Bradley Donaldson
Paul Cairney
Martin Scott
Lewis Stevenson
Tom Taiwo
Scott Robertson
Liam Craig
Alex Harris
Sam Stanton
Danny Handling
Ross Caldwell

Which potentially gives us a line up of;

Williams

Clancy
McPake
Hanlon
Donaldson

Cairney
Taiwo
Craig
Harris

Caldwell
Handling

SUBS

Scott
Stevenson
Robertson
Stanton

If we don't get to keep any of the loan players, it's going to be a big rebuilding task for Fenlon over the summer.

[Franck is God]

The league has been so tight this year then league placing is almost an unfair way to judge progress, the two decisions against Hearts and Dundee United cost us four points, no doubt a bit of confidence going into the last few games before the split and ultimately our place in the top six. 15 points better off than the same time as last year with three games to play and in the cup final again suggests we are a lot better than last year.

Players I expect to leave in the summer

Kujabi, McGivern, Deegan, Thomson, Wotherspoon, Done, Claros, Doyle, Maybury, Griffiths & Kuqi

Squad I expect to start the season with some additions yet to be confirmed and support from the youth team.

GK - Willians, Grant, Antell

DF - McPake, Hanlon, Clancy, Stevenson, Donaldson, Forster, Booth

MID - Robertson, Craig, Taiwo, Harris, Stanton

FWD - Handling, Caldwell

I personally would like to see us re-sign Griffiths, Claros, Wotherspoon & Thomson from the players that are out of contract and expected to leave. Others I'd like to see sign that are feasible signings are Lyle Taylor from Falkirk & Lee Miller (out of contract at Carlisle).

[Ozyhibby]

Sorry, I can't see the progress at all. We were 11th last year and are currently 10th but I would not bet on us finishing there.
If we win the cup then I'm happy for Pat to be given more time but if not then the season will have been a massive failure and Fenlon has to accept responsibility for that. We have a budget 5 times that of Inverness or Ross County. It's a disgrace that we have been nowhere near at least competing with them.

[bingo70]

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Sorry, I can't see the progress at all. We were 11th last year and are currently 10th but I would not bet on us finishing there.
If we win the cup then I'm happy for Pat to be given more time but if not then the season will have been a massive failure and Fenlon has to accept responsibility for that. We have a budget 5 times that of Inverness or Ross County. It's a disgrace that we have been nowhere near at least competing with them.

I can see progress in that when I watch the team we're dominating games more than we used to, we're creating more chances and generally think we're just better than we were last season, that's also reflected in our points total compared to last season but I don't think that's a stat people like to talk about.

I think the crowds are up from last year as well which I think lends weight to the theory we've been better this season.

Still a bit to go and I'm not saying we're the finished article but I'm convinced progress is being made.

[NAE NOOKIE]

Worst case we will lose Griffiths, Claros, McGivern, Thomson ( did we really have him? ) and a few others.

Apart from the first 3 I wont be too bothered about losing the likes of Deegan or Doyle. The big question is who will we get in?

There are a few decent players in the SPL who will be out of contract in the Summer. Higdon and Vigars being two who spring to mind.

Funnily enough though its at the back where we still seem to have an ongoing problem. Clancy is clearly struggling with fitness and has been for most of the season, we will need a left back if McGivern goes and McPake is getting pelters on here because of his apparent loss of form.

So it looks like we will need as follows:

Right back
Left Back
Centre Half
Two Strikers.

We are currently 10th in the league and about to enter a cup final which realistically we have very little chance of winning. If we do lose we will enter the Europa League in July ... not ideal at all.

None of this bodes well for next season .... in fact the only comfort is that some of the other clubs could end up even worse off than us. Dundee Utd will almost certainly lose Daly, Russell and possibly McKay - Steven. Motherwell could lose Higdon and a couple of others, Ross County will be plundered, as no doubt will ICT and possibly Aberdeen. The Yams will lose Webster, Barr and Zaliukas, but it has to be said they appear to have a few decent youngsters who have stepped up to the plate. Mind you, they might end up in division 3 playing at Meadowbank

Whatever happens and no matter that Hibs are perhaps a better team than the last two years ( not difficult ) the fact remains that as far as our league position goes we have made no progress worth talking about. 10th ... at best 8th by the end of the season is not good enough. Add to that the fact that the clubs 3 best players are on loan and we have a problem.

If by some miracle we do win the cup Pat Fenlon will be untouchable for at least another two years. Lose and anything less than a top 6 finish next season will see him out the door and perhaps Rod Petrie and others with him. Once again the clubs season ticket bacon has been saved by reaching the Cup Final.

The boards luck will run out sometime ...... if we get bumped out of the Scottish Cup early doors next season and finish in the bottom half again ST sales for 14/15 will go through the floor. We simply must show some imagination in the players we are looking to sign, not to mention a bit of bottle.

[frazeHFC]

We have definately progressed imo, it doesn't mean we are good it just means we have got slightly better:

• Another cup final
• A team that creates chances and doesn't get dominated every game
• 15 points better off than we were this time last season

In saying that, Claros and Griffiths have been key and they are off unless we can somehow get them in permanantely.

[PeeJay]

One half of the old firm missing - Hearts as a club in complete disarray, yet above us in the league, and the general standard in the SPL poor to say the least, yet still we fail to make even top six. We're something like 3 whole points better off than this time last season apparently: it is extremely difficult to see any signs of "progress"?

[SmallvilleHibee]

The problem is we lack consistency. We've beaten Celtic and Hearts this season and lost 3-1 to Dundee away and lost 3-1 to ST Johnstone at home It seems every few seasons we start off well and then forget how to play football. Take Yogi's first season in charge we were winning games for fun and then when it came to January we barely won a game till the end of the season.

Here is a table with the stats of our last 6 managers.



There is barely any improvement. The reason for this is we don't spend money on transfers anymore instead we get average players (with the occasional good player) on loan for 6-12 months. By doing this we don't give them time to settle into the squad, Last season Claros was a below average player for us and now he is our best midfielder, the same with LG he scored 11 goals in all competitions last season and now he's scored 27. So if we were to try and sign players on an 2-3 year deal and let them settle in I think we'd see vast improvements.

[neil7908]

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We have definately progressed imo, it doesn't mean we are good it just means we have got slightly better:

• Another cup final
• A team that creates chances and doesn't get dominated every game
• 15 points better off than we were this time last season

In saying that, Claros and Griffiths have been key and they are off unless we can somehow get them in permanantely.

Short of an absolute shocking performance in the final, I think Fenlon needs to be given a chance to show how much further he can take us next season.

The question is however, how will he replace the players you mentioned above, and on top of that, add further signings to strengthen us?

I think there has been progress but to be honest, nothing like as much as I would have hoped. Ultimately for me the number of points we have compared to last season isn't relevant, league position is as this is what decides participation in Europe, prize money etc. It shouldn't really matter (and wont if we win the final) but I'd be annoyed if Hearts finished above us again this season bearing in mind the problems they've had and the fact we currently have the best striker in the SPL up front for us.

I think Fenlon's done enough to deserve to spend pre-season without the axe hanging over his head but at the same time if we continue our current form into the start of next season, we'll find ourselves bottom of the league very quickly as I think Partick are much better prepared for life in the SPL than Dundee were. The actual results in the league have been really worrying since the end of last year.

However, if Claros goes (I hope not but cant see us paying anything for him) then we still have the core of a decent midfield at the club. Taiwo, Craig and Harris is a decent start and I have hopes that Robertson will improve with a pre-season and Cairney can recapture his form.

However, we are currently short up front and with 2 (Doyle and Kuqi) definitely on the way with Leigh surely to follow, we will literally need to sign a whole new attack as I dont think Handling and Caldwell are ready to be our main forwards yet.

Add to that a shakey defence that will need strengthening, even if McGivern stays, and your looking at a lot of changes happening at ER over summer (once again).

I hope we can act swiftly as we'll almost certainly be looking at an early start to the season with Europe in July. We need to get our business done early and give any new additions a chance to gel.

I fear that if we leave things to the end of August and get another lot of loans in at the last minute then we will struggle again and then the pressure should be on Fenlon IMO.

[BEEJ]

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Players contracted to Hibs beyond the end of this season;

Ben Williams
Tim Clancy
Paul Hanlon
James McPake
Bradley Donaldson
Paul Cairney
Martin Scott
Lewis Stevenson
Tom Taiwo
Scott Robertson
Liam Craig
Alex Harris
Sam Stanton
Danny Handling
Ross Caldwell

Plus Callum Booth.

Presumably the likes of Donaldson (and Harris) are still on academy contracts, rather than their first, professional first-team squad contracts?

That's why I'd love to hear asap that the club has tied up the likes of Harris on a longer-term deal. (Forster as well. That one has been rumoured to have been completed recently, but has yet to be officially announced.)

[oconnors_strip]

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The league has been so tight this year then league placing is almost an unfair way to judge progress, the two decisions against Hearts and Dundee United cost us four points, no doubt a bit of confidence going into the last few games before the split and ultimately our place in the top six. 15 points better off than the same time as last year with three games to play and in the cup final again suggests we are a lot better than last year.

Players I expect to leave in the summer

Kujabi, McGivern, Deegan, Thomson, Wotherspoon, Done, Claros, Doyle, Maybury, Griffiths & Kuqi

Squad I expect to start the season with some additions yet to be confirmed and support from the youth team.

GK - Willians, Grant, Antell

DF - McPake, Hanlon, Clancy, Stevenson, Donaldson, Forster, Booth

MID - Robertson, Craig, Taiwo, Harris, Stanton

FWD - Handling, Caldwell

I personally would like to see us re-sign Griffiths, Claros, Wotherspoon & Thomson from the players that are out of contract and expected to leave. Others I'd like to see sign that are feasible signings are Lyle Taylor from Falkirk & Lee Miller (out of contract at Carlisle).

Antell has been told his contract isn't being renewed. Also a Dumbarton fan said Scott smith isn't getting a new contract either

[BEEJ]

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Antell has been told his contract isn't being renewed. Also a Dumbarton fan said Scott smith isn't getting a new contract either

That would be really disappointing, if true.

[Stevie Reid]

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One half of the old firm missing - Hearts as a club in complete disarray, yet above us in the league, and the general standard in the SPL poor to say the least, yet still we fail to make even top six. We're something like 3 whole points better off than this time last season apparently: it is extremely difficult to see any signs of "progress"?

We have 15 more points than we had at this stage last season.

Season to season, progress has been made, but we have gone backwards from where we were at the halfway point of this season. We have really quality coming in in the shape of Liam Craig, and I am confident that Pat can do more good business in the summer. There's a lot of good players available and we will have more funds than most.

[Stevie Reid]

Incidentally, Inverness currently have 22 more points than they had at this stage last season. We currently have 10 more points than ICT had this time last season - a good transfer window and anything can happen.

[beensaidbefore]

Looks like basis for a team, but i still have concerns that without some significant aquisitions, there is more of the same ahead. On paper we are 15 points better off, but i feel every team will probably have a higher points total, as the 80-90 points Rangers normally gain compared with dundees total, have left a few extra points to be spread amongst the rest.

Guess we'll just have to wait and see, but the last time i felt so unenthusiastic, we needed to get relagated to get a bit 'something' back about the club. would hate for that again, but we need a big lift from somewhere i feel.

[Sir David Gray]

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Incidentally, Inverness currently have 22 more points than they had at this stage last season. We currently have 10 more points than ICT had this time last season - a good transfer window and anything can happen.

We need a good summer transfer window and we need to make smart signings. At the moment, the squad we'll have for next season is extremely short on quality and doesn't have much depth to it either.

We must be challenging at the top end of the SPL next season, there are no excuses for me if we finish in the bottom half again and I'm saying that as someone who is more than willing to allow Fenlon more time.

There is no way that a club the size of Hibs should be sitting in 10th or 11th place in the SPL.

[Stevie Reid]

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We need a good summer transfer window and we need to make smart signings. At the moment, the squad we'll have for next season is extremely short on quality and doesn't have much depth to it either.

We must be challenging at the top end of the SPL next season, there are no excuses for me if we finish in the bottom half again and I'm saying that as someone who is more than willing to allow Fenlon more time.

There is no way that a club the size of Hibs should be sitting in 10th or 11th place in the SPL.

I completely agree. Where we have ended up is relatively disappointing given how well we were playing earlier in the season, but is still a big improvement given how horrendous we were last season. I am happy for Fenlon to be given more time due to just how bad we were, but the near half season slump that we've had has made sure that a lot of folk will be on his back early doors next season if we don't start well (and haven't won the cup, obviously).

However, I like that we have Craig coming in and I think that Fenlon will add more quality in the summer. However positively or negatively people want to spin things - we are better than/not as crap as we were - we have improved. With 3 games left of the season we have only won two more games than we did last season, but have lost 8 less. We have become a lot harder to beat, our home record is much improved, and we have shown that we are capable of playing some very good football, and defending stoutly (though not often at the same time).

I am most definitely not ignoring the fact that we have had many performances that showed a worrying lack of attacking ambition, but looking at the positives, I think there is a lot to build on, and I think we can, and will - of course we also have an outside chance of winning the SC as well.

This time last year we were about to play Dunfermline and stave off the threat of relegation in our 37th game of the season - we had already lost 22 games in all competitions.

This year so far, the record across all competitions is P 40 W 14 D 12 L 14 - it's progress and let's hope it continues.

[Makaveli]

This time last year, who did we know we would have at the end of the season? I'd hate to see the list.

Heading into 2013/14 we already have the bones of a competitive side:

Williams
_
Clancy
McPake
Hanlon
Stevenson
_
Harris
Robertson
Taiwo
Craig/Cairney
_
Handling
Caldwell

Fenlon is slowly building a side and the above is the best basis we've had heading into pre-season for several years IMO. Liam Craig is a very good player at this level and, with a real pre-season behind him, Robertson will be a different player from the one we've seen so far. Cairney's fitness is also bound to improve and the three youngsters are coming along nicely.

We really need two strikers, a left-sided defender and another centre-mid. If that CM ends up being Thomson or Claros, I see us fighting for 2nd.

[Captain Trips]

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One half of the old firm missing - Hearts as a club in complete disarray, yet above us in the league, and the general standard in the SPL poor to say the least, yet still we fail to make even top six. We're something like 3 whole points better off than this time last season apparently: it is extremely difficult to see any signs of "progress"?

In fairness it is more than 3pts however continually comparing our record to last seasons for me isnt the marker I think ANY manager in SPL (maybe not Brown) could have managed us to be better than last term it in reality wasnt asking much. This season we should have been looking at competing with all the clubs now in top 6 not thinking at least better than last season which we still are.

[Vini1875]

I think what is going on behind the scenes is probably more important. There has been a rot at Hibs for a very long time and the mentality in any work place takes time to change. The mentality alters long before the results but when we do have that strong pulling togetherness the team will get results. There is no under-estimating the power PF will have with a cup win. I'm sure it is a lot easier to sign winners to a club that looks on the up and encourage those that are here to dig a little deeper.

[AgentDaleCooper]

ideally, but realistically, i'd like the following to stay on, with the spaces denoting new signings (not decided who i'd like yet)

GK - Williams

LB - Stevenson
CB - McGivern
CB -
RB - Clancy

LM - Harris
CM - Craig
CM - Claros
RM -

ST - Griffiths
ST -


on this basis, we're only three signings (current loan-ees aside) away from a pretty solid looking team, and with a decent bench as well - mcpake, hanlon, taiwo, handling, spoony (contract...?), cairney, booth etc...

daly up front with leigh would be a good combination - dunno about the other two spaces.

[Centre Hawf]

I can't quite get my head around peoples current obsession with Hanlon being left out of starting XI's but heres mine

GK: Big Ben
LB: Booth (If he's back to his old self)
CB: Hanlon
CB:
RB:

RM: Harris
CM: Claros
CM: Taiwo
LM: Craig

ST: Leigh
ST Caldwell/Handling

I can't see us signing too many players and what we do sign won't be overly ambitious signings, i want to persist with young players like Booth, Handling, Caldwell and Harris.

[shetlandhibee]

Gk- Williams

Rb-Clancy
Cb-McGivern
Cb-McPake
Lb-Stevenson

Rm-Craig
Cm-Claros
Cm-Tawio
Lm-Harris

St-Lyle Taylor
St-Griffiths

Subs
??goalkeeper??
Hanlon
deegan
wotherspoon
Vigurs
handling
caldwell

[Hibeesmad]

We will need about 4 or 5 new players over the summer, hopefully we get them before our europa league match...

[PeeJay]

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We have 15 more points than we had at this stage last season.

Season to season, progress has been made, but we have gone backwards from where we were at the halfway point of this season. We have really quality coming in in the shape of Liam Craig, and I am confident that Pat can do more good business in the summer. There's a lot of good players available and we will have more funds than most.

Oops! - Think it just feels like 3 points more - not sure where I got that Progress has to be measured by actual league positions at the end of the season - if Fenlon wins the cup then that WILL of course be progress: otherwise, I'm not convinced.

[Pete]

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I think what is going on behind the scenes is probably more important. There has been a rot at Hibs for a very long time and the mentality in any work place takes time to change. The mentality alters long before the results but when we do have that strong pulling togetherness the team will get results. There is no under-estimating the power PF will have with a cup win. I'm sure it is a lot easier to sign winners to a club that looks on the up and encourage those that are here to dig a little deeper.

[Pete]

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We have definately progressed imo, it doesn't mean we are good it just means we have got slightly better:

• Another cup final
• A team that creates chances and doesn't get dominated every game
• 15 points better off than we were this time last season

In saying that, Claros and Griffiths have been key and they are off unless we can somehow get them in permanantely.

Hopefully we will improve in these departments. There's still a long way to go.

I maintain that Pat has only had one real window and the next one is key.

[Beefster]

Folk want us to improve but think Stevenson should go from a squad player to a first team pick?