Initial season optimisim gone

[thebausburst]

Like many I was really optimistic pre-season, buoyant by end of season performances and initial team investment/(re)signings. However, the Allan saga and the season start by Hibs and Rangers respectively have all but removed that initial optimisim and now IMO we go into out next meeting with Rangers with a great deal of pressure and trepidation. Lets be honest another drubbing by them and, even this early, it would take a massive turnaround over the course of the season to end up champs. AS rightly went on about the importance of the start to the season and not only did we give them a 3 point start straight away, we're not playing anything like we were/can, its like last season on repeat!

I'm not being deliberately negative just honest about how I feel, the fact we've just lost our best player and have been left with a laddie from Celtic does not make me feel any better!

[FromTheCapital]

Remember, we went to the Hunnery last year in 2nd bottom and we won 3-1. It only takes one game to kick start a season and if we play to our potential then we are more than capable of beating Rangers, no doubt.


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[lord bunberry]

It's not gone from me. I'm glad the Allan saga is over and now we have a full week to prepare for the Huns with a squad of committed players.

[thebausburst]

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Remember, we went to the Hunnery last year in 2nd bottom and we won 3-1. It only takes one game to kick start a season and if we play to our potential then we are more than capable of beating Rangers, no doubt.


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Yes and I really hope you're right, but they are a different proposition this year and IMO their new recruits look a cut above anything they had last season. Its going to take a dramatic turn around in performance to get anything out of that match,

[FromTheCapital]

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Yes and I really hope you're right, but they are a different proposition this year and IMO their new recruits look a cut above anything they had last season. Its going to take a dramatic turn around in performance to get anything out of that match,

That I agree with but with the introduction of McGeouch and Keatings potentially to our starting 11 next Sunday then who knows. Football is a funny game, anything can happen.


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[Ronniekirk]

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It's not gone from me. I'm glad the Allan saga is over and now we have a full week to prepare for the Huns with a squad of committed players.

Would rather the Ibrox games was another three or four weeks down the line Don't think we are ready for this one based on yesterday's performance and still trying to integrate new players .

Rangers currently 4. 1 up and movement and clinical finishing in last third is a lot better than ours at present

I can't see us winning next week ,a draw would probably be a decent result But already they look a completely different team whereas we are still talking about issues we were highlighting last Season

I think it's still early days for us ,but am leaning more to looking at finishing second unless everything starts to click into place next week and we get a win .

At present the Initiative and Momentum appears to be with Rangers and that pains me to say that .

[jacomo]

Cheer up. It's a long season and The Rangers have just had a massive setback. They can't unsettle us with bids for SA again. Let's show what we are made of.

[tamig]

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Like many I was really optimistic pre-season, buoyant by end of season performances and initial team investment/(re)signings. However, the Allan saga and the season start by Hibs and Rangers respectively have all but removed that initial optimisim and now IMO we go into out next meeting with Rangers with a great deal of pressure and trepidation. Lets be honest another drubbing by them and, even this early, it would take a massive turnaround over the course of the season to end up champs. AS rightly went on about the importance of the start to the season and not only did we give them a 3 point start straight away, we're not playing anything like we were/can, its like last season on repeat!

I'm not being deliberately negative just honest about how I feel, the fact we've just lost our best player and have been left with a laddie from Celtic does not make me feel any better!

Your user name is very apt! ☺

[Hibernia&Alba]

It's very early days, but the OP is correct to say we can't afford to fall behind Rangers in the table. Next week is a big game; one we must be prepared for, and one which could have a big impact going forward. A win at Ibrox would be a massive boost.

[thebausburst]

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Your user name is very apt! ☺

Only being honest, only the most optimisitc fan would not agree surely!

[Scouse Hibee]

Rangers wll romp the league, I said when we were relegated that I could see us down for three seasons at least. I still think that will be the case.

[Borderhibbie76]

Jeez this thread makes me wanna slit my wrists...2 games into a long season some folk need to seriously get a grip...its Rangers not Brazil from 1970

[Scouse Hibee]

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Jeez this thread makes me wanna slit my wrists...2 games into a long season some folk need to seriously get a grip...its Rangers not Brazil from 1970

Nothing to do with two games in or needing to get a grip just my opinion on how I think we will fare.

[thebausburst]

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Jeez this thread makes me wanna slit my wrists...2 games into a long season some folk need to seriously get a grip...its Rangers not Brazil from 1970

If you fancy it Hibs are now 5/1 for the league and 5/1 for next week?

[Sir David Gray]

We are clear underdogs next week, I don't think there's any doubt about that. However that may go in our favour as all the pressure will be on Sevco.

We have gone there before and won. If a poor team managed by Colin Calderwood can get a 3-0 victory at Ibrox then anything's possible.

The Petrofac Cup game is of little relevance to next week's game. We didn't have Carmichael, Bartley or Boyle available for that match, who are all now fit again, Malonga went off injured after 20 odd minutes and was replaced by an 18 year old who had played just one previous first team match for us and we hadn't signed McGinn or Henderson for that game either.

If Steven Thompson had scored that penalty last week, St Mirren would have got it back to 2-2 and who knows what would have happened then.

If we play like we did at Dumbarton last week then we'll get hammered next week but I'm hopeful that we can put in a big performance and get the win.

[truehibernian]

Have The Rangers had any injuries to key players as yet ? Long long season, lots can happen in the course of over 30-40 games.

Hibs have Farid, Keatings and Forster out, Boyle and Carmichael literally just come back, McGinn not 100% match fit with no pre-season under his belt.........as well as the Scott Allan stuff in the background.

Point is we go to Ibrox in a better position that when we played them in the Petrofac - first 45 minutes we were by far the better side. And that was with a weakened side (even in that game Malonga and Forster went off).

St Mirren had a very good 60 minutes v them at Ibrox and who knows what would have happened if they had scored the pen.........have faith my Hibee chums

[NAE NOOKIE]

Our pre season was nothing short of a disaster. To have so many players injured at the same time was not something we could have foreseen and then to lose Forster just compounded the agony. The Scott Allan saga obviously hasn't helped, but I have little sympathy for any player who thinks its an excuse for a below par effort. I am mystified by our failure to arrange a tough pre season game to give our defence a real test and IMO the manager fell down on that score.

The upshot of all this is that we are weeks behind where we should be and it showed yesterday. I am convinced we will get better, but by the time we do it might be too late. Its vital to get a result next Sunday, but if I'm being honest this game is coming 3 / 4 weeks too early for us, I will be over the moon if we can scrape a draw.

[Dalianwanda]

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Only being honest, only the most optimisitc fan would not agree surely!

I would agree that your optimism has gone. Doesn't mean everyone else's has to ;-)

[Greencore]

If hibs have taught me anything in life it's this

We play better when we are under dogs.

[Borderhibbie76]

Honestly not getting all this doom and gloom..yes The Sevconians have started well but they had shaky moments against us in 1st half at ER and against St Midden last week. Whereas we may have stared slowly but IMO we will only get stronger. Lot of football to be played over next 34 league matches...lets just have a bit of faith guys

[Lago]

Weve hit the road limping rather than running

[E10 Rifle]

It will be about putting pressure on them right across the field. If Cummings and Boyle start and harass their defenders any time they get the ball and we build form the front - then we'll take them. If we stand off them, it'll be a different story.

[Waxy]

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If hibs have taught me anything in life it's this

We play better when we are under dogs.

It'll have to be a pretty big dog.

[Brightside]

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Like many I was really optimistic pre-season, buoyant by end of season performances and initial team investment/(re)signings. However, the Allan saga and the season start by Hibs and Rangers respectively have all but removed that initial optimisim and now IMO we go into out next meeting with Rangers with a great deal of pressure and trepidation. Lets be honest another drubbing by them and, even this early, it would take a massive turnaround over the course of the season to end up champs. AS rightly went on about the importance of the start to the season and not only did we give them a 3 point start straight away, we're not playing anything like we were/can, its like last season on repeat!

I'm not being deliberately negative just honest about how I feel, the fact we've just lost our best player and have been left with a laddie from Celtic does not make me feel any better!

"Im not being deliberately negative"? Well its not happening by accident pal.

[SanFranHibs]

I am trying to be optimistic because as has been pointed out we have several players not fit just yet, key players who will be necessary if we are to challenge for the title and we will soon have this SA saga firmly behind us.

My only concern is the lack of consistent playing style. Even allowing for the personnel issues we seem unable to get the ball from the back to the front in a consistent way, frequently chopping and changing formations and showing very little conviction.

I just recall the way Stubbs teams approached games at the start of his tenure and they seemed to have all bought into his 'style'. Quick, short forward passes when possible and when not possible, quick, short backward/lateral passes to open up a forward pass. All done instinctively. They just seemed to know what they were doing as a team. I do worry as I just don't see it, even in our victories which we barely grind out. I appreciate we had games were our possession did not result in goals and if I recall correctly did we not in one game (Alloa?) have 23 shots to 3 or 5 and still did not win. But now we have difficulties even getting into shooting positions.

Once he has all his players available then there can be no excuses if we are still struggling/losing to part time teams.

However, I am not giving up just yet. The club have tried incredibly hard to improve the fortunes and M.O. of the club and the next couple of months or so will prove if Stubbs has progressed the team.

Anyhow, no great insights or bold predictions from me but we need to start playing with consistency and conviction and next week would a great time to make a statement regarding our title aspirations.

[Pete]

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I would agree that your optimism has gone. Doesn't mean everyone else's has to ;-)

Exactly. People can be as honest as they like when it comes to justifying their gloomy outlook but something is wrong when they make comments suggesting everyone should be feeling the same way. Just when the fans and club get exactly what we need in terms of a starting point for the season we get one of our own who simply has to be all "honest" and post stuff that will only serve to bring people down.

Probably the worst type of post. Worse than the ones we regularly see with 5-1 shoehorned in somewhere.

[rotherhamrob]

Don't worry lads, your optimism will return next week when we beat that shower by 2 clear goals.
Keep 2 upfront and press as if our lives depend on it, they look quite good going forward but have still to be really tested at the back.
Let's be the ones to put them in their place and where better to do it than in their own midden

[21.05.2016]

Rangers are looking like they have made good signing and they have gotten rid of a lot of their duds from last season. Giving them a 3 point lead at the very start obviously was not great but its a marathon not a sprint, many twists and turns still to come.

[CmoantheHibs]

Since Stubbs has come in we have always looked at our best when teams come at us.Its when teams sit in we struggle.The huns will come at us.They push their full backs on all the time leaving big gaps.We will hit on the break.It is a big game but bring it on.Let see how their confidence is after we pump them.

[hibsbollah]

I'm baffled as to why I should be pessimistic weve emerged from the Allan debacle after playing an absolute blinder. McGeough coming back is fantastic news, Henderson looks quality as well.

As a club we always emerge from crisis stronger. The Mercer saga and Hands off Hibs was followed the next season by Skol Cup glory in 1992, Brown and Thomsons transfer request in 2006/7 was followed by our last major trophy in 2007. We have plenty quality in the squad again, especially in midfield.

I know now they say a pessimist is never disappointed, but it's just, well, a bit depressing after awhile. I can see us humping the Huns. Yet again