Perspective: we couldn't have done any better

[Hibbyradge]

For us to win yesterday, we needed a fully fit team, and Celtic to be off form.

However, neither happened.

Our club captain was out with a career threatening injury.

Our main (only?) striker injured himself in training and was nowhere near his best.

We fielded an 18 year old centre back and an 18 year old winger.

We were playing the league champions in their home city, a team which reached the last 16 of the Champions League, defeating Barcelona on the way (nearly twice).

Maybe Doyle could have done better with the header, but Celtic were so much stronger than us, I think they would have taken that on the chin then moved up a gear.

Every "favourite" team expects the underdogs to have a go at them from the start. Their plan is to contain that threat until the ideas run out, then move into attack.

Exactly what Bayern did to Dortmund on Saturday. Unfortunately, their early goal did away for even that plan.

However, there was no disgrace in losing to Celtic or in the manner of the defeat.

If you're getting stick from Jambo friends, just suck it up. That's what rivalry is about.

It could have been worse after all. It could have been St Mirren.

[3pm]

[DAVE1875]

We can be proud of our side for getting to the final. We just came up against vastly superior opposition

[Baldy Foghorn]

Disagree that we couldn't have done any better, the early goal was a blow, but we never had much creativity going forward, seemed content to play ball sideways or backwards, and rarely threatened their back four.

[Onceinawhile]

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Disagree that we couldn't have done any better, the early goal was a blow, but we never had much creativity going forward, seemed content to play ball sideways or backwards, and rarely threatened their back four.

But this was because the early goal allowed them to make two banks of 4 and sit deep. We just didn't have anyone capable of playing the killer ball or putting it in the top corner from 20-25 yards. It was as much about good defending as poor attacking in my opinion.

[Danielyma6]

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For us to win yesterday, we needed a fully fit team, and Celtic to be off form.


It could have been worse after all. It could have been St Mirren.

i said that to my m8 , if any yam slags us for getting beat just say at least it wasnt st mirren

[Speedway]

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Disagree that we couldn't have done any better, the early goal was a blow, but we never had much creativity going forward, seemed content to play ball sideways or backwards, and rarely threatened their back four.

That's quality defending not poor quality attacking.

Harris had two on him the whole of the first half.

[Scottie]

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Disagree that we couldn't have done any better, the early goal was a blow, but we never had much creativity going forward, seemed content to play ball sideways or backwards, and rarely threatened their back four.

Agree with you mate
We huffed and puffed without any real conviction.That was a poor Celtic team yesterday that had more about them than us.Unfortunatly we made them look better than they are.They'll always have more and better resources than us.
Theres still a acceptance of mediocracy at the club that still that needs to be eradicated.PF is getting there with this but unfortunatly its a massive long term job

On a possitive note spoke to Rod Pettrie before the game and he assured us that money is available for a push next season.

[Hermit Crab]

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Agree with you mate
We huffed and puffed without any real conviction.That was a poor Celtic team yesterday that had more about them than us.Unfortunatly we made them look better than they are.They'll always have more and better resources than us.
Theres still a acceptance of mediocracy at the club that still that needs to be eradicated.PF is getting there with this but unfortunatly its a massive long term job

On a possitive note spoke to Rod Pettrie before the game and he assured us that money is available for a push next season.

Believe that last part of your post when I see it. :)

[Hibby 2005]

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For us to win yesterday, we needed a fully fit team, and Celtic to be off form.

However, neither happened.

Our club captain was out with a career threatening injury.

Our main (only?) striker injured himself in training and was nowhere near his best.

We fielded an 18 year old centre back and an 18 year old winger.

We were playing the league champions in their home city, a team which reached the last 16 of the Champions League, defeating Barcelona on the way (nearly twice).

Maybe Doyle could have done better with the header, but Celtic were so much stronger than us, I think they would have taken that on the chin then moved up a gear.

Every "favourite" team expects the underdogs to have a go at them from the start. Their plan is to contain that threat until the ideas run out, then move into attack.

Exactly what Bayern did to Dortmund on Saturday. Unfortunately, their early goal did away for even that plan.

However, there was no disgrace in losing to Celtic or in the manner of the defeat.

If you're getting stick from Jambo friends, just suck it up. That's what rivalry is about.

It could have been worse after all. It could have been St Mirren.

With that outlook no wonder you weren't surprised when we got beat!

If, and it's always ifs, we'd scored first when Doyle had an excellent opportunity to do so then Celtic would have had to come at us thus giving Harris more space to hit them on the counter and who knows what might have been. Forster was excellent and Harris was positive, Handling and Caldwell added an extra dimension when they came on. Unfortunately, it was some of the more experienced players, Hanlon and Maybury spring to mind, that weren't up to the task coupled with having too many like-minded midfielders. The Griffiths situation was unfortunate but could have been handled better by Fenlon as he was clearly struggling.

Anyway, hopefully Fenlon will be brave enough next year to put more of the young talent into the team and can also make a couple of decent signings in defence, particularly the full-back areas.

[TrickyNicky]

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Disagree that we couldn't have done any better, the early goal was a blow, but we never had much creativity going forward, seemed content to play ball sideways or backwards, and rarely threatened their back four.

Right, I'll bite.

What should we have done differently and what do you have to prove that your game plan would have been any better than Fenlons?

I'll be honest here, I'm not interested in 2-3 wee lines about what we should've done, I would like an in-depth analysis of what our game plan should have been from the start, where Celtic would be vulnerable, how we could expose this vulnerability if Celtic had managed a way to thwart this game plan of ours, how we would re-address the situation if we went 1-0 down after 10 minutes knowing that Lennon would've done his homework on where our weaknesses lay also.

He may be ugly but he's no mug and that club of his isn't some Micky Mouse club that sits around drawing moustaches, stitches and black teeth on the photo on the back ay The Daily Record!

The first 2 Goals - carbon copy of each other, proved this!

How should Fenlon have counter-acted this, how should Fenlon have addressed the weaknesses that he too will be aware of considering he is at the training centre with these players nearly every single day of the week?

I am hurting like you mate but I'll be honest, your post implies you know better and I don't think you do!

[Baldy Foghorn]

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Right, I'll bite.

What should we have done differently and what do you have to prove that your game plan would have been any better than Fenlons?

I'll be honest here, I'm not interested in 2-3 wee lines about what we should've done, I would like an in-depth analysis of what our game plan should have been from the start, where Celtic would be vulnerable, how we could expose this vulnerability if Celtic had managed a way to thwart this game plan of ours, how we would re-address the situation if we went 1-0 down after 10 minutes knowing that Lennon would've done his homework on where our weaknesses lay also.

He may be ugly but he's no mug and that club of his isn't some Micky Mouse club that sits around drawing moustaches, stitches and black teeth on the photo on the back ay The Daily Record!

The first 2 Goals - carbon copy of each other, proved this!

How should Fenlon have counter-acted this, how should Fenlon have addressed the weaknesses that he too will be aware of considering he is at the training centre with these players nearly every single day of the week?

I am hurting like you mate but I'll be honest, your post implies you know better and I don't think you do!

Does it, oh well......won't bother with a detailed dossier, as I know nothing

[Spike Mandela]

We are all hurting but surely it isn't unreasonable to say we should have been defending the first two goals a lot better. Maybury makes a hash of kicking the ball out, Stokes puts a hopeful ball into the back post and our goalie, Hanlon amd McGivern all fail to deal with it allowing Hooper to steal in. As if that isn't bad enough the defence then fails to deal with a carbon copy bloody cross.

These were both situations where we could have done better and it would have made it a different game especially if we had got to half time level.

It is a one off game. The defence let us down on these two occasions and should definitely have done better imo.

[TrickyNicky]

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Does it, oh well......won't bother with a detailed dossier, as I know nothing

My apologies, I never, ever, said " you know nothing ".

I thought your post implied that you know better than Fenlon!

I was wrong, and I shouldn't have been so rude as to ask you to back up your statement that said :

" Disagree that we couldn't have done any better, the early goal was a blow, but we never had much creativity going forward, seemed content to play ball sideways or backwards, and rarely threatened their back four."

[Baldy Foghorn]

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My apologies, I never, ever, said " you know nothing ".

I thought your post implied that you know better than Fenlon!

I was wrong, and I shouldn't have been so rude as to ask you to back up your statement that said :

" Disagree that we couldn't have done any better, the early goal was a blow, but we never had much creativity going forward, seemed content to play ball sideways or backwards, and rarely threatened their back four."

And do you disagree with the part in bold?

[rainman]

All true but the secret of beating Celtic (and previously Rangers) is keeping it nil nil for as long as possible until they start pushing and leaving gaps at the back.

Our most experienced player didn't deal with a cross at the first and our senior centre half got caught under the ball for the first two.

2 nil up, a semi fit Scott Brown could afford to stroll about the midfield and their 3 6ft4 centre halves could sit in and clean it all up until we were left with our full backs pinging balls up to the strikers where those centre halves were always going to dominate.

Doyle's header could've changed it but the defending at the first two goals were criminal and we most certainly could've done more!

[S4uzee]

Would have definitely played Caldwell. Also would have had Wotherspoon on the bench but that probably wouldn't have made much difference towards the end when he was likely to come on.

[Billy Whizz]

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All true but the secret of beating Celtic (and previously Rangers) is keeping it nil nil for as long as possible until they start pushing and leaving gaps at the back.

Our most experienced player didn't deal with a cross at the first and our senior centre half got caught under the ball for the first two.

2 nil up, a semi fit Scott Brown could afford to stroll about the midfield and their 3 6ft4 centre halves could sit in and clean it all up until we were left with our full backs pinging balls up to the strikers where those centre halves were always going to dominate.

Doyle's header could've changed it but the defending at the first two goals were criminal and we most certainly could've done more!

Agree, needed to score 1st, goals change games. When we beat them in December we got 1-0 up and managed to hold into our lead. If we'd got in at ht just 1-0 down it might have been a different game.
All 3 goals we lost yesterday were poor, and Celtic didn't really create to much other than that, they didn't even get a corner!!!

[Hibbyradge]

Lennon must have told his team, "Griffiths isn't fit, so Hibs won't score unless we concede free kicks around the box. So don't concede any".

They didn't and we didn't.

Sure the defending at the first goal was horrible, but as I said in my OP, Celtic looked as if they could easily have moved up a gear had they needed to.

Maybe my thread title should have read, "...we couldn't have done much better..." instead of "...any better...", but I think my general point is valid.

We'll win it next year. Obviously.

[JimBHibees]

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Disagree that we couldn't have done any better, the early goal was a blow, but we never had much creativity going forward, seemed content to play ball sideways or backwards, and rarely threatened their back four.

Agree we could have done better especially the first two goals which were shambolic and personally thought Hanlon more at fault than anyone. Thought that we should have played 5 in the middle to start which would have meant Brown would have had less time and to be honest we should have got in about him earlier as his reaction when Claros kicked him was there to be wound up.

We needed all our guys to be fit and at it however clearly Sparky wasnt fit and that meant we werent anywhere near the same threat as we could have been.

[Aldo]

First off I don't think it mattered who PF put in the team he was always going to get a battering on here.

He lined the team up as most would if liked
4-4-2 however with a unfit looking LG (not his usual self) are task was even harder than it already was.

From where I was standing ... Yes Maybury made a hash of the clearance but for me either the keeper, CH or more importantly the LB should tuck in cos he prob has the best view of the flight of the ball.

Loads of folk are looking for a scape goat and Maybury seems to be the one.

After the first goal and especially in the 2nd half half AM picked out a pass, defended well and tried to get forward. No one bombed past him and he positioned himself very well.

Sorry but McGivern needs to watch a wee bit of how AM defends and pick up a few tips about positional sense etc.

As for our MOTM.... That's way Tom Taiwo. This lad was outstanding for us yesterday and at the final whistle looked totally dejected and gutted.

Time now to get behind PF and the team and hope he can bring a wee bit more quality to the club in order for us to move toward.

Yesterday I was very proud to be a Hibs support.

[Bad Martini]

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For us to win yesterday, we needed a fully fit team, and Celtic to be off form.

However, neither happened.

Our club captain was out with a career threatening injury.

Our main (only?) striker injured himself in training and was nowhere near his best.

We fielded an 18 year old centre back and an 18 year old winger.

We were playing the league champions in their home city, a team which reached the last 16 of the Champions League, defeating Barcelona on the way (nearly twice).

Maybe Doyle could have done better with the header, but Celtic were so much stronger than us, I think they would have taken that on the chin then moved up a gear.

Every "favourite" team expects the underdogs to have a go at them from the start. Their plan is to contain that threat until the ideas run out, then move into attack.

Exactly what Bayern did to Dortmund on Saturday. Unfortunately, their early goal did away for even that plan.

However, there was no disgrace in losing to Celtic or in the manner of the defeat.

If you're getting stick from Jambo friends, just suck it up. That's what rivalry is about.

It could have been worse after all. It could have been St Mirren.

Aye. That's the size of it.

We however done something we rarely always do and supported the team regardless. We out sung the unwashed and put aside losing to support the team.

When it comes down to it, if we canny support out our own team what's the ****ing point?? If there's no good in it for you, time to do something better... Cinema or something :D

GIRFUY celtic. They care more about not losing to the huns than doing anything for themselves.

GGTTH

ENDOF

[TrickyNicky]

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And do you disagree with the part in bold?

Yes, I do disagree with your part in bold!

[Feed McGraw]

All the players tried their best, thats all we can ever ask for, they had to keep it tight early on but unfortunately failed to do so. Its brilliant though to see good young players coming through again and having a cup final under their belts now is great for their confidence. Lets hope we can keep them a bit longer than some of the others we`ve had and get some silverware ( pref. the Scottish cup) with them. I think part of the reason that we have had such a long wait to win the cup has been Hibs boards in the past selling off our best players too quickly - something that has gone on for many decades, especially in eras when it might not have been such a financial necessity.

[Stringer]

The most frustrating part was Pat not changing it after 60 odd minutes. I think if we managed to get Craig in January it would have been better. Our team really needs a CAM.

Hopefully next season the front line is....

Handling Craig Harris

New Striker