Hanlon. Forster.
Harris. Stanton.
These are the four I see as our future. These are the four that if they reach their potential will be starters in a successful Hibs squad.
GK.
RB. Forster. Hanlon. LB.
CDM. CDM.
RAM. Stanton. Harris.
ST.
There's a lot of gaps in our future!
I'd like to see an experienced CB with the required attributes to play alongside Hanlon. Not a crock (McPake) and not a 'no nonsense' Nelson type who can't actually play football. I mean a real CB. I don't think we've had one since Rob Jones. I'd like Forster to be third in line with someone other than Hanlon to learn from. I think having a real CB would be a very wise acquisition. A real leader to guide the two young centre backs.
I would hope that Kevin Thomson would be our answer to the midfield general, but judging by the last few months, I really can't see that happening. We need leaders on the park. Robertson and Craig have yet to prove themselves as reliable players in my eyes. I think they're a really bad midfield pairing. They don't compliment each other at all, quite the opposite seems to be the outcome when they're together.
The shining hope of Stanton and (a rehabilitated) Harris are positives for the future, and I think judging by the contracts some of our players have, there is ample cover for them should their dips in form arise (Harris hasn't hit form and probably won't until the end of the season/next season).
Stevenson, Craig, and Robertson will all be here next season, so there's a good calibre of footballer (if utilised properly and in form) to take the heat off the youngsters who look likely to be picked before them.
Up front seems to be a big question mark. We have good strikers at the club, but not a system that compliments any of them. Haynes is new, so it may be interesting to pair him with Collins, or Heffernan to see if we can get the best out of them that way.
Perhaps Handling and Cummings aren't ready yet, but that's fine. We should persevere with them and include them when the times right (and not omit them when it's not. Handling should have started against United at the weekend; not Craig.)
Usually the problem with teams is that they have the nucleus of their teams, but not the spark to ignite them. I think we're the opposite. We have no leaders in this team. No immediate picks other than Hanlon, and even he isn't the 'main man' in the squad we're needing (yet). We need players who are going to make a big impact on this squad, who can bring on the youth and show them how it's done.
Potential is only potential. It has to be nurtured. It's a miracle that Hanlon and Stevenson are the players they are today with the inconsistency and dross they've had to endure in their formative years as football players. They're good players, but have yet to reach the heights they're capable of.
Stanton, Forster and Harris have shown the biggest potential since Riordan, Brown and Fletcher. As a club we can't let it be squandered. We could have some great players on our hands with the right tutelage.
To conclude, I think we have great potential in our youth (and hopefully more to come through) and we need to surround them with good footballers to enable them to reach their potential and our potential as a club (Peter Pawlett at Aberdeen springs to mind).
I think Butcher knows the scale of the task at hand, and although the next few months may be a frustrating few, I think we have a very good chance of making the next few years very 'unfrustrating' indeed.
Results 1 to 11 of 11
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03-03-2014 11:20 PM #1
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Speculate to Accumulate (merge if applicable)
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03-03-2014 11:27 PM #2This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote
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04-03-2014 07:21 AM #3This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote
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04-03-2014 07:58 AM #4
Harris is going to have to develop a good bit yet before I'll consider him as our "future".
We also need midfielders who can support the left and right backs.Last edited by Hibbyradge; 04-03-2014 at 08:11 AM.
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04-03-2014 07:59 AM #5
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We definitely need two first choice full backs. We could even keep McGivern as cover for LB or CB and use Forster in the same way for RB or CB. Stevenson could also cover full back in emergencies but we need a first choice right back and left back who wear number 2 and number 3 and are the first names on the team sheet like what we had with Whittaker and Murphy. The question should be who are Hibs full backs, not who is playing full back for Hibs this week.
Midfield, we need at least one defensive holding palyer who will win the ball, keep it simple and move it on. The players we have doing this at the moment are not good enough. I still think ultimately Robertson and Craig could function well either side of a really good central player someone like Boozy or Kevin Thomson of old. OTJ has all the attributes to play this role but whether he is good enough is another story. As you say, we also have Stanton who looks like he can start playing more of a prominent role. Also, in your formation, I believe Craig and Robertson could play in the attacking three with Stanton if they had a solid midfield two behind them but this would leave us a wee bit short of width and real pace.
Up front, we need a couple of strikers and one winger in the hope that Harris will be our other wide option. We need to work out if we are mainly going to play one up with attacking players supporting or two in a partnership. If we go with the former it has to be with supporting attacking players who will support and will attack (esp at home) not the turgid stand offish pi$h we have been subjected to the last few years which have seen our strikers isolated, service starved and frustrated.
We got away with it when we had that one really good season out of Sparky but players like him and form like that does not come to Hibs very often and we cannot rely on one man it has to be a team game. It is testement to the fact that we must have improved a little this season in other areas of the team as we are roundabout the same place in the league as we were last year without any real goal threat. Imagine where we could be with this seasons team plus Sparky and Doyle's goals.
Our main striker needs to be someone who is proven to score goals in the SPL. I know this sounds daft but some players are just not suited to scoring goals in Scotland yet can bang them in for fun elsewhere. It happens the other way round too, some players do well in the SPL but go down to England and are not as good. Someone like Scott McDonald would be a good an realistic target. He's a good age (30 or so), good level of experience, knows the league and knows the management.
I believe Terry will have few things up his sleeve (maybe he could borrow Yogi's hat and pull a few rabbits out of it) but the big question of the summer is will Petrie and co be bold and support him, not only to allow him to get the players he wants but also to get them early, ideally before the end of Juen if not sooner, rather than have him scrabbling around for players on 31st August.Last edited by The Sea-gull; 04-03-2014 at 08:20 AM.
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04-03-2014 08:07 AM #6
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Dont see why Petrie and co would not back them, they have backed every manager with new players, possibly part of the problem.
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04-03-2014 08:30 AM #7
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I think they have backed managers to varying degrees and I am not so sure managers of Hibs always get as free a reign to make signings as they maybe do at other clubs. I think the Hibs board, rather than let the manager get on with it, will only sanction transfer fees/better wage deals for players they feel have a long term value and future sell on e.g. as Stokes, the return of Riordan (merchandise played a part there too) and James Collins.
Don't have any in the know info, just a hunch I have based on the calibre of player, in the main, we have had in the last few years.
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04-03-2014 08:47 AM #8
spec·u·late [spek-yuh-leyt]
verb (used without object), spec·u·lat·ed, spec·u·lat·ing.
1. to engage in thought or reflection; meditate (often followed by on, upon, or a clause).
2. to indulge in conjectural thought.
3. to engage in any business transaction involving considerable risk or the chance of large gains, especially to buy and sell commodities, stocks, etc., in the expectation of a quick or very large profit.
Invariably, it's only those who will not be risking a thing who call for speculation in Hibernian FC.
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04-03-2014 11:04 AM #9
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04-03-2014 12:31 PM #10This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote
Look to me as if NO ONE's prepared to take even a totty wee smidgin of a risk on behalf of Hibernian FC.
There's a middle ground between wild speculation and the "everything's-got-to-add-up-on-the-balance-sheet-to-the-last-ha'penny" approach that we've been "enjoying" the last few years.
It's called "responsible investment in the future".
Grey, grey, grey - nothing but grey skies and more and more and more of the same to come ....
This may be a football club, Scotty, but not as I remember it.Last edited by --------; 04-03-2014 at 12:34 PM.
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04-03-2014 02:29 PM #11
Bob Shankly, Brian Clough , Alex Ferguson Arsen Wenger all are/were firm believers in building the spine of the team
GK / CH/ Holding MF/ CF .
and going from there .
That is how every one of their successful teams were created .
Makes sense when you think about it !1
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