whya re we so poor at shooting, crossing & finishing .. ???

[eastcoasthibby]

why are we so poor in these departments ? we have started this season with exactly the same problems that we have had for the previous 3 ( at least) which have led to us not getting the results that we need to either keep ourselves in the league or get promotion !

I struggle to understand why players can't work on these things and improve - looking at Lewis Stevenson, he has had the same prevailing problems for as long as I can remember - he gets into great positions then he won't go past a player and cross, his crossing is either ballooned out or goes out of play or hits the first defender or he checks back onto the right foot he can't use and slows the play down ....question is why hasn't he been coached out of this ? Harris, Gray, Boyle, Cummings, McGinn, Fyvie and I won't even go there with Bartley, are the main culprits for me given the positions they play.

Almost every week our players get into good positions to deliver a cross and it is 20% of the time of poor quality thus giving the strikers very little to work with other than what they can create !

Right across the team our shooting is woeful ..watching the shooting drills in the warm ups isn't very encouraging ! same as the drill that used to happen with the full backs putting in a couple of crosses that was woeful as well both crosses and the finishing.

How many chances do we miss on average every game and how many shots fail to trouble a keeper ? I will go for an average of 12 shots/decent chances per game from which our goals average is probably about 1 in 10 .... this just won't get us promoted.

When you look at almost every other team we come across they seem to have an average of about 1 goal to 3 or 4 chances or shots ......

So the question again, why are we so poor ?...

[MWHIBBIES]

We were poor on Saturday, we weren't poor against Morton. Or Falkirk. Or St Mirren.

Name me a team in the world that scores every chance from every perfect cross. It doesn't even happen on video games.

[eastcoasthibby]

why am I so poor at getting the heading right ?ooops

[lyonhibs]

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why are we so poor in these departments ? we have started this season with exactly the same problems that we have had for the previous 3 ( at least) which have led to us not getting the results that we need to either keep ourselves in the league or get promotion !

I struggle to understand why players can't work on these things and improve - looking at Lewis Stevenson, he has had the same prevailing problems for as long as I can remember - he gets into great positions then he won't go past a player and cross, his crossing is either ballooned out or goes out of play or hits the first defender or he checks back onto the right foot he can't use and slows the play down ....question is why hasn't he been coached out of this ? Harris, Gray, Boyle, Cummings, McGinn, Fyvie and I won't even go there with Bartley, are the main culprits for me given the positions they play.

Almost every week our players get into good positions to deliver a cross and it is 20% of the time of poor quality thus giving the strikers very little to work with other than what they can create !

Right across the team our shooting is woeful ..watching the shooting drills in the warm ups isn't very encouraging ! same as the drill that used to happen with the full backs putting in a couple of crosses that was woeful as well both crosses and the finishing.

How many chances do we miss on average every game and how many shots fail to trouble a keeper ? I will go for an average of 12 shots/decent chances per game from which our goals average is probably about 1 in 10 .... this just won't get us promoted.

When you look at almost every other team we come across they seem to have an average of about 1 goal to 3 or 4 chances or shots ......

So the question again, why are we so poor ?...

We've won 5 out of 6 league games. What are you on about "so poor"?? Stevenson got the most (or right up there anyway) assists for Hibs in the league last season. Doesn't mean he didn't have a ***** game now and again.

Load of havering - poor finishing cost us in that game specifically. I don't think we'll see nearly as many results not go our way due to poor finishing under Lennon as we did under Stubbs.

The plastic sheets aren't required just yet.

[eastcoasthibby]

the post is about 3 parts of the game that I am asking a question about over not Saturdays game or the Falkirk game or Morton, etc....its about the amount of chances that we miss and crosses/crossing situations that are wasted and the shooting that rarely hits the target ! if we scored from the same percentage of chances and shots that other teams that we play seem to against us then we would score 3-4 a game and have no problem winning games ! but we don't !
this isn't a bed wetting thread but about the longer term consequences of not scoring enough from our possession and play !

[lyonhibs]

My point was that, in the league, with the exception of yesterday, we have been scoring enough so our crossing and shooting hasn't been "so poor". I don't think yesterday's profligacy will be as recurring a theme as it was under Stubbs and we'll get promoted without too much fuss.

[G B Young]

I'd stress I've only seen two games this season (Dunfermline and Ayr) but based on what I witnessed at them I'd agree wholeheartedly. Against the Pars our goals came from an own goal and a low cross which got lucky due to a defensive slip. Against Ayr it took a wonder strike for us to find the net. The vast majority of crosses or shots were very poor. Personally I just don't think we look an especially good side and do not share the confidence of others that we are better than the rest of the teams in this league. Ayr barely put in a cross or shot all game and were clearly set up to defend in depth and hit on the break. Yet they scored from two of the very few balls they put into our box.

The overall standard of Scottish football has been very poor for a long time now but I don't think it's demanding too much to ask for better when it comes to players doing better with the basics. Even finding a man with a pass seems beyond some. As someone who wistfully recalls the days of the Tornadoes when you'd see guys like Edwards or Cropley pinging a pinpoint pass from one side of the field to the other nine times out of ten it's like night and day compared to today's fare.

[NAE NOOKIE]

The guy has a point to be fair, even if we have had games like Morton where we put the ball in the net a few times our chances made to goals scored isn't brilliant and hasn't been for a good few seasons now.

Our goals return from midfield is probably worse than any team in Britain and if folk don't think that's an issue it should be, we have some of the best midfielders in the country never mind the Championship and they should be scoring more. I'm not even talking about cracking one in from 25 yards, I'm talking about being in the box when the ball comes in.

[Billychaotic182]

We lose one game and everyone loses their mind. Jeezo.

[Hi Heid Yin]

The OP is right to be concerned about certain aspects of our game. Without question we simply do not convert chances created into goals far too often for it to be mere chance or bad luck.
We scored a pitiful amount of goals last season in the league and there were games (too many in fact) where we found ourselves clinging onto our one goal advantage and with our backs to the wall.
We give the opposition encouragement and instill confidence in them and the belief that they can snatch something from the game, and often do. Ayr was a classic example (albeit having 10 men didn't help us).
We have without doubt quality midfielders, in fact, the best in this division, yet they rarely get on the end of anything, or drive into the penalty area at pace, or be there for those simple tap ins. They are in fact letting us down big time in this respect and they really should be taking the burden away from Jason Cummings. Heaven knows where we would be sitting in the table if not for his goals.

[HUTCHYHIBBY]

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We lose one game and everyone loses their mind. Jeezo.

Its hardly everybody is it?

[erin go bragh]

Pretty sure all our four goals scored against Morton came from crosses . Yes Saturday wasn't great on the crossing front or finishing but that game apart , we have been very good .

[NAE NOOKIE]

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Pretty sure all our four goals scored against Morton came from crosses . Yes Saturday wasn't great on the crossing front or finishing but that game apart , we have been very good .

Graham's headed goal in that game was as good as I've seen in quite a few seasons at ER .... he attacked the ball and that's what we need more from our forwards.

[Lago]

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The guy has a point to be fair, even if we have had games like Morton where we put the ball in the net a few times our chances made to goals scored isn't brilliant and hasn't been for a good few seasons now.

Our goals return from midfield is probably worse than any team in Britain and if folk don't think that's an issue it should be, we have some of the best midfielders in the country never mind the Championship and they should be scoring more. I'm not even talking about cracking one in from 25 yards, I'm talking about being in the box when the ball comes in.

Your 2nd para is spot on, our mid field do not contribute enough goals, for what ever reason they are shot shy.

[Salt N Sauzee]

Ah yes, some more bedwetting.

[G B Young]

I would add that the loss of Henderson has had an impact on our crossing. As well as his delivery from set pieces he could dig out a decent cross while on the run.

Keatings can also whip in a good corner and is a natural finisher, but we don't seem to be able to find a regular starting role for him in the team.

[JDHibs]

Its more to do with the opposition in my opinion. Last seasons cup runs showed that.

When teams like Ayr etc place us they normally park the bus. That makes it very awkward to break down with crosses and every team in this league has big centre halves that will deal with crosses all day long. If you watch the Ayr game, when we had possession their 2 centre mids were right on top of their centre halves making it very difficult to play through so we went wide, where their centre halves could deal with it.

Where as teams in the prem play a more open style which allows space to be created in the box and boom, its easier to score.

However, we need to find away to play against these teams, which is what we done against Morton, played very quickly and got the ball forward quickly, which is why we need McGeough to dictate the tempo.

It isnt because we are poor at the things you mentioned.

[Spike Mandela]

Credit where credit is due we won our first five games of the season and that is to be commended.

I remain to be convinced though that our problems from last season have been solved.

We are a god team, Scottish cup champions no less, and on our day no team in Scotland would fancy drawing us in a cup game. However we have to be honest with ourselves.

I expected us this season to be more like Hearts and Rangers were when they won the league. Regularly beating teams by comfortable goal margins. Obviously against their title rivals ( us and Falkirk) games were tighter but both previous champions would regularly beat teams, like Ayr, 4 or 5 - 1.

Other than the Morton game we still aren't converting our chances sufficiently enough and it is a worry. The team hasn't recruited well enough in my opinion to steamroller this league. Far from it.

I don't think the quality of the team is much of an improvement on last year, if at all and I feel it could really go down to the wire for automatic promotion again unless we really start rattling in the goals from several players in the team, in games like Saturday past

Lennon has to earn his corn now. I am fully expecting us to bounce back and beat QotS on Saturday but if we don't we rally should be asking the question..."why the **** not." We have had a bounce from winning the cup, fans have respondesd at the turnstiles and we ARE the biggest club in the league...there really are no excuses anymore.

[swordin3]

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the post is about 3 parts of the game that I am asking a question about over not Saturdays game or the Falkirk game or Morton, etc....its about the amount of chances that we miss and crosses/crossing situations that are wasted and the shooting that rarely hits the target ! if we scored from the same percentage of chances and shots that other teams that we play seem to against us then we would score 3-4 a game and have no problem winning games ! but we don't !
this isn't a bed wetting thread but about the longer term consequences of not scoring enough from our possession and play !

Totally agree we are converting a very small percentage of of our chances.Shinnie was frustrating as he had 2-3 good chances in the box.He also had the ball in good positions umpteen times at the edge of the box and no end product everytime.

[swordin3]

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Credit where credit is due we won our first five games of the season and that is to be commended.

I remain to be convinced though that our problems from last season have been solved.

We are a god team, Scottish cup champions no less, and on our day no team in Scotland would fancy drawing us in a cup game. However we have to be honest with ourselves.

I expected us this season to be more like Hearts and Rangers were when they won the league. Regularly beating teams by comfortable goal margins. Obviously against their title rivals ( us and Falkirk) games were tighter but both previous champions would regularly beat teams, like Ayr, 4 or 5 - 1.

Other than the Morton game we still aren't converting our chances sufficiently enough and it is a worry. The team hasn't recruited well enough in my opinion to steamroller this league. Far from it.

I don't think the quality of the team is much of an improvement on last year, if at all and I feel it could really go down to the wire for automatic promotion again unless we really start rattling in the goals from several players in the team, in games like Saturday past

Lennon has to earn his corn now. I am fully expecting us to bounce back and beat QotS on Saturday but if we don't we rally should be asking the question..."why the **** not." We have had a bounce from winning the cup, fans have respondesd at the turnstiles and we ARE the biggest club in the league...there really are no excuses anymore.

Spot on.

[Danderhall Hibs]

We've only hammered one team this season. I argued this point last season as well and was told we only need to win 1-0 every week.

We should be destroying teams most weeks - like Hearts and Rangers did. We get 2-1s and 1-0s that always leave you open to what happened on Saturday.

[lord bunberry]

The worry for me is that we only have 1 player who seems capable of scoring. We need far more goals from midfield.

[California-Hibs]

.......really?

[loanheadhibby]

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The worry for me is that we only have 1 player who seems capable of scoring. We need far more goals from midfield.

My thoughts on this is why did we need 2 holding midfielders (Bartley/Fyvie) against Ayr at home? Could we not have left 1 out and played Keaings behind 2 Centre forwards or maybe start with Boyle out wide?

[Smartie]

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The worry for me is that we only have 1 player who seems capable of scoring. We need far more goals from midfield.

We need much more from midfield but we also need more from Holt/ Graham and goals from central defenders up for set pieces etc.

Having 1 player scoring regularly places us in a really vulnerable position. Especially when an argument could be made that that player isn't playing particularly well either.

[PompeyHibs]

We defo dont score enough goals.
Been the problem for years.

To score two goals in two games v Dumbarton and Ayr is very poor going (one was a pen)

I know we all rave about our midfield but one major area they fail at is goal scoring.
They hardly offer a goal and no midfielder is likely to even score 6 goals a season.

5/6 wins is decent but we are in the second tier of Scottish football - the warning signs are there for all to see that if we dominate games and dont bag at least two we are likely to drop points

1. Brondy home
2. QoS
3. Dumbarton (we won but only 1 goal)
4. Ayr

[emerald green]

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We lose one game and everyone loses their mind. Jeezo.

The OP isn't about losing one game. You're completely missing the point.

PS: Hibs have lost three games already this season, all at Easter Road, and it's still only September. You do know this, don't you?

[Billychaotic182]

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The OP isn't about losing one game. You're completely missing the point.

PS: Hibs have lost three games already this season, all at Easter Road, and it's still only September. You do know this, don't you?

Yes I have been to all the home games so far. We were on the wrong end of a bad call against Bromby, we were awful against QOS I'll give you that but had it not been for the Bartley red we would have won the last game. For me it just seems like whenever something goes against us all the moaners come back. It's been great seeing ER packed and happy. Just want to keep the good feeling there.

[emerald green]

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We've only hammered one team this season. I argued this point last season as well and was told we only need to win 1-0 every week.

We should be destroying teams most weeks - like Hearts and Rangers did. We get 2-1s and 1-0s that always leave you open to what happened on Saturday.

I presume you are referring to the 4-0 against Greenock Morton. It has to be said that Morton team is/was absolutely garbage, and if Hibs cannot beat teams as bad as that, convincingly, at ER then they won't win the Championship.

That's what Hibs needed to do against Ayr United too, but failed to do so. It's an old cliche, but so long as a scoreline remains at just 1 goal, then teams remain vulnerable to being suckered like Hibs were on Saturday.

Hibs also seemed to be all over the shop, tactically, after going down to 10 men. That needs to be addressed by Lennon urgently too.

[emerald green]

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Yes I have been to all the home games so far. We were on the wrong end of a bad call against Bromby, we were awful against QOS I'll give you that but had it not been for the Bartley red we would have won the last game. For me it just seems like whenever something goes against us all the moaners come back. It's been great seeing ER packed and happy. Just want to keep the good feeling there.

Fans will always "moan" when they see their team lose mate. No team can win every game, but what I get annoyed about is seeing our team throwing points/games away against inferior teams like Ayr United. I reserve the right to have a moan about that. We simply MUST win nearly all of these fixtures to get out of the Championship. Especially our home fixtures.

We all want to see ER packed again and to keep the feel good factor. But results like Saturday's will not see that continue because football fans are very fickle. Simple as that.