This is how it feels (Livingston 01092018)

[Jonnyboy]

The first day after the closing of the transfer window took Hibs to newly promoted Livingston where Neil Lennon sprung a surprise in naming Lewis Allan in his starting eleven. Of course, it was another Allan that the large travelling support had hoped to see but as it was, Scott Allan had not been signed and remains a Celtic player. Another surprise was the complete exclusion of David Gray although I did see him sitting on the bench just before the teams came out at the start of the game.

My mate got a text from his son, just prior to the game starting in which the son asked whether the inclusion of Lewis Allan was a choice made by the manager to send the board a message, given the lack of any last day signings. My response to that was and is that Lewis was selected ahead of Oli because he was better equipped to deal with the physicality of the Livingston defence. Given Lewis’ performance I’d suggest the manager got that call spot on. It’s fair to say though that in my view, Lenny went on to make a couple of other decisions which contributed to our 2-1 defeat.

As to the game itself I felt we started brightly enough but I feel I must mention the playing surface which, in my opinion, is appalling and had both sets of players finding the ball sticking under their feet and bouncing off at odd angles. I’m not offering that as the reason we lost but it certainly had a negative impact on proceedings and on both Boyler and Mallan in particular. Boyler’s running with the ball at defences was stunted, although he had a couple of telling runs at the start of the game while Mallan struggled to make any sort of telling pass and on a few occasions sent the ball into touch or no-man’s land.

Livi frequently used the weapon of long throw in’s but in the main our defence coped well enough with them. At the other end the Livi keeper didn’t have a save to make in the first half although Hibs might have taken the lead when a low cross found Stevenson on the right hand side of their box but Lewis blasted his shot just over the bar.

Seven or eight minutes after the break, Hibs took the lead when a ball into the Livi six yard box had players swinging at it but it was Daryl Horgan that made the telling connection and the visitors were 1-0 up. They say you are most vulnerable after you score and Livi pressed for an equaliser which duly arrived about five minutes later. The goal, though well made and taken was only possible because our midfield didn’t track the runner and then both Boyle and Mallan indulged in schoolboy defending by going to ground and letting Byrne dance past them to fire a low shot into Bogdan’s net.

From that moment onwards Hibs appeared to fall apart as Livi swarmed all over them. Players were making poor choices and failing to mark up or track runners and so it was no surprise that with twenty minutes to go another bout of schoolboy defending allowed Pittman to volley home from around fifteen yards. Lunging into tackles like that is the stuff of schoolboys and amateurs and it was painful to watch.

It was around this time, in fact just before the second goal, that I felt Lenny made a couple of bad calls. Replacing the ineffective Mallan with the speedy Agyepong he had the new lad playing through the middle where his pace would surely have less effect than if he’d been pushed wide left with Boyle on the right. The other puzzler was moving Horgan about with the midfielder appearing to take up three different positions in the space of ten minutes. Now, I’m no expert and I trust Lenny to do what’s right for Hibs but in my mind, those decisions contributed to the outcome.

One win, two draws and a defeat has us on five points which isn’t the best of starts and although I was mega disappointed in today’s result I am aware that we’re only four games into the league programme so I’ll not be jumping on the “relegation form” type of posts I’m guessing have been made on both the match thread and others.

The players

Adam – Our keeper was left horribly exposed for both goals and other than one excellent save when he tipped a goal bound header over the bar he had very little to do.

Efe – Was great in the first half and good with his headed clearances and dashes forward but like the majority of his team mates was abysmal after their equaliser.

Ryan – Was a colossus for the most part and though their number 45 was a livewire he dealt with him well enough. It’s a great pity that he seems to have been nutmegged in the lead up to the winning goal.

Paul – Another who had a decent first half but like Efe, his game went to pieces after the equaliser.

Boyler – After some early promising runs he faded a lot and on a couple of occasions could have squared the ball instead of taking the shot on. I’m guessing he’s no fan of synthetic surfaces though.

Whitty – Bizarrely I felt he was very good in the first half, though a single wayward pass soon had fans shouting for him to be replaced. The second half was another story altogether as he just didn’t seem to get anything right at all.

Mallan – I’m surprised he lasted as long as he did before being replaced. Just wasn’t at the races at all today and was culpable for the first goal and possibly so for the second. Strangely, I didn’t hear any “Whitty style” shouts from the crowd.

Daryl – Up until Lenny started moving him all over the pitch I though he was fine. Horgan is very comfortable on the ball and has an incredible engine. I think he should play left centre midfield and be left there, rather than moving him around like a chess piece.

Lewis – Part of a defence that conceded two avoidable goals but even so I don’t think he did anything particularly bad or good throughout the ninety.

Jamie – I’m aware he has his detractors and on today’s form it would be hard to argue with that but lumping a high ball to him is not the answer.

Lewis Allan – As I said earlier, I think his performance proved the manager right to select him. He was up against some giant defenders but still managed to take the ball in with his back to goal before laying it off to a team mate. I’d seen him earlier in his career, pre successive injuries and thought he had a bit about him. I thought that again today and made him my man of the match.

Emerson – Mallan was ineffective and so was Emerson. Poor display but it was bad luck on him that he joined proceedings just as his team mates were imploding.

Thomas – The laddie has pace to burn and looks happy taking players on. Played on the wing he’ll do some damage, played in midfield he’ll get swallowed up.

Oli – Got the last fifteen minutes but unlike Lewis Allan was not able to hold the ball up often enough. Of course by that time Hibs had decided long high balls was the answer.

Lenny – One right and a couple wrong decisions wise and I doubt he’s happy tonight.

The ref – Nothing much to say about Steven McLean. Got most things right.

The fans – We took along a fabulous support and it’s a shame that the team let them down.

And finally ……….. I’ve not looked on the MB yet but I’m sure there will be a lot of gnashing of teeth and Hearts doing so well will add to the ire. We had an off day, hasn’t happened much so I’ll not be joining the gnashing yet.

[Doh Rae Me]

Thanks for the post again, couldn't make the game today and was waiting patiently for your post. Cheers

[heidtheba]

I wasn't at the game and therefore don't have anything to compare your review against but you've been spot on with the ones I've been able to see for myself and I REALLY appreciate your calm and level-headed response to our 'off-day' today.
Thanks for the review as ever.

[CMurdoch]

Thanks Johnny.
Missed the match today
Good to get your perspective.

The performance of Lewis Allan is the positive from today. FYI BBC also praised him.
As I see it, we have now lost 5 needless points this season (St Johnstone & today).
Glad of the International break.
Milligan will add steel and the return of Kamberi will trigger MacLaren
Hope we can get them both in sooner rather than later.
Think we will then see a better team with a better balance.

[Kojock]

Hibs were sleeping at their second goal. We make a sub, they take a quick throw in, we don’t react and it’s 2-1, poor defending all round.

[H18 SFR]

Not even reading this one, my head is too frazzled after seeing that today.

[greenlex]

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Hibs were sleeping at their second goal. We make a sub, they take a quick throw in, we don’t react and it’s 2-1, poor defending all round.

You know the thing that pissed me off about that? We had exactly the same opportunity to return the favour later in the game. Did we? Not a chance. We waited till their sub trotted into position before taking it. Boyle was free on the right and Efe was sleeping.

[A Hi-Bee]

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You know the thing that pissed me off about that? We had exactly the same opportunity to return the favour later in the game. Did we? Not a chance. We waited till their sub trotted into position before taking it. Boyle was free on the right and Efe was sleeping.

You cannot be surprised that we **** things up on a regular basis when it comes to taking throw ins, it is a fundamental of the game that we just dont seem to get, and it gives away cheap possession. Been that way for years now.

[The_Horde]

Hard to argue with a lot of it.

Thought Porteous was terrible and played a big part in their 2 goals with inexperience. Again afforded an easy ride because he's a youngster and not Efe or Whittaker.

[SideBurns]

Thanks Jonnyboy. Not easy putting your mind to providing a report after that.
I think the pitch has to be addressed before analysing the performance. Sitting near the front, I said to my boy that it looked more like a cheap doormat you'd wipe dugsh##e on rather than a 21st century artificial fitba surface.
However, while it might give some mitigation it does not excuse today's shocking performance. It was bad enough before our goal, but after that we should have managed the game properly to, at least, not lose it. But the team lacked professionalism, direction, drive, leadership. It is fair to say that missing the likes of SDG & Daz doesn't help on that score, and it sounds like Milligan might help provide the midfield steel sadly lacking. We were bullied and outplayed.
Lewis Allan did his best, but the fact he came in from nowhere to lead the line today in Kamberi's absence exposes the folly in not signing an experienced striker before the window shut. Of course, Kenny Miller would have done for me but apparently he wasn't what Lenny was looking for. Whatever he was looking for, it seems he didn't find it.

[Shrekko]

I’d disagree Bogdan had little to do- thought he was excellent.

[SideBurns]

The other thing i meant to mention was that while the support was superb in size, I felt there was an atmosphere of negativity and, frankly, simmering anger from the outset. I was frustrated and irritated watching today's performance, but some of the shouts ("F#ck off Efe, you're sh##e", and a similar one for Porteous near the end) can be nothing other than counter productive. Those who give the players such abuse will undoubtedly be big Hibbies, but are idiots nonetheless.

[Jonnyboy]

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I’d disagree Bogdan had little to do- thought he was excellent.

I guess I'm just saying they didn't work him too hard and agree he played well

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The other thing i meant to mention was that while the support was superb in size, I felt there was an atmosphere of negativity and, frankly, simmering anger from the outset. I was frustrated and irritated watching today's performance, but some of the shouts ("F#ck off Efe, you're sh##e", and a similar one for Porteous near the end) can be nothing other than counter productive. Those who give the players such abuse will undoubtedly be big Hibbies, but are idiots nonetheless.

You can only go by the shouts you hear around you and there were a few near me that made me cringe!

[calumhibee1]

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Hard to argue with a lot of it.

Thought Porteous was terrible and played a big part in their 2 goals with inexperience. Again afforded an easy ride because he's a youngster and not Efe or Whittaker.

I also thought Porteous was very poor today. It’ll happen with his age and inexperience but today was a day to forget for him IMO.

[Jonnyboy]

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Hibs were sleeping at their second goal. We make a sub, they take a quick throw in, we don’t react and it’s 2-1, poor defending all round.

You're right, G

[Smartie]

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I also thought Porteous was very poor today. It’ll happen with his age and inexperience but today was a day to forget for him IMO.

Porteous looks better with McGregor on the park to talk him through games - he's said as much in interviews.

We badly need to get McGregor back, we've missed him more than I thought we would (and I knew we would miss him a lot).

[Nakedmanoncrack]

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Hibs were sleeping at their second goal. We make a sub, they take a quick throw in, we don’t react and it’s 2-1, poor defending all round.

Utterly unprofessional, no excuses at all for being caught out like that, was embarrassing.

[SideBurns]

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Utterly unprofessional, no excuses at all for being caught out like that, was embarrassing.

Completely. Incredible we could lose a goal in such a fashion and, for me, summed up the performance.

I'm glad we have a break now, cos we need to get the injured players back and Milligan into the country.

[whiskyhibby]

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The first day after the closing of the transfer window took Hibs to newly promoted Livingston where Neil Lennon sprung a surprise in naming Lewis Allan in his starting eleven. Of course, it was another Allan that the large travelling support had hoped to see but as it was, Scott Allan had not been signed and remains a Celtic player. Another surprise was the complete exclusion of David Gray although I did see him sitting on the bench just before the teams came out at the start of the game.

My mate got a text from his son, just prior to the game starting in which the son asked whether the inclusion of Lewis Allan was a choice made by the manager to send the board a message, given the lack of any last day signings. My response to that was and is that Lewis was selected ahead of Oli because he was better equipped to deal with the physicality of the Livingston defence. Given Lewis’ performance I’d suggest the manager got that call spot on. It’s fair to say though that in my view, Lenny went on to make a couple of other decisions which contributed to our 2-1 defeat.

As to the game itself I felt we started brightly enough but I feel I must mention the playing surface which, in my opinion, is appalling and had both sets of players finding the ball sticking under their feet and bouncing off at odd angles. I’m not offering that as the reason we lost but it certainly had a negative impact on proceedings and on both Boyler and Mallan in particular. Boyler’s running with the ball at defences was stunted, although he had a couple of telling runs at the start of the game while Mallan struggled to make any sort of telling pass and on a few occasions sent the ball into touch or no-man’s land.

Livi frequently used the weapon of long throw in’s but in the main our defence coped well enough with them. At the other end the Livi keeper didn’t have a save to make in the first half although Hibs might have taken the lead when a low cross found Stevenson on the right hand side of their box but Lewis blasted his shot just over the bar.

Seven or eight minutes after the break, Hibs took the lead when a ball into the Livi six yard box had players swinging at it but it was Daryl Horgan that made the telling connection and the visitors were 1-0 up. They say you are most vulnerable after you score and Livi pressed for an equaliser which duly arrived about five minutes later. The goal, though well made and taken was only possible because our midfield didn’t track the runner and then both Boyle and Mallan indulged in schoolboy defending by going to ground and letting Byrne dance past them to fire a low shot into Bogdan’s net.

From that moment onwards Hibs appeared to fall apart as Livi swarmed all over them. Players were making poor choices and failing to mark up or track runners and so it was no surprise that with twenty minutes to go another bout of schoolboy defending allowed Pittman to volley home from around fifteen yards. Lunging into tackles like that is the stuff of schoolboys and amateurs and it was painful to watch.

It was around this time, in fact just before the second goal, that I felt Lenny made a couple of bad calls. Replacing the ineffective Mallan with the speedy Agyepong he had the new lad playing through the middle where his pace would surely have less effect than if he’d been pushed wide left with Boyle on the right. The other puzzler was moving Horgan about with the midfielder appearing to take up three different positions in the space of ten minutes. Now, I’m no expert and I trust Lenny to do what’s right for Hibs but in my mind, those decisions contributed to the outcome.

One win, two draws and a defeat has us on five points which isn’t the best of starts and although I was mega disappointed in today’s result I am aware that we’re only four games into the league programme so I’ll not be jumping on the “relegation form” type of posts I’m guessing have been made on both the match thread and others.

The players

Adam – Our keeper was left horribly exposed for both goals and other than one excellent save when he tipped a goal bound header over the bar he had very little to do.

Efe – Was great in the first half and good with his headed clearances and dashes forward but like the majority of his team mates was abysmal after their equaliser.

Ryan – Was a colossus for the most part and though their number 45 was a livewire he dealt with him well enough. It’s a great pity that he seems to have been nutmegged in the lead up to the winning goal.

Paul – Another who had a decent first half but like Efe, his game went to pieces after the equaliser.

Boyler – After some early promising runs he faded a lot and on a couple of occasions could have squared the ball instead of taking the shot on. I’m guessing he’s no fan of synthetic surfaces though.

Whitty – Bizarrely I felt he was very good in the first half, though a single wayward pass soon had fans shouting for him to be replaced. The second half was another story altogether as he just didn’t seem to get anything right at all.

Mallan – I’m surprised he lasted as long as he did before being replaced. Just wasn’t at the races at all today and was culpable for the first goal and possibly so for the second. Strangely, I didn’t hear any “Whitty style” shouts from the crowd.

Daryl – Up until Lenny started moving him all over the pitch I though he was fine. Horgan is very comfortable on the ball and has an incredible engine. I think he should play left centre midfield and be left there, rather than moving him around like a chess piece.

Lewis – Part of a defence that conceded two avoidable goals but even so I don’t think he did anything particularly bad or good throughout the ninety.

Jamie – I’m aware he has his detractors and on today’s form it would be hard to argue with that but lumping a high ball to him is not the answer.

Lewis Allan – As I said earlier, I think his performance proved the manager right to select him. He was up against some giant defenders but still managed to take the ball in with his back to goal before laying it off to a team mate. I’d seen him earlier in his career, pre successive injuries and thought he had a bit about him. I thought that again today and made him my man of the match.

Emerson – Mallan was ineffective and so was Emerson. Poor display but it was bad luck on him that he joined proceedings just as his team mates were imploding.

Thomas – The laddie has pace to burn and looks happy taking players on. Played on the wing he’ll do some damage, played in midfield he’ll get swallowed up.

Oli – Got the last fifteen minutes but unlike Lewis Allan was not able to hold the ball up often enough. Of course by that time Hibs had decided long high balls was the answer.

Lenny – One right and a couple wrong decisions wise and I doubt he’s happy tonight.

The ref – Nothing much to say about Steven McLean. Got most things right.

The fans – We took along a fabulous support and it’s a shame that the team let them down.

And finally ……….. I’ve not looked on the MB yet but I’m sure there will be a lot of gnashing of teeth and Hearts doing so well will add to the ire. We had an off day, hasn’t happened much so I’ll not be joining the gnashing yet.

For those who couldn’t make it, many thanks for the summary and good to see Lewis getting such positive feedback

[RG63]

The thing is it’s not about the transfer window or a shocker of a park. It’s avout a lack of leadership on the park. Security Nd ball won around 10#. First fry fifty tackles won around 10%. I was astounded by the level of Hibs performance today. Players should be ashamed. Livvie keeper will not have an easier afternoon all season.

[whiskyhibby]

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The thing is it’s not about the transfer window or a shocker of a park. It’s avout a lack of leadership on the park. Security Nd ball won around 10#. First fry fifty tackles won around 10%. I was astounded by the level of Hibs performance today. Players should be ashamed. Livvie keeper will not have an easier afternoon all season.

Need to use your spell checker...........

[JohnM1875]

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Hard to argue with a lot of it.

Thought Porteous was terrible and played a big part in their 2 goals with inexperience. Again afforded an easy ride because he's a youngster and not Efe or Whittaker.

Totally agree maate. Boy is obviously ridiculously talented and has potential. Also been asked to fill a big boots in Daz. But wasn't great at all today. Can't wait for the break and hope Daz, Flo and Marv are back before Killie.

[Greenbeard]

#keepingfaith

[OsloHibs]

Until Flo gets back.. then our season begins again. Still disappointed we didn't get a striker in on deadline day.

[renato]

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Completely. Incredible we could lose a goal in such a fashion and, for me, summed up the performance.

I'm glad we have a break now, cos we need to get the injured players back and Milligan into the country.

Yep. The sub was made but instructions to Horgan to move back into central midfield was way too slow. Livi break into the exact space Horgan would be in and it leads directly to the goal.

Very unprofessional (and, to be fair, quite unlike us these days).

[Iggy Pope]

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Hibs were sleeping at their second goal. We make a sub, they take a quick throw in, we don’t react and it’s 2-1, poor defending all round.

Same at the equaliser, wandering towards the box waiting on a big throw which never came. The fellah took it well mind.

[ahibby]

Reninicent of the Hamilton home game around this time last season, we list 1 3 iirc so perhaps consistent in a sense. Difficult to hide disappointment at throwing away expected points st this stage in consecutive seasons. At least we know we have half a team unavailable for this weekend.

[KingFranck]

Great report as usual Jonnyboy
Strangely, I didn’t hear any “Whitty style” shouts from the crowd.
You should have sat beside me it’s the first thing I said after the first goal
“What was Mallan doing there, jumping in and turning his back !!” I said to my son and wife

I’ll tell I won’t be in a hurry to spend near £100 taking us to another away game anytime soon if that’s the performances to expect but I agree a lot was to do with that atrocious pitch although I wouldn’t use it as an excuse for the defeat.