Hibs 1st 11

[lucky]

As the squad continues to be strengthened and with hopefully Stokes to come in there's going to be real competition for places. I think that only Rocky, Effe, SJM and Stokes will be guaranteed a game. The other 7 places are up for grabs. This could be an exciting season for us. I'm struggling to come up with the first 11.

[Lancs Harp]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

As the squad continues to be strengthened and with hopefully Stokes to come in there's going to be real competition for places. I think that only Rocky, Effe, SJM and Stokes will be guaranteed a game. The other 7 places are up for grabs. This could be an exciting season for us. I'm struggling to come up with the first 11.

I think we all are and that at this moment in time includes the management staff. Sometimes new players need time to bed in and get up to speed, will the two Lithuanian lads for instance need a little more time to adjust to the higher pace and greater physicality of the game in Scotland? Exciting times ahead I think and Im really looking forward to the coming season but you'd need a crystal ball to predict what our best 11 will be at this stage.

[Sean1875]

Really building some fantastic depth and plenty of options available too - very very promising!

[Ell_Chrisso]

We could at some point be looking at a squad of...

Marciano, Laidlaw

McGregor, Ambrose, Hanlon, Fontaine, Porteus

Stevenson, Whittaker, Gray, Crane

McGinn, McGeouch, Bartley, Swanson, Slivka, Martin, Fraser Murray, Commons

Murray, Stokes, Boyle, Shaw, Matulevicius

[danhibees1875]

We had a strong and capable team out against Arbroath last night. To think that Rocky, Hanlon, McGregor, Bartley, Mcgeogh, Slivka, Dave, and any other new players would also be looking to be in and about the first XI is very promising.

Not a clue who makes way though!

[hfc rd]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

We could at some point be looking at a squad of...

Marciano, Laidlaw

McGregor, Ambrose, Hanlon, Fontaine, Porteus

Stevenson, Whittaker, Gray, Crane

McGinn, McGeouch, Bartley, Swanson, Slivka, Martin, Fraser Murray, Commons

Murray, Stokes, Boyle, Shaw, Matulevicius

Looks very strong. If we add one more winger (ideally left) with pace and trickery that can offer us some width then this looks like one very exciting team going into the season.

[ian cruise]

Obviously the Lithuanian boys are an unknown quantity but on paper there's enough to suggest they could have a bit of class about them. Add in a striker such as Stokes or similar quality and we'd have some squad. Definite pressure on the to be in top 3. Manager has been backed so up to squad to perform, I'd say top 6 is now minimum expectation. Only guaranteed starters I'd say are Rocky and Lewis, no way Efe can be guaranteed a place e with Paul and Darren in 5he squad and while it's not unreasonable to suggest SJM will be guaranteed a spot, we have McGeough and if the new guy from Juve performs then he might find he misses out a few games.

Obviously I'd we add Fyvie then I'm expecting us to walk the league, Mon Neil, bring him home.

[NAE NOOKIE]

Its becoming very difficult to pick a first eleven, but the reasons for that are what we all want to see. If the two Lithuanian lads live up to Hibs expectations and we sign Stokes we will be looking at quality all over the park. Chuck 'outside of Celtic' at the start of every sentence and there are very few players in our squad who aren't as good or better than what every other club in the premiership will have .... good luck to Lennon when it comes to keeping them all happy

Marciano .... Surely as good a keeper as there is in the league, so far looks as solid as they come.
Laidlaw ...... At most other times in the last 20 years he would have been first choice, a great back up to have.

Whittaker .... Huge experience at a high level and would walk into any other team in the league.
Gray ........... Proved time and again he is a player to be relied upon, sometimes average, rarely bad.
Stevenson .... Is just Stevenson, we all know his shortcomings, but nobody up against him will ever get an easy ride.
Crane .......... Seen this lad play a few times and certainly wouldn't be concerned to see his name on the team sheet.

McGregor ..... Strong as an Ox a brilliant attitude and so difficult to play against ...luv im.
Hanlon ......... Just gets better and better, right up there with the best central defenders in Scotland right now.
Ambrose ..... Gonna scare his colleagues ( and us ) with some risky moves in poor areas, but there's no doubting his quality from what I've seen.
Fontaine ...... Absolutely every time he is picked he gives everything and has more good games than bad, bags of time for this guy.
Porteous ...... What a promising player this lad looks, if it came to it I've no doubt he's an able back up for anybody it centre half.

McGinn ......... On his day he's unplayable, there isn't a team in Scotland who wouldn't want him.
McGeouch ..... Simply, if this guy wasn't plagued by injury problems he wouldn't be playing for Hibs, on his day better than McGinn.
Swanson ....... One of the premier leagues most effective midfielders last season, a real attacking threat.
Bartley ......... Nobody in Scotland does what he does better than he does it ... a cult hero IMO
Slivka .......... Got to think this lad will be a force for us, you don't spend 3 years at Juve if you are average .. a physical presence in midfield too.
Martin .......... Really like this kid, if he was at another club outside of Scotland's top 5 he would already have established himself as a regular.
F Murray ....... Possibly pick of the bunch from our kids, with luck on his side this laddie is going to put pressure on everybody for a starting spot.

Boyle ............ Has improved a lot, he still has to work on his finishing but it takes about 3 folk to mark him and he gives 100% in every game.
S Murray ....... A bit raw there's no doubt, but a real buzz bomb and has made a more than decent start to his Hibs career.
Graham ......... He tries really hard when he comes on, but even he will know he's going to be a bit part player if we sign another striker.
Matulevicius ... Hopefully a faster stronger Grant Holt with more goals in him .... if he is we are gonna love him.
Shaw ............ Perhaps a wee bit soon for him, but from what I've seen he could be a real asset in the next few years.

We are absolutely sorted at the back and midfield, up front we need at least one more decent striker and in an ideal world another winger ... but that aside we have a squad capable of putting the wind up everybody bar Celtic and possibly Aberdeen who appear to have recruited pretty well.

Of course this is all theoretical ..... we need the right attitude and our share of luck too, add that to our obvious quality and I have high hopes for us

[GlesgaeHibby]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Obviously the Lithuanian boys are an unknown quantity but on paper there's enough to suggest they could have a bit of class about them. Add in a striker such as Stokes or similar quality and we'd have some squad. Definite pressure on the to be in top 3. Manager has been backed so up to squad to perform, I'd say top 6 is now minimum expectation. Only guaranteed starters I'd say are Rocky and Lewis, no way Efe can be guaranteed a place e with Paul and Darren in 5he squad and while it's not unreasonable to suggest SJM will be guaranteed a spot, we have McGeough and if the new guy from Juve performs then he might find he misses out a few games.

Obviously I'd we add Fyvie then I'm expecting us to walk the league, Mon Neil, bring him home.

Got a feeling he may end up at Hearts. Hope not, as their midfield is absolutely honking and he would definitely improve them.

[Eyrie]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Its becoming very difficult to pick a first eleven, but the reasons for that are what we all want to see. If the two Lithuanian lads live up to Hibs expectations and we sign Stokes we will be looking at quality all over the park. Chuck 'outside of Celtic' at the start of every sentence and there are very few players in our squad who aren't as good or better than what every other club in the premiership will have .... good luck to Lennon when it comes to keeping them all happy

Marciano .... Surely as good a keeper as there is in the league, so far looks as solid as they come.
Laidlaw ...... At most other times in the last 20 years he would have been first choice, a great back up to have.

Whittaker .... Huge experience at a high level and would walk into any other team in the league.
Gray ........... Proved time and again he is a player to be relied upon, sometimes average, rarely bad.
Stevenson .... Is just Stevenson, we all know his shortcomings, but nobody up against him will ever get an easy ride.
Crane .......... Seen this lad play a few times and certainly wouldn't be concerned to see his name on the team sheet.

McGregor ..... Strong as an Ox a brilliant attitude and so difficult to play against ...luv im.
Hanlon ......... Just gets better and better, right up there with the best central defenders in Scotland right now.
Ambrose ..... Gonna scare his colleagues ( and us ) with some risky moves in poor areas, but there's no doubting his quality from what I've seen.
Fontaine ...... Absolutely every time he is picked he gives everything and has more good games than bad, bags of time for this guy.
Porteous ...... What a promising player this lad looks, if it came to it I've no doubt he's an able back up for anybody it centre half.

McGinn ......... On his day he's unplayable, there isn't a team in Scotland who wouldn't want him.
McGeouch ..... Simply, if this guy wasn't plagued by injury problems he wouldn't be playing for Hibs, on his day better than McGinn.
Swanson ....... One of the premier leagues most effective midfielders last season, a real attacking threat.
Bartley ......... Nobody in Scotland does what he does better than he does it ... a cult hero IMO
Slivka .......... Got to think this lad will be a force for us, you don't spend 3 years at Juve if you are average .. a physical presence in midfield too.
Martin .......... Really like this kid, if he was at another club outside of Scotland's top 5 he would already have established himself as a regular.
F Murray ....... Possibly pick of the bunch from our kids, with luck on his side this laddie is going to put pressure on everybody for a starting spot.

Boyle ............ Has improved a lot, he still has to work on his finishing but it takes about 3 folk to mark him and he gives 100% in every game.
S Murray ....... A bit raw there's no doubt, but a real buzz bomb and has made a more than decent start to his Hibs career.
Graham ......... He tries really hard when he comes on, but even he will know he's going to be a bit part player if we sign another striker.
Matulevicius ... Hopefully a faster stronger Grant Holt with more goals in him .... if he is we are gonna love him.
Shaw ............ Perhaps a wee bit soon for him, but from what I've seen he could be a real asset in the next few years.

We are absolutely sorted at the back and midfield, up front we need at least one more decent striker and in an ideal world another winger ... but that aside we have a squad capable of putting the wind up everybody bar Celtic and possibly Aberdeen who appear to have recruited pretty well.

Of course this is all theoretical ..... we need the right attitude and our share of luck too, add that to our obvious quality and I have high hopes for us

Good summation.

In an ideal world I'd like a left winger added with Murray going out on loan to get regular playing time. I'd also have Graham and Shaw battle it out for the fourth striker spot, assuming that Shaw is still eligible for development games.

I don't think we need Commons, unless someone else gets moved on.

[thebakerboy]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Good summation.

In an ideal world I'd like a left winger added with Murray going out on loan to get regular playing time. I'd also have Graham and Shaw battle it out for the fourth striker spot, assuming that Shaw is still eligible for development games.

I don't think we need Commons, unless someone else gets moved on.

Think Handling might be the one to move soon.

[number9dream]

Great to have real depth in the squad. Lennon has good options all over the park.
It might not be easy keeping everyone happy but, as much as a settled side has its merits, the team will change from week to week, depending on the challenge.
The XI at home to Partick will probably be different to the one going to Ibrox for example.

[Cocaine&Caviar]

GK: Marciano / Laidlaw

RB: Whittaker / Gray
CB: Ambrose / McGregor
CB: Hanlon / Fontaine / Porteous
LB: Stevenson / Crane

CM: Slivka / McGeouch
CM: Bartley / S. Martin
CM: McGinn / F. Murray

AM: Swanson / (Commons)

ST: (Stokes) / Boyle
ST: Matuvicius / S. Murray

[Eyrie]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Think Handling might be the one to move soon.

He needs to move for the sake of his career. I hadn't even realised he was missing from the squad posted by Ell_Chrisso and Nae Nookie.

[Hermit Crab]

Looking forward to seeing big Dave and Vyk get a run out this weekend at Alloa.

[mjhibby]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

I think we all are and that at this moment in time includes the management staff. Sometimes new players need time to bed in and get up to speed, will the two Lithuanian lads for instance need a little more time to adjust to the higher pace and greater physicality of the game in Scotland? Exciting times ahead I think and Im really looking forward to the coming season but you'd need a crystal ball to predict what our best 11 will be at this stage.

Dont think the new guys will struggle with the physicality as they seem to relish it more the tactical side being different and getting used to how we play. If they have both done a good preseason I'd expect them in about three to four weeks to be vying for starting slots although I suspect davey will start in the Partick game.

[Franck Stanton]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

GK: Marciano / Laidlaw

RB: Whittaker / Gray
CB: Ambrose / McGregor
CB: Hanlon / Fontaine / Porteous
LB: Stevenson / Crane

CM: Slivka / McGeouch
CM: Bartley / S. Martin
CM: McGinn / F. Murray

AM: Swanson / (Commons)

ST: (Stokes) / Boyle
ST: Matuvicius / S. Murray

What a squad we have. Would happily play either of the two team options as a starting line up and still be confident of beating most teams in the Spfl

[Souter96Mac]

What sort of team will we see/would like to see against Alloa then?

[Hermit Crab]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

What sort of team will we see/would like to see against Alloa then?

Well we need to win so I'd say near to full strength.

[MWHIBBIES]

McGregor was our best player last season, he has earned his spot more than anyone else.

[Allant1981]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

McGregor was our best player last season, he has earned his spot more than anyone else.

yip, unless he gets injured it will be him and one of the other 3 most weeks(not including porteous as i have a feeling he will go out on loan)

[Souter96Mac]

I feel like with the depth we have, we need players in form week in week out. Of course performances from last season are in mind, but can't have standards dropping, especially in this division

[hfc rd]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

yip, unless he gets injured it will be him and one of the other 3 most weeks(not including porteous as i have a feeling he will go out on loan)

Might be wrong but I'm sure I read somewhere that Porteous was going on a season loan to Dumbarton?

[pacoluna]

Stokes is the final piece of the jigsaw. Imperative that we get him IMO.

[lucky]

Obviously we are all hoping Big Dav & Vyk are up to scratch. If they are and we get Stokes & Commons we've got some squad

[Looper]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Might be wrong but I'm sure I read somewhere that Porteous was going on a season loan to Dumbarton?

I'm sure I read somewhere that the deal was almost done and Dumbarton were awaiting the paperwork to be finalized, but that was last month and I haven't heard anything since.

[Dalianwanda]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Stokes is the final piece of the jigsaw. Imperative that we get him IMO.

It's imperative that we get a quality striker, doesn't have to be Stokes.

[Tha Cabbage Kid]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

yip, unless he gets injured it will be him and one of the other 3 most weeks(not including porteous as i have a feeling he will go out on loan)

If he decides it would be for the best to go out on loan, I hope he goes to a championship side , he is way too good for the lower leagues. Of course his main priority should be game time.

Sent from my XT1068 using Tapatalk

[IAmLee]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

If he decides it would be for the best to go out on loan, I hope he goes to a championship side , he is way too good for the lower leagues. Of course his main priority should be game time.

Sent from my XT1068 using Tapatalk

Dumbarton have pretty much agreed a loan switch for him apparently, although I'd imagine if a higher placed team came in for him we'd probably rethink the decision. Would be a good fit for a team like Dunfermline or Morton, if it wasn't for the quality of the CH's we have I'd be keeping him here!! Needs to be playing rather than sitting on the bench though.