1/2 player away from challenging Celtic

[FifeHibs]

I really think we are 1 maybe 2 players away from challenging Celtic .

Apart from Barker concentration and Laidlaw for the 2nd which happpen, I thought we dominated once Bartley went off and Dylan McGinn went in deeper to pick the ball up, Both Boyle and Barker had luck against the Celtic full back whilst Bitton kicked Stokes all game.

As in Dundee away, ST Johnstone away we need a goal scorer with stoke. If this happens I believer we could challenge.

[Hermit Crab]

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I really think we are 1 maybe 2 players away from challenging Celtic .

Apart from Barker concentration and Laidlaw for the 2nd which happpen, I thought we dominated once Bartley went off and Dylan McGinn went in deeper to pick the ball up, Both Boyle and Barker had luck against the Celtic full back whilst Bitton kicked Stokes all game.

As in Dundee away, ST Johnstone away we need a goal scorer with stoke. If this happens I believer we could challenge.

For the league? No chance mate.

[andy1875]

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I really think we are 1 maybe 2 players away from challenging Celtic .

Apart from Barker concentration and Laidlaw for the 2nd which happpen, I thought we dominated once Bartley went off and Dylan McGinn went in deeper to pick the ball up, Both Boyle and Barker had luck against the Celtic full back whilst Bitton kicked Stokes all game.

As in Dundee away, ST Johnstone away we need a goal scorer with stoke. If this happens I believer we could challenge.

Had 1/2 drinks too many more like mate?

Not a hope in hell we are even near close to Celtic, never mind 1/2 players away.

I admire your enthusiasm but not a chance.

[FifeHibs]

Not the league but we aren't that far away

[PPZPOL]

They are streets ahead, the midfield in particular are so good at rotating and finding spaces. Very quick and dynamic going forward. Type of team you lose the ball to in their full back area and you instantly think "sh*t, we are in trouble here"

Second half we were great though, DMc was immense.

[Smartie]

TBH I'm a bit confused as to where we are.

We have some top class individuals (McGinn, McGeouch, Hanlon, Stokes) and at times we play good stuff.

We are far too careless at the back though, with a real achilles heel at cross balls and set pieces that sees us a goal down with a mountain to climb every week.

We don't seem to be able to carry a threat going forward whilst being safe at the back - it's either too negative or too open.

I thought Aberdeen were streets ahead of us last week, and I thought we were outclassed by Celtic today without them ever needing to break sweat.

So in all honesty I think we're more than a couple of players away from being able to challenge, especially given that we're more likely to lose our better players than improve on our weaker ones.

[calumhibee1]

In one off games then maybe we are. Over the course of the season were about 15 players away.

[Michael]

If it was Messi and Ronaldo it could get interesting. Otherwise, no, we're about 11 players from challenging Celtic.

[Firestarter]

Behave. We don't have over rate the crop we have like.

[Beefster]

It’s opinions like the OP’s that cause folk to lose all perspective when we lose at home to the likes of Hamilton.

In reality, we are a solid mid-table Premiership team that is capable of raising its game on a one-off basis.

[Heisenberg]

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It’s opinions like the OP’s that cause folk to lose all perspective when we lose at home to the likes of Hamilton.

In reality, we are a solid mid-table Premiership team that is capable of raising its game on a one-off basis.

Was about to post similar. We will be in a battle for top six this season. Simply not good enough or consistent enough in defensive or attacking areas to do any better IMO.

[Roxyhibee]

Our next priority is another recognised quality striker.

[MWHIBBIES]

We're 2/3 from challenging Aberdeen but we've made clear progress, much better team than last season.

[Nakedmanoncrack]

Being currently a couple of points and places adrift of Hearts - its a bold claim.

[northern-hibee]

We’re in relegation form just now. Terrible start to the league season, one win in 5 and repeatedly making the same defensive mistakes, game after game. Let’s learn to toddle before we can walk and leave all talk of running until we can beat the likes of Dundee and Hamilton at home.

[Northernhibee]

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TBH I'm a bit confused as to where we are.

We have some top class individuals (McGinn, McGeouch, Hanlon, Stokes) and at times we play good stuff.

We are far too careless at the back though, with a real achilles heel at cross balls and set pieces that sees us a goal down with a mountain to climb every week.

We don't seem to be able to carry a threat going forward whilst being safe at the back - it's either too negative or too open.

I thought Aberdeen were streets ahead of us last week, and I thought we were outclassed by Celtic today without them ever needing to break sweat.

So in all honesty I think we're more than a couple of players away from being able to challenge, especially given that we're more likely to lose our better players than improve on our weaker ones.

Here's the thing.

We do have some top class individuals - McGeouch, McGinn, Hanlon, Stevenson, Boyle who are brilliant at any level in Scotland.

Our strikeforce is weak. Stokes - albeit still a very good player at this level - is no longer the player you'd build a team around. Simon Murray just isn't a first choice top flight striker, Matulevicius - well, who knows.

Our defence which was very solid under Stubbs and in Lennon's first season is now very leaky.

Other players who should be top stars are often played out of position or not played. At international level we have Slivka (often played out of position on the right), Matulevicius (who is not getting a game. If he's good enough he deserves more of a chance, if not then he shouldn't have been signed). Whittaker is played on the left, the right, even midfield in League Cup group games, starts, then on the bench, then subbed on at HT. Again, who knows.


Our best players in the squad were signed under Stubbs or earlier. The players we've signed since are a real mixed bag, arguably as many misses as hits.


I think we have the potential to be a lot better than where we're sitting in the league. We need 1-2 quality strikers who will get you 15-20 goals a year, stop playing Slivka out on the right, figure out what's changed in our defence this season and also to be set up to cope with our opponents from the get-go. The amount of times we lose the first goal suggests we aren't.

I'm disappointed with how our season has been so far. Celtic were there for the taking today, we gave them two easy goals headstart.

[Pretty Boy]

We're miles away from Celtic, probably 6 or 7 players minimum.

They brought a guy of the bench today who they value at £25M. In a one off game we can compete with them, over the course of a season we aren't even close to matching their depth. There's nothing wrong with having ambition but it has to be tempered with realism, Celtic are in a league of their own in Scotland.

[Pretty Boy]

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We're 2/3 from challenging Aberdeen but we've made clear progress, much better team than last season.

Hopefully results start to back up these claims soon.

[Hermit Crab]

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We’re in relegation form just now. Terrible start to the league season, one win in 5 and repeatedly making the same defensive mistakes, game after game. Let’s learn to toddle before we can walk and leave all talk of running until we can beat the likes of Dundee and Hamilton at home.

Complete rubbish. 4 goals against a Celtic team who barely concede 4 in 8 domestic games......

[Steve20]

We are in the bottom six at the moment. We are miles behind Celtic.

[Sir David Gray]

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I really think we are 1 maybe 2 players away from challenging Celtic .

Apart from Barker concentration and Laidlaw for the 2nd which happpen, I thought we dominated once Bartley went off and Dylan McGinn went in deeper to pick the ball up, Both Boyle and Barker had luck against the Celtic full back whilst Bitton kicked Stokes all game.

As in Dundee away, ST Johnstone away we need a goal scorer with stoke. If this happens I believer we could challenge.

1 or 2 players away from challenging them for what?

If you mean the league title then we're in need of about 15 or 16 new players to challenge them, not 1 or 2.

We don't have the players who are capable of title winning form.

In a one off game, it could be argued that we already have a team that's capable of challenging them, as seen a few weeks ago.

[weecounty hibby]

We are improving but the trouble with modern day football as in much of modern life is that steady incremental improvements are not acceptable to some folk. These folk want us challenging Celtic NOW and I think our cup successes may be clouding some judgement. Not going to happen, let's start off by challenging St Johnstone, Rangers and Hearts. Then move to Aberdeen and then onto Celtic. Our club has seen a massive transformation on and off the park and everything is going in the right direction. It will take a while but remember Hibs are for life not just for 2016!!!

[Pete]

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If it was Messi and Ronaldo it could get interesting. Otherwise, no, we're about 11 players from challenging Celtic.

They were the first one or two I thought of as well.

I’d probably stick Buffon into the mix too after today. 😁

[Deansy]

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TBH I'm a bit confused as to where we are.

We have some top class individuals (McGinn, McGeouch, Hanlon, Stokes) and at times we play good stuff.

We are far too careless at the back though, with a real achilles heel at cross balls and set pieces that sees us a goal down with a mountain to climb every week.

We don't seem to be able to carry a threat going forward whilst being safe at the back - it's either too negative or too open.

I thought Aberdeen were streets ahead of us last week, and I thought we were outclassed by Celtic today without them ever needing to break sweat.

So in all honesty I think we're more than a couple of players away from being able to challenge, especially given that we're more likely to lose our better players than improve on our weaker ones.

Word-for-word - thanks - saved me typing !

One addition though - WHY - are we so completely gash at throw-ins ???

[marleyhib]

We just got promoted

[FifeHibs]

Not being mental but both Barker and Boyle got the hotter out of both Celtic full backs.

Hanlon and Effe best centre halfs outside the oldfim.

We could have put 5-8 padt Dundee at Dens and ST Johnstone .

We may have gotten beaten today but I thought we played great football in the 2nd half and don't need to rely on a destructive midfielder as such.

[Captain Trips]

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Not being mental but both Barker and Boyle got the hotter out of both Celtic full backs.

Hanlon and Effe best centre halfs outside the oldfim.

We could have put 5-8 padt Dundee at Dens and ST Johnstone .

We may have gotten beaten today but I thought we played great football in the 2nd half and don't need to rely on a destructive midfielder as such.

On a one off occasion yeah we can give them a game of it but over the course we need 5 or 6 players. At the moment I want us to challenge everyone else.

[Pretty Boy]

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We just got promoted

Exactly.

I think this need to be remembered and people need to reel in their expectations. People played it down when we were in the Championship but there is a clear step up to the premiership. We are up against established teams who know how to grind out results and how to do the dirty work.

I actually think people trying to be positive by saying we are good enough to be 2nd, challenge Celtic or whatever are fuelling much of the negativity that appears after a poorer result by setting unrealistic expectations that we are going to struggle to meet in the short term.

[Firestarter]

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We're 2/3 from challenging Aberdeen but we've made clear progress, much better team than last season.

Can't see it myself. Found out big time.

[Firestarter]

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Exactly.

I think this need to be remembered and people need to reel in their expectations. People played it down when we were in the Championship but there is a clear step up to the premiership. We are up against established teams who know how to grind out results and how to do the dirty work.

I actually think people trying to be positive by saying we are good enough to be 2nd, challenge Celtic or whatever are fuelling much of the negativity that appears after a poorer result by setting unrealistic expectations that we are going to struggle to meet in the short term.

How did Hearts do when they went up? Much better than us right now is the answer. Even Rangers for their crisis that lead to bread man going looked better.