The Last Time a Manager Turned It Around

[Up The Bracket]

Not a Heckingbottom bashing thread or anything of the sort but I wondered, when was the last time there was a Hibs manager who had the supporters unanimously calling for his head like now and they proved everyone wrong and turned it around?

I don’t recall this ever happening in my time supporting Hibs, albeit I’m probably a lot younger than some on here.

The only one I can think of was when some wanted Fenlon out after losing the 2012 cup final and he partially turned it around and had us up at the near of the table for a while (although we obviously didn’t end up there).

When was the last time we had a manager who the majority wanted gone and he turned it around?

[calumhibee1]

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Not a Heckingbottom bashing thread or anything of the sort but I wondered, when was the last time there was a Hibs manager who had the supporters unanimously calling for his head like now and they proved everyone wrong and turned it around?

I don’t recall this ever happening in my time supporting Hibs, albeit I’m probably a lot younger than some on here.

The only one I can think of was when some wanted Fenlon out after losing the 2012 cup final and he partially turned it around and had us up at the near of the table for a while (although we obviously didn’t end up there).

When was the last time we had a manager who the majority wanted gone and he turned it around?

It rarely happens anywhere, if ever. Not just Hibs.

[Weegreenman]

Alex Miller. Fans were always on his back, then he won us the league cup.

[Captain Trips]

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Not a Heckingbottom bashing thread or anything of the sort but I wondered, when was the last time there was a Hibs manager who had the supporters unanimously calling for his head like now and they proved everyone wrong and turned it around?

I don’t recall this ever happening in my time supporting Hibs, albeit I’m probably a lot younger than some on here.

The only one I can think of was when some wanted Fenlon out after losing the 2012 cup final and he partially turned it around and had us up at the near of the table for a while (although we obviously didn’t end up there).

When was the last time we had a manager who the majority wanted gone and he turned it around?

I wanted Fenlon out well before the cup final. He took over in November and won 5 SPL from then until end of season. If I had been told that Calderwoods replacement will win 5 more games in league I would have thought relegation. Pat Fenlon never turned anything around he just kept going on the same dross run and yes we made it to 2 cup finals fair enough but all else was awful.

[greenlad]

Only Hibs example of this I can think of:

If memory serves Bobby Williamson lost the first 6 out of 7 of the 2002-03 season, including a 1-5 reverse at Tynecastle and a 1-4 at home to Dunfermline and yet there didn't seem to be the same outrage and calls for sackings. Generally it was recognized that his best 2 players Laursen and De La Cruz had been sold from under him at the start of the season (collapse in TV revenue) and fans were patient. It was a strange mixture of leftovers from the McLeish era and the odd short term signing that was brought in prior to the Golden Generation emerging fully at the end of that season and into the next. O'Connor, McManus and Murray were regulars and Whittaker was making occasional appearances but Riordan, Brown and Thomson not. Some shorter term signings like Janos Matyus, Yannick Zambernardi and Craig James appearing alongside the likes of Jarkko Wiss and Derek Townsley.

But anyway after this dreadful run Williamson really turned it around to the extent that had Hibs held on to win the festive derby at Tynecastle (4-4) they would have gone third in the League.

[GaryOsCheerios]

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Only Hibs example of this I can think of:

If memory serves Bobby Williamson lost the first 6 out of 7 of the 2002-03 season, including a 1-5 reverse at Tynecastle and a 1-4 at home to Dunfermline and yet there didn't seem to be the same outrage and calls for sackings. Generally it was recognized that his best 2 players Laursen and De La Cruz had been sold from under him at the start of the season (collapse in TV revenue) and fans were patient. It was a strange mixture of leftovers from the McLeish era and the odd short term signing that was brought in prior to the Golden Generation emerging fully at the end of that season and into the next. O'Connor, McManus and Murray were regulars and Whittaker was making occasional appearances but Riordan, Brown and Thomson not. Some shorter term signings like Janos Matyus, Yannick Zambernardi and Craig James appearing alongside the likes of Jarkko Wiss and Derek Townsley.

But anyway after this dreadful run Williamson really turned it around to the extent that had Hibs held on to win the festive derby at Tynecastle (4-4) they would have gone third in the League.

Not to sidetrack the thread but i seem to remember that Williamson side leaking a lot of last minute goals. Truth be told i cant remember our league position but he must have been doing something right to attract Plymouth

[The 90+2]

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Only Hibs example of this I can think of:

If memory serves Bobby Williamson lost the first 6 out of 7 of the 2002-03 season, including a 1-5 reverse at Tynecastle and a 1-4 at home to Dunfermline and yet there didn't seem to be the same outrage and calls for sackings. Generally it was recognized that his best 2 players Laursen and De La Cruz had been sold from under him at the start of the season (collapse in TV revenue) and fans were patient. It was a strange mixture of leftovers from the McLeish era and the odd short term signing that was brought in prior to the Golden Generation emerging fully at the end of that season and into the next. O'Connor, McManus and Murray were regulars and Whittaker was making occasional appearances but Riordan, Brown and Thomson not. Some shorter term signings like Janos Matyus, Yannick Zambernardi and Craig James appearing alongside the likes of Jarkko Wiss and Derek Townsley.

But anyway after this dreadful run Williamson really turned it around to the extent that had Hibs held on to win the festive derby at Tynecastle (4-4) they would have gone third in the League.

Williamson kept us up mate so he got away with a terrible start the following year. You’re right though, even when it was **** it still seemed enjoyable to go to. Was times in between the 4-4 game a match called off at half time against Dundee because of snow (lost the re-arranged game 3-0 Murray own goal) and Brebner scoring in a 1-0 win up Aberdeen? (Southern bus Brechin 😂) you’re memories better than mines though Chris when it comes to Hibs stats, something I hate to admit 👍

[CloudSquall]

I remember reading a stat once that if games were 75 minutes long (or 85, not sure which), Williamson would've had us finishing 3rd, such was the extent of our last 15 minutes collapse.

That Phil Stamp derby still haunts me...

[FilipinoHibs]

Alex Miller came in during the early winter of 1986. We were in a terrible state and in the middle of the 22 in a row run. First season we finished 9th but then he broke the 22 in a row run and lifted us up into the top half of the league and winning the League Cup and losing another final to Rangers. Once season we were 3td. He brought in some exciting players and we played some attractive football but gradually over time players left and we were becoming turgid and the fans turned on him. But a 10 year run was impressive. He turned Hibs around rather than his management.

[Hermit Crab]

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Only Hibs example of this I can think of:

If memory serves Bobby Williamson lost the first 6 out of 7 of the 2002-03 season, including a 1-5 reverse at Tynecastle and a 1-4 at home to Dunfermline and yet there didn't seem to be the same outrage and calls for sackings. Generally it was recognized that his best 2 players Laursen and De La Cruz had been sold from under him at the start of the season (collapse in TV revenue) and fans were patient. It was a strange mixture of leftovers from the McLeish era and the odd short term signing that was brought in prior to the Golden Generation emerging fully at the end of that season and into the next. O'Connor, McManus and Murray were regulars and Whittaker was making occasional appearances but Riordan, Brown and Thomson not. Some shorter term signings like Janos Matyus, Yannick Zambernardi and Craig James appearing alongside the likes of Jarkko Wiss and Derek Townsley.

But anyway after this dreadful run Williamson really turned it around to the extent that had Hibs held on to win the festive derby at Tynecastle (4-4) they would have gone third in the League.

There probably was just as much outrage as there is today its just forums like this were either not created or just in their infancy. Remember there was no facebook or twitter to vent on either. It was in the pub with your mates talking about how bad Hibs and the manager were or text messages on your Nokia 3210 mobile.

[Greenio]

It's unlikely he'll be able to turn it around now to be honest, but anyone thinking sacking PH will fix the problems is, unfortunately, wrong

https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/...-a8044586.html

[FilipinoHibs]

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It's unlikely he'll be able to turn it around now to be honest, but anyone thinking sacking PH will fix the problems is, unfortunately, wrong

https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/...-a8044586.html

So our luck will change starting Sunday 😳

[I_Love_Latapy]

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It's unlikely he'll be able to turn it around now to be honest, but anyone thinking sacking PH will fix the problems is, unfortunately, wrong

https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/...-a8044586.html

Not seen this article before. Spot on. ‘Sack the manager’ often feels like a futile gesture and it seems the stats support this.

The author Tim Wigmore is excellent btw - why he now writes for the Torygraph defeats me.

[CRAZYHIBBY]

According to him we dominate teams but need to be ruthless in front of goals....yet he signed doidge

[DanishJohn]

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It rarely happens anywhere, if ever. Not just Hibs.

It does.

Alex Ferguson Manchester Utd. If he didn't beat Crystal Palace he was out.
The rest is history.

[Diclonius]

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It does.

Alex Ferguson Manchester Utd. If he didn't beat Crystal Palace he was out.
The rest is history.

The exception that proves the rule.

[Speedway]

Williamson kept us up, Fenlon kept us up, Miller kept us up, McLeish couldn’t keep us up, Butcher couldn’t keep us up etc.

All in the last 30 years.

Can you think of a club that is the 4/5th biggest in its country that needs keeping up in the top division as often as we do?

[lyonhibs]

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I remember reading a stat once that if games were 75 minutes long (or 85, not sure which), Williamson would've had us finishing 3rd, such was the extent of our last 15 minutes collapse.

That Phil Stamp derby still haunts me...

Sure it was 85. Phil Stamp derby similarly etched in the memory, all so predictable and never laid a glove on Valois all evening.

[Greenworld]

Next 4 games ...
Hearts
Kilmarnock ( cup)
Celtic
Aberdeen

I simply don't see much out of that run of games maybe a point of jambos

That's why he needs to go now

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[Sir David Gray]

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Next 4 games ...
Hearts
Kilmarnock ( cup)
Celtic
Aberdeen

I simply don't see much out of that run of games maybe a point of jambos

That's why he needs to go now

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I don't see us getting much out of that run of fixtures even if he does go to be honest!

[G B Young]

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Williamson kept us up, Fenlon kept us up, Miller kept us up, McLeish couldn’t keep us up, Butcher couldn’t keep us up etc.

All in the last 30 years.

Can you think of a club that is the 4/5th biggest in its country that needs keeping up in the top division as often as we do?

Harsh to say McLeish was to blame for us getting relegated. Duffy was responsible for that and Hibs waited too long to sack him. By the time McLeish came in it was all but too late to save us, although he made a decent stab at it (and went to do a great job).

[wookie70]

Great article. What it doesn't mention is short to middle term financial detriment as the new manager empties players to bring their own in who are often no better or worse.

[G B Young]

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I wanted Fenlon out well before the cup final. He took over in November and won 5 SPL from then until end of season. If I had been told that Calderwoods replacement will win 5 more games in league I would have thought relegation. Pat Fenlon never turned anything around he just kept going on the same dross run and yes we made it to 2 cup finals fair enough but all else was awful.

The cup final shambles against Hearts overshadowed it, but he did actually show a bit of mettle the next season by remaining unbeaten in all 5 derbies, including knocking Hearts out the Scottish Cup and taking us to a second consecutive final. As somebody else mentioned he also had us top of the league in November.

However, our inability to sign Griffiths from Wolves meant the writing was on the wall the next season (Rowan Vine anyone?) and the Malmo humiliation was one he was never going to recover from.

In terms of managers who have turned things around, you could point to Alan Stubbs who had a pretty awful start in the Championship albeit he was working with a skeleton squad initially.

There's no sense that Hecky can turn things around though. Last season I liked the way he talked and he did a really solid job for his first couple of months, but watching him interviewed on Sportscene last night he just looked spooked.

[seanshow]

He started with the best new manager bounce I can remember, a long unbeaten run, a win at zwinecsstle
He made tactical changes during games that gained us points, and explained afterwards why he made them.

Since then a collapse of form and p*ss poor signings, if he can turn this around now I would be astonished.

[Chorley Hibee]

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Williamson kept us up, Fenlon kept us up, Miller kept us up, McLeish couldn’t keep us up, Butcher couldn’t keep us up etc.

All in the last 30 years.

Can you think of a club that is the 4/5th biggest in its country that needs keeping up in the top division as often as we do?

A damning indictment of something badly wrong at Hibs for too long now.

[bigwheel]

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A damning indictment of something badly wrong at Hibs for too long now.

That is hyperbole ...

Stats can tell any story you wish - here are some more

10 top six finishes out of the last 15 (ignoring championship years). 5 of them in top 4

6 cup finals - won two - 8 semi finals ...

We have had too many downs for sure - but this “badly wrong “ stuff is er, “badly wrong”....

[Chorley Hibee]

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That is hyperbole ...

Stats can tell any story you wish - here are some more

10 top six finishes out of the last 15 (ignoring championship years). 5 of them in top 4

6 cup finals - won two - 8 semi finals ...

We have had too many downs for sure - but this “badly wrong “ stuff is er, “badly wrong”....

You are correct with your comment on stats, yet every time we achieve any of what you mention above, it's almost always followed by the inevitable downturn that results in (at worst) us fighting relegation or (at best) reverting back to the mediocrity that has been accepted at Hibs for too long.

We're in a dangerous position of losing everything that has been achieved over the last three years, and I see nothing right now that makes me feel comfortable about where we are heading.

[bigwheel]

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You are correct with your comment on stats, yet every time we achieve any of what you mention above, it's almost always followed by the inevitable downturn that results in (at worst) us fighting relegation or (at best) reverting back to the mediocrity that has been accepted at Hibs for too long.

We're in a dangerous position of losing everything that has been achieved over the last three years, and I see nothing right now that makes me feel comfortable about where we are heading.

Completely agree with that - every time we are in the cusp of a great period - we do seem to shoot ourselves in the foot ...

Often seems to correspond with a time Hearts are guff too !

[Speedway]

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Harsh to say McLeish was to blame for us getting relegated. Duffy was responsible for that and Hibs waited too long to sack him. By the time McLeish came in it was all but too late to save us, although he made a decent stab at it (and went to do a great job).

I didn't say McLeish was to blame. I said he couldn't save us but why should he have been required to given the size of club we are and the comparative resources available to us.

[Paisley Hibby]

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Harsh to say McLeish was to blame for us getting relegated. Duffy was responsible for that and Hibs waited too long to sack him. By the time McLeish came in it was all but too late to save us, although he made a decent stab at it (and went to do a great job).

Has it not been for that second half comeback at Tynecastle we'd have sacked Duffy in plenty of time to stay up.