Last night's team compared to last season's

[Hibbyradge]

For various reasons, we didn't have the services of the following players compared to last season.

SJM
SDG
Dylan
Scotty
Lewis
Efe
Maclaren
Boyle
Barker

Anyone else?

Just as well we've not suffered a lot of injuries

[Hi Heid Yin]

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For various reasons, we didn't have the services of the following players compared to last season.

SJM
SDG
Dylan
Scotty
Lewis
Efe
Maclaren
Boyle
Barker

Anyone else?

Just as well we've not suffered a lot of injuries

To think that there are some on here who see no correlation between our "indifferent results" and the sheer amount of players we have lost or who have succumbed to injury.

Yes, admittedly, Neil Lennon has even me (one of his biggest supporters) questioning some of his line ups, but I still feel that the aforementioned has impacted us more than any of us could have envisaged or foreseen.

[wookie70]

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For various reasons, we didn't have the services of the following players compared to last season.

SJM
SDG
Dylan
Scotty
Lewis
Efe
Maclaren
Boyle
Barker

Anyone else?

Just as well we've not suffered a lot of injuries

Efe has just left, SDG and Jamie Mac have been on the bench a number of times each without getting a chance. Lewis has missed a few games through injury, far less than Berra or Naismith or Soutar did. Boyle made the choice to miss a month of the season with Lennon encouraging him to do so and got injured and the others we all knew were leaving and had a wad of SJM cash to replace them with. The blame may not lie entirely at Lennon's door but he is a huge part in this season's poor form. SDG is the most baffling for me. We would instantly improve if he played.

[CMac1988]

Lennon has to shoulder a lot of the blame but our recruitment has been terrible. It's been said enough but losing our 3 best midfielders (with 1 not technically ours) and failing to replace even 1 who was on par ability wise is the same crap which culminated with us being relegated after a sustained period of replacing players with poorer ones.

Now I'm not saying that's going to happen but we've lost our best player this window and may not bring Allan in until the summer. With the exception of Gauld we have regressed despite our so called 'highest budget' and record season ticket holders. With the hype surrounding many of the players International pedigree many of them have flattered to deceive. We need to start sourcing better players who can come in and make an impact. We must also look to address major balance issues throughout the squad. Better recruitment is required to progress.

What's worrying is we don't appear to be penny pinching which has been an accusation flung at the board in the past but let's be honest, we are investing poorly in the playing staff and I'm starting to question the aptitude of others responsible for sourcing these players.

[IberianHibernian]

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Lennon has to shoulder a lot of the blame but our recruitment has been terrible. It's been said enough but losing our 3 best midfielders (with 1 not technically ours) and failing to replace even 1 who was on par ability wise is the same crap which culminated with us being relegated after a sustained period of replacing players with poorer ones.

Now I'm not saying that's going to happen but we've lost our best player this window and may not bring Allan in until the summer. With the exception of Gauld we have regressed despite our so called 'highest budget' and record season ticket holders. With the hype surrounding many of the players International pedigree many of them have flattered to deceive. We need to start sourcing better players who can come in and make an impact. We must also look to address major balance issues throughout the squad. Better recruitment is required to progress.

What's worrying is we don't appear to be penny pinching which has been an accusation flung at the board in the past but let's be honest, we are investing poorly in the playing staff and I'm starting to question the aptitude of others responsible for sourcing these players.

Maybe a bit soon to say our recruitment has been terrible . I`m certainly expecting to see Mallan and Horgan make a big contribution next season and hopefully this season too . New players have been introduced in top division while top players that left mainly made their reputations in second tier . Too soon to say Gauld ( playing in second divison in Portugal is no great level ) or Allan ( why are we only team linked with him ? ) will improve present team too . Meanwhile people are criticising new players while forgetting lower level of established players - ageing defenders with fitness problems (at least 4 players ) and players like Boyle who was playing at a much lower level before his injury than last season . As said on other threads , problem was lack of quantity as much as quality with not enough new players to replace older defenders and help midfield and attack .

[Hulk1875]

We had really good start to the season something has went wrong. What that is I don’t know, we have a good squad of players but with injuries it’s hampered it. Along with some questionable formations or team selections. We’ve had few good seasons now we’re back to mediocricy it’s bad to say but the thought of renewing my season ticket I’m having doubts I will of course but I think all hibbies are puzzled how it’s went so wrong

[MWHIBBIES]

Is our wage bill bigger this season?

[Hulk1875]

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Is our wage bill bigger this season?

God knows but we knew we can’t replace the midfield
Trio but we knew what we needed there should
Have been a plan I place for a squad and how they would play but it’s been thrown together

[calumhibee1]

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Is our wage bill bigger this season?

Would be interesting to find out. I wouldn’t be surprised if we finish January with a lower wage bill than we started with seeing as Efe is away and it would seem likely Maclaren will be aswell. Hyndman aswell.

[teabag]

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For various reasons, we didn't have the services of the following players compared to last season.

SJM
SDG
Dylan
Scotty
Lewis
Efe
Maclaren
Boyle
Barker

Anyone else?

Just as well we've not suffered a lot of injuries

The way I see it, from that list only Lewis could be fairly counted as missing through injury. Appreciate that Boyle is out too but if he wasn’t he’d still be away with Australia anyway - something the club was aware of.

That there aren’t adequate replacements for most of the others on that list is more a sign of poor planning and recruitment, not ‘because injuries’.

[Hibbyradge]

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We had really good start to the season something has went wrong. What that is I don’t know, we have a good squad of players but with injuries it’s hampered it.

You answered your own question.

[jeffers]

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For various reasons, we didn't have the services of the following players compared to last season.

SJM
SDG
Dylan
Scotty
Lewis
Efe
Maclaren
Boyle
Barker

Anyone else?

Just as well we've not suffered a lot of injuries

All teams lose players it’s up to the manager to replace them, equally they have players out injured, it’s a squad game. I’ve not read anyone say losing last seasons midfield would not have an impact nor that the number of injuries haven’t done the same. The debate is how much, particularly the injuries.

The fact is NL chose to go down a different route with his signings, we weren’t going to sign another DM or SJM (I’ve already made my thoughts clear re signing Scott Allan) but we could have signed players with similar attributes - we didn’t and the players brought in haven’t worked out, nor has the style of play. While others may disagree NL was well backed in the summer, but of the signings he’d made based on their performances I wouldn’t be bothered if they all left now or in the summer. The only exception to that is Kamberi who has lost confidence due to continued private and public berating by the management team, been asked to play a role he’s clearly not comfortable with, whilst being injured for most of the season. It’s not hindsight to say we needed a player with a bit of drive/legs to replace what SJM brought, we could all see that but NL waits til the January window to bring one in.

You have accused Calum of continually repeating the same point as if he expects people to change there minds if he says it enough times but if you are being honest here HR are you not doing the same by bringing up the players we’ve lost and the injuries we’ve had ?

Injuries and players who left clearly have had an impact. My opinion though is that poor signings, the wrong type of signings and bizarre team selections have impacted us more.

[calumhibee1]

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All teams lose players it’s up to the manager to replace them, equally they have players out injured, it’s a squad game. I’ve not read anyone say losing last seasons midfield would not have an impact nor that the number of injuries haven’t done the same. The debate is how much, particularly the injuries.

The fact is NL chose to go down a different route with his signings, we weren’t going to sign another DM or SJM (I’ve already made my thoughts clear re signing Scott Allan) but we could have signed players with similar attributes - we didn’t and the players brought in haven’t worked out, nor has the style of play. While others may disagree NL was well backed in the summer, but of the signings he’d made based on their performances I wouldn’t be bothered if they all left now or in the summer. The only exception to that is Kamberi who has lost confidence due to continued private and public berating by the management team, been asked to play a role he’s clearly not comfortable with, whilst being injured for most of the season. It’s not hindsight to say we needed a player with a bit of drive/legs to replace what SJM brought, we could all see that but NL waits til the January window to bring one in.

You have accused Calum of continually repeating the same point as if he expects people to change there minds if he says it enough times but if you are being honest here HR are you not doing the same by bringing up the players we’ve lost and the injuries we’ve had ?

Injuries and players who left clearly have had an impact. My opinion though is that poor signings, the wrong type of signings and bizarre team selections have impacted us more.

I’ve not seen anyone suggest that the players we’ve lost won’t have had an impact or that injuries haven’t played their part. The debate I’ve seen mainly seems to center on how much of a part that has played and how much of a part poor recruitment, tactics and decisions have played.

As someone else said, Aberdeen lost a couple of players in the summer in Maclean and Christie who were every bit as big for them as our guys were for us. Killie lost a guy who was by far their best player and have started to phase out their top goal scorer from last season. They’ve both managed to deal with it a lot better than we have.

[jeffers]

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I’ve not seen anyone suggest that the players we’ve lost won’t have had an impact or that injuries haven’t played their part. The debate I’ve seen mainly seems to center on how much of a part that has played and how much of a part poor recruitment, tactics and decisions have played.

As someone else said, Aberdeen lost a couple of players in the summer in Maclean and Christie who were every bit as big for them as our guys were for us. Killie lost a guy who was by far their best player and have started to phase out their top goal scorer from last season. They’ve both managed to deal with it a lot better than we have.

Totally agree and in Kilmarnock’s case they did so without paying any transfer fees and I’d be confident in saying the players they have brought in to replace Mulumbu and Boyd are being paid less than our summer signings.

[CapitalGreen]

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For various reasons, we didn't have the services of the following players compared to last season.

SJM
SDG
Dylan
Scotty
Lewis
Efe
Maclaren
Boyle
Barker

Anyone else?

Just as well we've not suffered a lot of injuries

SJM - had Slivka sitting on the bench despite being in good form
SDG - brought in Mavrias but never played him, now left the club
Dylan - Has taken 6 months to bring in a replacement in Omeonga
Scotty - Was only at Hibs for 3 months of Lennon’s 36 months at the club
Lewis - brought in Nelom but never plays him
Efe - only left a couple of weeks ago
Maclaren - even when fit/available Lennon didn’t play him often
Boyle - was available up until Christmas, usually played out of position when available
Barker - was a bit part player last season

[Steve20]

We must be the only team that has or ever has had injuries. The amount of times this excuse gets brought out for our abysmal performances and our managers inability to turn this season around. It's a poor team and a manager who doesn't look like he wants to be here anymore that are why our league season is over. Not injuries.