Hibs signings who have made an immediate impact

[TheFamous1875]

We're at a lob ebb just now and a perennial factor that seems to scupper our chances of success is signing good players who've performed well with other teams - only for them to seemingly regress into huddys and cowards when purged onto the field.

What is that all about?

It can be a mixture of many things, such as coming to terms with the demands of a bigger club, the pressure of being an accomplished player at other clubs, the footballing style of the manager not being in tandem with the player's, or adjusting to life in a new city/new country.

It's argued that Liam Craig's somewhat turbulent adjustment to Easter Road has been down to him being given the captaincy, being deployed in a holding midfield role, or not having the quality in the squad around him to let him express himself. The majority of us were over the moon when he signed his pre contract and saw it as something of a coup to acquire the services of a goal-scoring midfielder who's team had finished third in the league.

Things haven't worked out as planned and Craig seems a shadow of the player we thought we'd brought to Hibs. What's the science behind this? You sign a good, proven player at the height of his game and expect him to take your club to the next level and the complete opposite happens.

It's not just him either of recent times to follow this now familiar path. Owain Tudur Jones, Paul Heffernan, Rowan Vine, Paul Cairney, Tim Clancy, Scott Robertson - the list seems to continue. All proven players at this level (bar Cairney).

It's not yet finished, but it's an extremely long list for this to seem to happen again and again and again.

I'm trying to think of what players had an immediate impact at Easter Road, and how they managed it where others previously mentioned have failed. The Sauzees, the Keith Wrights, the Joe Harpers (not that I'm old enough, but I'm sure his name starts many a palpitation 'round these parts!) - players who had it and brought it here to Easter Road as intended. The players who could change a season, or make a squad raise it's game.

What's the recipe for facilitating new players, and why are a hibs consistently failing to follow it? What are your memories, good and bad. Worse and brilliant.

I doubt this'll be as successful as my Tom Hart thread but here's hoping!!

[Tom Hart RIP]

Joe Mcbride 8 goals in first 3 games and 12 in first seven will take some beating.

[Elephant Stone]

Leigh Griffiths. Oh no wait, he was poor in his first season and was given time to settle. Maybe that could catch on..

[mikewynne]

It was immediately obvious that Didier Agathe was a special talent.

[RoslinInstHibby]

Latapy looked class from day one

[Just_Jimmy]

Brian Kerr

[Jones28]

Zemmama was class on his debut, against Celtic I believe?

Also thought Kujabi looked a decent prospect on his debut...

[eggbamyasi]

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Leigh Griffiths. Oh no wait, he was poor in his first season and was given time to settle. Maybe that could catch on..

Just dont get where your coming from there ...........;)
Such a bizzare way of thinking . I think all players we sign should be instantly amazing . If not **** them and sell them . That goes for managment too ....................

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[Rivers Cuomo]

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Zemmama was class on his debut, against Celtic I believe?

Also thought Kujabi looked a decent prospect on his debut...

Wasn't it Motherwell and he set up 2 for Brown?

[Michael]

Liam Miller and Kevin McBride were fantastic until January.

[frazeHFC]

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Zemmama was class on his debut, against Celtic I believe?

Also thought Kujabi looked a decent prospect on his debut...

I thought his debut was a 0-0 game in Inverness? Awful game but he looked decent from the off.

[Marty-Hibee]

Big Jonesy? Admittedly I can't remember his debut, but the season as a whole, he was a revelation.

[pentlando]

Can remember seeing Boozy preseason at er against Leeds. Was clear right away he was a great player, amazing first touch all game.

[Jones28]

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I thought his debut was a 0-0 game in Inverness? Awful game but he looked decent from the off.

You may well be right mate, I just remember him in a game against Celtic not soon after he singed where he absolutely ran the show.

[yekimevol]

Well bar his red card at this debut at Ibrox, i think James Mcpake made an instant impact. Without him; i believe that we might have gotten relegated in the last half of the season, gave us the leadership and grit on the park that we needed then and now.

[Onceinawhile]

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I thought his debut was a 0-0 game in Inverness? Awful game but he looked decent from the off.

Definitely was. It was a honking game.

[craigmounthibby]

Chris Killen. He came into a Hibs squad that had o'connor, riordan and fletcher all vying for a place up front, and still made an immediate impact.

[Golden Bear]

The next thread should be on the subject of which Hibs players in the last 10 years or so have went on to improve their careers with so called bigger and better Clubs?

Following on from Mowbray's golden generation I can't honestly think of anyone which in itself speaks volumes.

John Rankin has established himself in a fairly good Dundee United team but whether that can be classified as an improvement is open to debate.

[The Sea-gull]

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Leigh Griffiths. Oh no wait, he was poor in his first season and was given time to settle. Maybe that could catch on..

Think describing Griffiths as "poor" in his first season is a wee bit wide of the mark. Maybe it seems that way because his second season was so electric but 11 goals in 30 appearances along with some pretty decent performances in what was an even worse team than we have now is hardly poor.

[Weir7]

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We're at a lob ebb just now and a perennial factor that seems to scupper our chances of success is signing good players who've performed well with other teams - only for them to seemingly regress into huddys and cowards when purged onto the field.

What is that all about?

It can be a mixture of many things, such as coming to terms with the demands of a bigger club, the pressure of being an accomplished player at other clubs, the footballing style of the manager not being in tandem with the player's, or adjusting to life in a new city/new country.

It's argued that Liam Craig's somewhat turbulent adjustment to Easter Road has been down to him being given the captaincy, being deployed in a holding midfield role, or not having the quality in the squad around him to let him express himself. The majority of us were over the moon when he signed his pre contract and saw it as something of a coup to acquire the services of a goal-scoring midfielder who's team had finished third in the league.

Things haven't worked out as planned and Craig seems a shadow of the player we thought we'd brought to Hibs. What's the science behind this? You sign a good, proven player at the height of his game and expect him to take your club to the next level and the complete opposite happens.

It's not just him either of recent times to follow this now familiar path. Owain Tudur Jones, Paul Heffernan, Rowan Vine, Paul Cairney, Tim Clancy, Scott Robertson - the list seems to continue. All proven players at this level (bar Cairney).

It's not yet finished, but it's an extremely long list for this to seem to happen again and again and again.

I'm trying to think of what players had an immediate impact at Easter Road, and how they managed it where others previously mentioned have failed. The Sauzees, the Keith Wrights, the Joe Harpers (not that I'm old enough, but I'm sure his name starts many a palpitation 'round these parts!) - players who had it and brought it here to Easter Road as intended. The players who could change a season, or make a squad raise it's game.

What's the recipe for facilitating new players, and why are a hibs consistently failing to follow it? What are your memories, good and bad. Worse and brilliant.

I doubt this'll be as successful as my Tom Hart thread but here's hoping!!

Tommy McIntyre, Graeme Mitchell, Dougie Bell all signed late 1986.
And we won 3 - 1at Falkirk.

[Billy Whizz]

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Tommy McIntyre, Graeme Mitchell, Dougie Bell all signed boxing day 1986.
And we won 3 nil at Falkirk. I think.

I thought Mitchell and McIntryre all signed on the day of a Hibs v Hearts game at ER

[BOB MARLEYS DUG]

Riordan (second time) came off bench vs Hamilton and curled one into the top corner

[neil7908]

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It was immediately obvious that Didier Agathe was a special talent.

Great shout, he was the first one to come to mind. Still remember signing him and going "who"?! Very quickly changed my mind after the first couple of games!

[Smartie]

Murdoch - 1st start on Sat motm.

Forster - brilliant derby debut and very solid 1st 3 or 4 games at tail of last season.

Nelson - solid at start of this season, looked a great foil for Hanlon, I was disappointed when he got injured vs Celtic and we looked poorer without him.

McGivern - looked quality when he first arrived. Was delighted to see him sign permanently.

Stevenson - motm in a cup final, not long after breaking into a strong Hibs team.

Craig - still our top scorer (?) after regularly finding the net early on this season.

Thomson - often one of our best players when he was playing for free.

Stanton - one bright point in a very poor season. Excellent start to his Hibs career, grasped his first-team opportunity.

Heffernan - looked very good in his first few games pre-injury. I thought he was exactly what we needed.

I could go on. Now thinking about Booth and Harris and what's happened with them. These players are good enough and it wouldn't surprise me to see any of them leave and thrive elsewhere. God knows what we're doing to them.

Like it or not, Butcher's not going to be able to get rid of them all so he's going to have to spot qualities in some to keep and then add to that over the summer.

[Iceman1875]

Grant Brebner the year we got relegated - he was awesome that year trying to keep us up from what I remember!


Sky sports understands that Hearts are going down.

[Pretty Boy]

Andy Walker.

Scored 2 on his debut iirc.

Never done much after that and he's a total bawbag into the bargain.

[Kaiser1962]

Mickey Weir against Morton at ER in what was his third game, and he was outstanding in a 3-1 win in John Blackley's first home game in charge in front of a crowd of under 4k. Made his home debut a week earlier when we were beaten by Dumbarton 3-2 at ER in what was Pat Stanton's last game in charge. Crowd wasn't quite 4k for that one either if I remember correctly.

[weedgiehibbie]

Bjarni Larusson scorring down at Killie on his debut?

Then not doing much else i think

[Mr White]

John budgie burridge. It was always going to take a larger than life personality to replace both the andy gorams but he managed it and gave the whole club and support a huge lift of positivity and self belief imo.

[Kato]

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Murdoch - 1st start on Sat motm.

Forster - brilliant derby debut and very solid 1st 3 or 4 games at tail of last season.

Nelson - solid at start of this season, looked a great foil for Hanlon, I was disappointed when he got injured vs Celtic and we looked poorer without him.

McGivern - looked quality when he first arrived. Was delighted to see him sign permanently.

Stevenson - motm in a cup final, not long after breaking into a strong Hibs team.

Craig - still our top scorer (?) after regularly finding the net early on this season.

Thomson - often one of our best players when he was playing for free.

Stanton - one bright point in a very poor season. Excellent start to his Hibs career, grasped his first-team opportunity.

Heffernan - looked very good in his first few games pre-injury. I thought he was exactly what we needed.
.

Smartie.

Isak Refvik.