This Year V Last Year

[Devilstorment]

What is everyone's thoughts around how they are feeling prior to this years final compared to how you were feeling prior to last years.

For me, I dreaded last years final, to the point that i never got a ticket. Having watched us under perform all season long and being caught up in a relegation dog fight. I just never had a good feeling. Our team was full of non entities who clearly didnt know what it meant to play for their shirt.

This year, although we are playing against a bigger team who are odds on to win, I feel slightly more confident due to the team that Pat has built up over the past 12 months. We may not always get the results week in week out, but when we play well we always look good. We have a team of professionals who genuinely seem to want to play for Hibs. I still don't think we will do it, however this time a I believe we CAN do it, if we turn up on the day. Above all there is a flicker of "what if, just, what if?!" in my heart that wasn't there last season

GGTTH

:pfgwa:pfgwa

[Mango Man]

Spot on, those are my feelings also, much much more relaxed about this than last year.

[Stevie Reid]

I was in Florida for the semi finals last year, and after the initial shock of a Hibs v Hearts final, I felt strangely relaxed about it - no doubt due to my location at the time.

As soon as I got back the dread started to build and build and in the week prior to the final I kept having horrible dreams about us losing. I didn't enjoy any of the build up and had the most horrible day imaginable on 19 May.

This year I couldn't feel more relaxed, I am expecting nothing other than a great day out, but know we are capable of winning. I think we will show up this year and am looking forward to seeing what we can do. I had an amazing day when we lost the 2001 final to Celtic, no pressure or expectation, just excitement. I feel the same just now.

After 3pm on Sunday everything is out of our hands - I am determined to enjoy every second up to that point as much as possible. And hopefully enjoy every second afterwards for years to come

[Brummie_Hibs]

Last year I thought we could win - I was tense.

This year I think we will lose - I'm chilled.

[Sir David Gray]

I was actually quite hopeful that we would win last year.

Never in my worst nightmares did I imagine that we would put in such a gutless performance and have such a horrendous scoreline.

I think we are in better shape this year with a lot of new players and those who are still here from last year are much improved as well. We are obviously due to face a much tougher opponent than last year but we, as a club, are in a much better place than 12 months ago.

[DH1875]

I was very confident last year. Was sure we were going to win it because it was them and it was written in the stars that's how the hodoo would end. Honestly believed that after what had happened the last time we had played them at Hampden there was no chance the club would do it to us again. As we all know, I got that completely wrong .
This time around I'm not expecting to much. So long as we put in 100% and don't get hammered I'll be fine and actually looking forward too it.

[SlickShoes]

My feelings are simply "I wish we had this team last year". But, we didn't. I felt more confident last year simply because it was JUST Hearts (that worked out well for me) and they are a relatively normal SPL side even though we were dire we had a good chance of winning if the players wanted it.

Celtc made the last 16 of the champions league and spend the same amount of money on one player as we would spend on half a team.

[Broken Gnome]

There was a hell of a lot of confidence last year that almost seemed for show, as if the players would believe if we did and no one wanted to be seen s****ing themselves over Hearts.

Relaxed optimism this year. What happens happens. We'll give it a decent shot.

[pontius pilate]

Funnily enough I'm more relaxed and more confident this year than I was last year I have the confidence that we can a result

[Onion]

There is little downside risk this year. Everyone expects (and many hope) we'll get beat by the SPL Champions with all their money. All that would do is extend our 111 year wait for at least another year. After 100 years, who's counting ?

Last year, the prize for winning was huge and the weight of that was too much for our players. This year, despite our long wait, there is much less pressure on the players so maybe they'll be able to play with more freedom ? Who knows with Hibs.

[Brummie_Hibs]

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There is little downside risk this year. Everyone expects (and many hope) we'll get beat by the SPL Champions

EH?

Care to explain?

[BonnieFitbaTeam]

My take on it is that it cannot possibly be any worse than last year. We could get horsed 12-0 by Celtc and it still wouldn't be as bad as getting humiliated 5-1 by those ****s !

I do have a strangely positive feeling this time, however...

[Craig_in_Prague]

I am not relaxed at all. Probably excitement, rather than dread.

It's a cup final afterall and from now until Sunday k-off, I will think of little else & be listening to favourite tunes, watching clips online and dreaming of us winning.
We have a better team and one that generally has faught for the cause every week, even though performances haven't always been too good, committment appears much better and as fans that is the main thing you want from your team. Particuarly in the SC funnily enough, we seem to have grit our teeth in each game and wanted it that bit more than the opposition.

too be honest if Harris hadn't came into the side when he did, our season looked like it might be nose diving badly. He brought a freshness to the team, a direct style of play and for a young boy, he literally oozes class & has a massive future. Then we have Sparky, the best striker in the league. Amazing goal after another, all season. When he produces what he did against Falkirk (and at Tynie etc), then of course we ought to feel deep down that we have a wee chance.

When you play your rivals, I think the fear of losing takes over as much as anything else. Horrible feeling seeing how it unfolded on the day, but This time, we are playing the countries best team by miles. We are clear underdogs (which usually suits Hibs), But, we've beat them and drew with them in 3 league games. They lose quite a lot of goals away from Celtic Park. They have been beat a few times at Hampden in recent times. We didn't play them in the top 6 so they might not be as familiar with us now, as we have a better style of play and more direct than earlier in the season. Lennon will know this of course, but dealing with it might not be so straight forward for them.

There will be no shame in losing to them, but, if we give it a go and drive at them - and get a little lady luck on the day, then of course we can win. Wigan beat Man City.
Football is a funny old game in that frantic 90 mins.

IF we start buzzing all about the park and go at them, I am actually quietly confident.

[Bristolhibby]

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Last year I thought we could win - I was tense.

This year I think we will lose - I'm chilled.

Thats exactle how I was feeling. I was so het up before the game I was in tears?!?

Was looking at omens, lumped money on Hibs, genuinely thought we would win, despite getting humped by them throughout the season.

Now I'm pretty relaxed. As somone said, I left at 1/2 time in the semi, this final is a bonus to me. And the fact that we have played Celtic three times, two of which away and ended up with 1 win, 1 defeat and 1 draw, they hold no fear for me.

I really hope we compete this year. Which given the team and the embarassment of last year, I genuinely believe we will. The longer we are in it, the more chance we have to win it.

J

[Onion]

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I am not relaxed at all. Probably excitement, rather than dread.

It's a cup final afterall and from now until Sunday k-off, I will think of little else & be listening to favourite tunes, watching clips online and dreaming of us winning.
We have a better team and one that generally has faught for the cause every week, even though performances haven't always been too good, committment appears much better and as fans that is the main thing you want from your team. Particuarly in the SC funnily enough, we seem to have grit our teeth in each game and wanted it that bit more than the opposition.

too be honest if Harris hadn't came into the side when he did, our season looked like it might be nosing diving badly. He brought a freshness to the team, a direct style of play and for a young boy, he literally oozes class & has a massive future. Then we have Sparky, the best striker in the league. Amazing goal after another, all season. When he produces what he did against Falkirk (and at Tynie etc), then of course we ought to feel deep down that we have a wee chance.

When you play your rivals, I think the fear of losing takes over as much as anything else. Horrible feeling seeing how it unfolded on the day, but This time, we are playing the countries best team by miles. We are clear underdogs (which usually suits Hibs), But, we've beat them and drew with them in 3 league games. They lose quite a lot of goals away from Celtic Park. They have been beat a few times at Hampden in recent times. We didn't play them in the top 6 so they might not be as familiar with us now, as we have a better style of play and more direct than earlier in the season. Lennon will know this of course, but dealing with it might not be so straight forward for them.

There will be no shame in losing to them, but, if we give it a go and drive at them - and get a little lady luck on the day, then of course we can win. Wigan beat Man City.
Football is a funny old game in that frantic 90 mins.

IF we start buzzing all about the park and go at them, I am actually quietly confident.

This. If the Hibs players feel they're getting a fair break of the ball and ref decisions, this is bound to have effect. Our luck in this competition and in finals has been quite retched and led to many a defeat. Even if you think back to the 4-3 semi-final, we had at least one stonewall pen dismissed and a perfectly good goal chalked off. On another day, that would have skewed the result. Wouldn't it be nice to get a ref who didn't go into the game favouring the OF, and made crucial decisions in our favour for a change ?


Hibs' luck in this competition (and finals) has been retched. Refereeing decisions against us has

[darwenhibby]

Got to say brilliant thread and sums up my own feelings except "some hope Celtic win bit"
C'mon Hibs all we ask is turn up on the day give it your best shot and the rest will take card of itself!!

[HibbySpurs]

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This. If the Hibs players feel they're getting a fair break of the ball and ref decisions, this is bound to have effect. Our luck in this competition and in finals has been quite retched and led to many a defeat. Even if you think back to the 4-3 semi-final, we had at least one stonewall pen dismissed and a perfectly good goal chalked off. On another day, that would have skewed the result. Wouldn't it be nice to get a ref who didn't go into the game favouring the OF, and made crucial decisions in our favour for a change ?


Hibs' luck in this competition (and finals) has been retched. Refereeing decisions against us has

. Agree 100%, our luck in semis & finals is minging at times.... Didnt we hit the bar in the final of 2001 at 0-0 and Celtic scored about 2 mins later? The decision to give Hearts a penalty last year was hardly a good decision either & the semi this season we were denied the penalty, then had one double saved and we hit the post as well as the goal being chalked off but this is it for me, we didnt give up with a "ach well it's just no our day" attitude. The boys ground Falkirk into submission with guts & fight and a never say die attitude in that 2nd half.

If we play like that on Sunday and get a break or two which we never seem to get who knows?

As for how I'm feeling, well by 4 days before last years final I was climbing the walls, couldnt sleep and was toiling just to do everyday things, this year like most on here it seems I'm a bit more relaxed although starting to get a bit jumpy now.....

It's the fact we're not playing Hearts and we know we are going more in hope than in expectation I think

I cant get this feeling out of me though that this year something is different, maybe its our performance in the 2nd half of the semi, I dont know but I just have a feeling.....

The other thing is that plenty people have asked me since the semis "do you think you will do it this year then?"

My answer to every one of them has simply been this....

"If you keep banging on the front door, one day you will break it down"

After over a century that door must be hanging by a thread

Cant wait for Sunday now

:pfgwa

[GlenrothesHibee]

Im very calm about Sunday. A few days before last years final i was completely obsessing about the game and like somebody else said in tears before it. This year we are expected to lose, there is not the same pressure. The closer it gets the more i start to fancy us though

[JMac]

Feeling much better about it this time around for two reasons:
1. We have a much better side than last year.
2. At the end of the day, if we were to lose, all that has happened is that the massive favorites have won, at least we made it to the final.

[NAE NOOKIE]

Last year was the most intense build up to a game we will ever have. It was all I could think about for weeks beforehand and it just drove me mental. Like a lot of folk I thought that even though we had been rank against the Yams ... and pretty well everybody else ... during the season that for some reason it pointed to a chance that Hibs could do it.

So much for that.

This year, even though we have a much better team I just cant get it into my head that Hibs have any real chance of winning the game. I will be going to Hampden in hope not expectation on the 26th and have no illusions about Hibs chances. For that reason I'm pretty relaxed about the game.

Having said that:

C'MON THE HIBEES !!!!

[erskine-hibby]

Last year poopin myself, though I didn't expect what happened.
This year poopin myself again, but I expect we will play better.
What will be, will be.

[21.05.2016]

Always feel so nervous and excited going into a cup final but obviously last year there was the added spice because not only was it a final but it was a derby final so I defiantly felt a lot more nervous.

We have a much better team than we did last year but Celtic are obviously a very strong side so it will be a very tough match to win, we will have to be at our absolute best but we have shown this season that we are capable of beating them so praying we can do it one more time!

What will be will be!

[HFC07]

There was so much hype surrounding last year that it tied my stomach in knots.
This year however I feel more relaxed and even more so excited. Bring on the tic.

[LancashireHibby]

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Last year I thought we could win - I was tense.

This year I think we will lose - I'm chilled.

This. Although there was a much bigger fear of losing last year.

[TomoHFC]

Last year we had the worse team in years but since then we came back stronger and we have a decent keeper for the final this time

[madabouthibs]

Its good that we've reached this final so soon after last years farce. Most of the players are still here, and they know full well what we went through then and during this last year. They know what this means.
After that semi final I now believe anything is possible, this team have proved they can fight for the cause when needed.
Also, after last year, nothing can be worse.
I don't give a toss if we lose, as long as we turn up. We haven't the last two SC finals we've been in, I'm confident we will this time.

[Eyrie]

Last year was the Yams, the perfect way to end over a century of waiting, so I was desperate for us to win it. Making the Cup final was a rare bright spot in an otherwise dreadful season as well.

This year it's Septic and the odds are against us so I'm surprisingly relaxed. Somehow I doubt that will be the case come 3pm on Sunday.

[davhibby]

Last year I always thought before the game that I would have rather it had been Celtic as we put in spineless performances time after time against hearts.
This year I feel that we will give our all and put up a fight. As long as they do us proud this year

[GreenOnions]

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. Agree 100%, our luck in semis & finals is minging at times.... Didnt we hit the bar in the final of 2001 at 0-0 and Celtic scored about 2 mins later? The decision to give Hearts a penalty last year was hardly a good decision either & the semi this season we were denied the penalty, then had one double saved and we hit the post as well as the goal being chalked off but this is it for me, we didnt give up with a "ach well it's just no our day" attitude. The boys ground Falkirk into submission with guts & fight and a never say die attitude in that 2nd half.

If we play like that on Sunday and get a break or two which we never seem to get who knows?

As for how I'm feeling, well by 4 days before last years final I was climbing the walls, couldnt sleep and was toiling just to do everyday things, this year like most on here it seems I'm a bit more relaxed although starting to get a bit jumpy now.....

It's the fact we're not playing Hearts and we know we are going more in hope than in expectation I think

I cant get this feeling out of me though that this year something is different, maybe its our performance in the 2nd half of the semi, I dont know but I just have a feeling.....

The other thing is that plenty people have asked me since the semis "do you think you will do it this year then?"

My answer to every one of them has simply been this....

"If you keep banging on the front door, one day you will break it down"

After over a century that door must be hanging by a thread

Cant wait for Sunday now

:pfgwa

Brebner hit the bar from about 30 yards out. It wouldn't have counted however as the ref had already blown for a foul. No-one knew that when Brebs hit his shot tho - it was a cracker.

[monktonharp]

Last year, I actually thought we'd win and the gods would be on our side,considering all the guff we'd had from "them" about 110 years. well, it's another year and we are virtually written off, by the bookies,main press ,etc and no doubt the tv pundits who will be foaming at the mouth reminding everyone how bad it's been for us for so long. added to that, some of our opponents, mainly their high profile players, have had a wee touch of smugness about the match. I think they may be in for a surprise, and I also think our boys will be pumped up, more than we have ever been for this particular game. so, 1nil for us over 90mins.