stubbs today.

[The_Horde]

I felt Alan changed a pretty successful formation against the big teams and it didn't work. We should've had 3 at the back. Because we didn't the likes of McGregor and Wallace in particular had too much time and space to run into and our full backs were penned in. It also meant we lost the midfield battle.

We had to match them today formation wise and let our class shine through.But we didn't. And I think Alan needs to take most of the flack.

[GreenOnions]

Really disappointed with so many things today but quite why we didn't change things during the game is beyond me.

It was really obvious very early on that we were struggling with their formation and Allan, McGeouch and Fyvie were just not doing it. We were completely unable to string any passes together and, when no changes were made during the first half I fully expected us to come out at the start of the second half playing with three at the back or at least 4-3-3 with Dje Dje and Boyle wide to keep their full-backs busy defensively or spread out their three defenders.

The fact that we continued to the end with the same formation (albeit with Lewis trying to push further forward second half) is amazing IMO.

I was also perplexed but our apparent lack of energy right from the start. The players didn't seem alert and everything seemed ponderous and slow. Even Oxley seemed to take ages retrieving the ball, placing it and kicking it when it was a goal kick. Again - I thought I would see our manager on the touchline asking for the tempo and energy levels to be increased but he sat in the dugout most of the first half.

All very strange IMO and our slow play and inappropriate formation suited Rangers right down to the ground.

[1987kev]

Should have changed it at half time to 3 at the back. Rangers never allowed us to play made us play long balls all game. Seriously I would say hanlon and maybe Fontaine played well and that says a lot about our performs

[bingo70]

We destroyed them playing this formation before and when we played 352 at ibrox we struggled to get possession.

I'd have liked us to have gone 442 but I dint think we've really got the players for that formation.

[Pretty Boy]

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We destroyed them playing this formation before and when we played 352 at ibrox we struggled to get possession.

I'd have liked us to have gone 442 but I dint think we've really got the players for that formation.

I've no issues with the formation we started with but when it became obvious McCall had counteredt it perfectly I'm a bit suprised we made no effort to chnage our shape to reflect that.

They always had an easy outball out wide and throughout the game, but especially in the 1st half, they totally negated the attacking threat our full backs usually offer.

The complete failure to change our shape today to reflect ehat was going on on the park has me a bit baffled tbh.

[rcarter1]

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I've no issues with the formation we started with but when it became obvious McCall had counteredt it perfectly I'm a bit suprised we made no effort to chnage our shape to reflect that.

They always had an easy outball out wide and throughout the game, but especially in the 1st half, they totally negated the attacking threat our full backs usually offer.

The complete failure to change our shape today to reflect ehat was going on on the park has me a bit baffled tbh.

Until we start seeing tactical awareness from our dug out, we are handicapped. Ive read umpteen times how we have been tactically outplayed by this or that team I could scream. Im fairly certain Stubbs is motivated enough to learn, but not sure he has got it yet..

[NAE NOOKIE]

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Should have changed it at half time to 3 at the back. Rangers never allowed us to play made us play long balls all game. Seriously I would say hanlon and maybe Fontaine played well and that says a lot about our performs

I don't get too het up about formations, but even I thought this was the way to go at half time and when Watson came on for Gray at the start of the 2nd I thought it was a certainty to happen. I think Stubbsy was slow to react to what was going on and why Malonga or JJ or both weren't hooked earlier I don't know.

[bingo70]

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Until we start seeing tactical awareness from our dug out, we are handicapped. Ive read umpteen times how we have been tactically outplayed by this or that team I could scream. Im fairly certain Stubbs is motivated enough to learn, but not sure he has got it yet..

What games have we been tactically outplayed in?

I don't agree with every decision he makes but to suggest he's been tactically shown up in umpteen games is nonsense.

We've dominated pretty much every game this season, If we were as ruthless in front if goal as hearts had been we'd be there or thereabouts too.

[jacomo]

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Until we start seeing tactical awareness from our dug out, we are handicapped. Ive read umpteen times how we have been tactically outplayed by this or that team I could scream. Im fairly certain Stubbs is motivated enough to learn, but not sure he has got it yet..

'Umpteen times' is stretching it but there have been a few games this season when we've stuck to plan A and not changed it when it's not working. On the other hand we've played a few different formations and mostly got it right.

Credit to McCall today I guess for stifling us. I'm sure we are still learning as a team.

[B.H.F.C]

It wasn't how he set up that bothered me. It was the failure to adapt when we were being outplayed.

We never coped with their system all day.

[WillowbraeHibby]

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It wasn't how he set up that bothered me. It was the failure to adapt when we were being outplayed.

We never coped with their system all day.

Agreed...

[oneone73]

4-5-1 was the way to go second half. Handling for Djedje.

[BoomtownHibees]

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It wasn't how he set up that bothered me. It was the failure to adapt when we were being outplayed.

We never coped with their system all day.

Exactly

[Smartie]

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It wasn't how he set up that bothered me. It was the failure to adapt when we were being outplayed.

We never coped with their system all day.

There's another thread talking about Hibs "bottling it" today which I think is harsh. We played poorly but didn't "bottle it".

I'd say an argument could be made that Stubbs bottled it today though. Plan A wasn't working and he'd been outdone by McCall with his starting line-up (it was clearly not working long before The Rangers scored their first goal).

He needed tactical awareness and bottle to act when it clearly wasn't working and he fell short.

[rcarter1]

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What games have we been tactically outplayed in?

I don't agree with every decision he makes but to suggest he's been tactically shown up in umpteen games is nonsense.

We've dominated pretty much every game this season, If we were as ruthless in front if goal as hearts had been we'd be there or thereabouts too.

I agree that Hearts have been better in taking chances and that has been their strength.

But our second half performances have tended to be worse than the first, indirectly suggesting the opposition has adapted better to the game than we have.

Furthermore my point about tactically outplayed is more a statement of HFC over the last 5,10+ years.

[Smartie]

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'Umpteen times' is stretching it but there have been a few games this season when we've stuck to plan A and not changed it when it's not working. On the other hand we've played a few different formations and mostly got it right.

Credit to McCall today I guess for stifling us. I'm sure we are still learning as a team.

It is easy to blame a manager and tactics when a result goes against you.

Stubbs has (very) occasionally been found out and made tactical gaffes. All managers do though and remember that he is quite new to it.

He has generally been good tactically imo though. He has persisted with the diamond or 352 going successfully between the 2 as reqd. Today is the first time I can recollect that we have been found out.

It will be interesting to see how we respond if a team sets up like that against us again.

I'd say match it and hope our superior players beat theirs. But did that formation not go out of fashion because it struggled against a lone striker and a flooded midfield? I don't think we have the players to play that way.

[ALF TUPPER]

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What games have we been tactically outplayed in?

I don't agree with every decision he makes but to suggest he's been tactically shown up in umpteen games is nonsense.

We've dominated pretty much every game this season, If we were as ruthless in front if goal as hearts had been we'd be there or thereabouts too.

This 👍

[Smartie]

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I agree that Hearts have been better in taking chances and that has been their strength.

But our second half performances have tended to be worse than the first, indirectly suggesting the opposition has adapted better to the game than we have.

Furthermore my point about tactically outplayed is more a statement of HFC over the last 5,10+ years.

The best manager we've had at reading a game and adapting tactics was Collins.

A lot of the recent ones have been a bit suspect, squeezing players into formations that don't suit them.

At least Stubbs has stuck with a formation that is successful and suits our players, even if he did get found out a bit today.

[Greenwich_Hibby]

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The best manager we've had at reading a game and adapting tactics was Collins.

A lot of the recent ones have been a bit suspect, squeezing players into formations that don't suit them.

At least Stubbs has stuck with a formation that is successful and suits our players, even if he did get found out a bit today.

Collins - really? I always felt he was too rigid in his views?

What can be learnt from today is to be willing to change formation to nullify the opposition - the inability to close down their only effective player Wallace was simply tactical naivety

[Vini1875]

It is dissappointing to lose to the huns in the manner we did, but I feel all over the pitch we got it wrong and simply stopped playing our usual game. We could have passed the huns to death today if we had tried but too many long balls and lack of confidence from us caused mistake after mistake. It felt like Stubbs tried to do something different with the team and it didn't work.

That aside we should be aware of the fact that the huns will cheat, bully, fain injury and get help from the officials. We have to be than that.

[rcarter1]

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The best manager we've had at reading a game and adapting tactics was Collins.

A lot of the recent ones have been a bit suspect, squeezing players into formations that don't suit them.

At least Stubbs has stuck with a formation that is successful and suits our players, even if he did get found out a bit today.

This is the thing. It means that Rangers have worked out a system that made us look port and them half-ok. We need to come up with a counter counter if you like. Its the core essence of most strategy games to keep adapting to your opponent. If we were so good that we could just go out and do our thing and win big on a regular basis then we wouldn't need to change tactics as much.

I am hoping that Stubbs and the back room staff take this aspect of the game seriously and when we are in the play offs we have a plan A, and B, and C etc. McCall isn't daft, and was even confident enough to allude to what he was doing in the pre match blurb on the BBC match preview.

If we ignore this and just say 'but we have better passers of the ball (didn't see that today) and Rangers are rank (they beat us today), and the ref should do his job (he didn't today)" then we will stay down this season.

We can't have a reactive victim mentality. We need to take Rangers out with everything we have got.

[WillowbraeHibby]

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This is the thing. It means that Rangers have worked out a system that made us look port and them half-ok. We need to come up with a counter counter if you like. Its the core essence of most strategy games to keep adapting to your opponent. If we were so good that we could just go out and do our thing and win big on a regular basis then we wouldn't need to change tactics as much.

I am hoping that Stubbs and the back room staff take this aspect of the game seriously and when we are in the play offs we have a plan A, and B, and C etc. McCall isn't daft, and was even confident enough to allude to what he was doing in the pre match blurb on the BBC match preview.

If we ignore this and just say 'but we have better passers of the ball (didn't see that today) and Rangers are rank (they beat us today), and the ref should do his job (he didn't today)" then we will stay down this season.

We can't have a reactive victim mentality. We need to take Rangers out with everything we have got.

[Brightside]

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We destroyed them playing this formation before and when we played 352 at ibrox we struggled to get possession.

I'd have liked us to have gone 442 but I dint think we've really got the players for that formation.

We did play 442?? Our midfield just didnt perform today. Too many players hiding from the ball.

[bingo70]

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We did play 442?? Our midfield just didnt perform today. Too many players hiding from the ball.

Sorry, I meant the more conventional 442 with wingers that would pin their full backs back.

[truehibernian]

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We did play 442?? Our midfield just didnt perform today. Too many players hiding from the ball.

Thought The Rangers won with ease today and could have been 4 or 5 if honest.

Malonga and Dje Dje played like two strangers and far too deep, caused by our midfield being far too narrow - I said yesterday that I thought Rangers would play 5 across the middle to counter Gray and Lewy and it proved correct - what worried me more was that Stubbs didn't change things after 20 minutes when it was clear things were not working.

Allan and McGeouch were too deep and you could get a taxi from our midfield to the strike pair - Watson was utterly skinned a few times by Wallace - a player who looks/looked very unfit this season - that is another worry. Far too many 'world cup passes' which were never on, game intelligence poor......our midfield didn't communicate at all hence they countered into space time and time again - nobody sat while Robbo or Allan went forward.

I actually turned to my mate and said I wonder if there has been some kind of bug in the Hibs camp this week as they looked so so lethargic.

That front pair need a right dressing down though - both played as if they just had to turn up to score.

Today we were beaten by workrate, them pressing the ball, and Stubbs failing to act smartly. Really angry at the boys today, they were poor from keeper to top end, not one gets pass marks for me.

And that is still a very very poor The Rangers side by the way - and they cruised it today.

[HFC 0-7]

Lack of changes today once it was evident we were not effective and certain players were having a mare was crazy.

The midfield was not getting on the ball and the movement at times was shocking. Up front was a joke, not enough effort up there for me. Franck wanted to walk when he was played through in the second half, why he never shot is baffling.

Allan wasnt at the races today either, whether that was the formation not giving him the time and space needed or it was an off day I dont know.

We made Mccalls day today by not changing things, he had us worked out and would have been waiting on our counter move which never came.

Stubbs has been slow to change things in the past IMO, especially under performing players.

His post match interview he got annoyed when questioned whether Rangers were more hungry for it today, it certainly looked like that for large spells of the game, Scott Allan when he lost the ball hardly ever tried to get it back but others did.

Cant help but feel that the pressure got to some of the players today which is a worry as the play offs will be much worse in terms of pressure.

[truehibernian]

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I've no issues with the formation we started with but when it became obvious McCall had counteredt it perfectly I'm a bit suprised we made no effort to chnage our shape to reflect that.

They always had an easy outball out wide and throughout the game, but especially in the 1st half, they totally negated the attacking threat our full backs usually offer.

The complete failure to change our shape today to reflect that was going on on the park has me a bit baffled tbh.

The Rangers are unfit - we should, after 30 minutes, have matched up 3-5-2 for a period - The Rangers enjoyed too much of the ball in our half, too many set pieces too. By matching up we would have passed better, quicker and circulated it round them quicker.

Instead we had Allan continually turning, looking, probing and then losing the ball after trying passes that were never on.

McCulloch will never have an easier game this season - Malonga needed to play between their centre halves but chose continually to come deep. I can't remember a game this season where we have created so little.

[Paisley Hibby]

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This is the thing. It means that Rangers have worked out a system that made us look port and them half-ok. We need to come up with a counter counter if you like. Its the core essence of most strategy games to keep adapting to your opponent. If we were so good that we could just go out and do our thing and win big on a regular basis then we wouldn't need to change tactics as much.

I am hoping that Stubbs and the back room staff take this aspect of the game seriously and when we are in the play offs we have a plan A, and B, and C etc. McCall isn't daft, and was even confident enough to allude to what he was doing in the pre match blurb on the BBC match preview.

If we ignore this and just say 'but we have better passers of the ball (didn't see that today) and Rangers are rank (they beat us today), and the ref should do his job (he didn't today)" then we will stay down this season.

We can't have a reactive victim mentality. We need to take Rangers out with everything we have got.

I agree. I also think we played pretty well in the second half and what let us down was lack of clinical finishing. We had several free headers in their box not to mention Dje Dje's missed sitter (he looks like a dud sadly).

[Ronniekirk]

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Thought The Rangers won with ease today and could have been 4 or 5 if honest.

Malonga and Dje Dje played like two strangers and far too deep, caused by our midfield being far too narrow - I said yesterday that I thought Rangers would play 5 across the middle to counter Gray and Lewy and it proved correct - what worried me more was that Stubbs didn't change things after 20 minutes when it was clear things were not working.

Allan and McGeouch were too deep and you could get a taxi from our midfield to the strike pair - Watson was utterly skinned a few times by Wallace - a player who looks/looked very unfit this season - that is another worry. Far too many 'world cup passes' which were never on, game intelligence poor......our midfield didn't communicate at all hence they countered into space time and time again - nobody sat while Robbo or Allan went forward.

I actually turned to my mate and said I wonder if there has been some kind of bug in the Hibs camp this week as they looked so so lethargic.

That front pair need a right dressing down though - both played as if they just had to turn up to score.

Today we were beaten by workrate, them pressing the ball, and Stubbs failing to act smartly. Really angry at the boys today, they were poor from keeper to top end, not one gets pass marks for me.

And that is still a very very poor The Rangers side by the way - and they cruised it today.

We also didn't look confident and resorted to the Ox kicking it long in the first half which just gave the ball straight back to them They pressed us all over the park and we didn't cope At Ibrox they did the same for the first twenty but we hit them with a good counter attack ,and passing as we did for our second goal .Today that never looked like happening and Yep the fact we couldn't do something about it was a concern ,as its handed them a psychological boost .i Thought we may draw the game at worst ,so to loose in the manner we did has dented my confidence a bit ,especially if Cummings is out injured for any length of time

[Feed McGraw]

Another big game where once again the fans are let down, this has to change if we are to be in any way successful.