Hecky’s legacy

[RIP]

Was that he wasn’t a very good coach. Nor do I suspect he was a motivator.

The only sympathy we should have had for him was having to create a team out of the mixed bag and signings recruited by Graeme Mathie and his team in that close season. Some worked, other didn’t.


How many Hibs fans were still under the illusion that Hibs still had a manager who was responsible for recruitment. In fact the last manager was Terry Butcher and since then Stubbs, Lennon, Heckingbottom and Ross have all been recruited as Head Coaches.

When the flak was coming thick and fast on signings last season, the man responsible stayed silent. So it’s interesting to hear him speak out candidly about the signings he made last summer.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/sport/football/hibs/im-fairly-sure-there-will-be-more-movement-hibs-chief-hints-further-transfer-business-2954527%3Famp

[SMAXXA]

He doesn’t make the signings without the manager giving agreement so not sure where your going with this?

[Since452]

I liked Hecky as a guy. Just seemed a decent bloke and I wanted him to succeed but I couldn't get motivated by him as a fan at all. Had a wee spark against Celtic at ER when he got sent to the stand (I think) but I just don't think he has the right aura about him for the top job.

[HappyAsHellas]

When he said he's talking with JR at the present I would take that to mean that the input of the manager is sought after before any new signing although I didn't read the whole article because they have more ads than this place. Are you saying he makes all decisions on his own as a sporting dictator?

[Vault Boy]

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He doesn’t make the signings without the manager giving agreement so not sure where your going with this?

Yeah if you listen to the podcast he talks about this idea that the recruitment staff just go and make signings, as if he could have told Neil Lennon who to sign... They scout players, create shortlists and look for players with particular attributes, as directed by the HC. No signing is made without the HC's sign off.

[WhileTheChief..]

EEN reporting on the recent Longbangers podcast basically.

[Hibernia&Alba]

He was a bad appointment; out of his depth. Seemed a nice guy, but not right for Hibs. A very forgettable period.

[Iain G]

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Was that he wasn’t a very good coach. Nor do I suspect he was a motivator.

The only sympathy we should have had for him was having to create a team out of the mixed bag and signings recruited by Graeme Mathie and his team in that close season. Some worked, other didn’t.


How many Hibs fans were still under the illusion that Hibs still had a manager who was responsible for recruitment. In fact the last manager was Terry Butcher and since then Stubbs, Lennon, Heckingbottom and Ross have all been recruited as Head Coaches.

When the flak was coming thick and fast on signings last season, the man responsible stayed silent. So it’s interesting to hear him speak out candidly about the signings he made last summer.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.edi...-2954527%3Famp

You should listen to the podcast, which will put your right on the errors made in this post.

[chrisski33]

time to forget heckingbottom

[Smartie]

I'm a bit neutral about Heckingbottom. Not the worst we've had, not the best.

He didn't really get that sometimes you need to be a bit more aggressive in forcing games and trying to win. 451 every week will get you so far, but not far enough.

The greatest strengths and weaknesses of his time with us were, in truth, probably little to do with him if he doesn't do much of the recruitment. His "end of the season" was very decent - mostly due to the impact Omeonga and McNulty had on a squad that was hopelessly imbalanced and going nowhere. there weren't many signs of tactical problems there, and he had the odd very good result such as the win at Tynecastle.

His "start to the next season" was abysmal results-wise, but in truth we dominated a lot of those games without picking up the result. We weren't playing all that much worse than we are now, but sharpness in front of goal and a stout defence sees us top of the league. His main problem was being without Boyle, leaving us badly short of pace and a man to get you up the park when you've been under the cosh. Vela was a brutal signing who he was loyal to, but seemingly he was "on our radar" under Lennon. The signing of Doidge looks inspired, Newell has been decent in spells and Jackson was a good player for us.

Who knows where we might have ended up if he'd got a chance with Boyle fit. His line-ups did frustrate me though. Whenever Jack Ross picks a team , you understand what he's trying to do, even if it doesn't come off. The 1 up front every week when it was leaking points left, right and centre was infuriating.

He was a likeable enough fellow and seemingly had the players onside. His sacking was hard to argue with though, especially as Ross was free around that time, and I'm more than happy with who we have now, even if Ross isn't perfect himself.

[Pagan Hibernia]

Our first win at tynecastle for six years. That’s it, my one positive recollection of heckingbottom reign.

[Pretty Boy]

I don't think many teams have a system in place now that doesn't involve the director of football or equivalent, recruitment and head coach trinity.

It's a system that makes perfect sense and we have seen it both work well and work badly, the same as if any individual was solely responsible for signings really.

[The Modfather]

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I'm a bit neutral about Heckingbottom. Not the worst we've had, not the best.

He didn't really get that sometimes you need to be a bit more aggressive in forcing games and trying to win. 451 every week will get you so far, but not far enough.

The greatest strengths and weaknesses of his time with us were, in truth, probably little to do with him if he doesn't do much of the recruitment. His "end of the season" was very decent - mostly due to the impact Omeonga and McNulty had on a squad that was hopelessly imbalanced and going nowhere. there weren't many signs of tactical problems there, and he had the odd very good result such as the win at Tynecastle.

His "start to the next season" was abysmal results-wise, but in truth we dominated a lot of those games without picking up the result. We weren't playing all that much worse than we are now, but sharpness in front of goal and a stout defence sees us top of the league. His main problem was being without Boyle, leaving us badly short of pace and a man to get you up the park when you've been under the cosh. Vela was a brutal signing who he was loyal to, but seemingly he was "on our radar" under Lennon. The signing of Doidge looks inspired, Newell has been decent in spells and Jackson was a good player for us.

Who knows where we might have ended up if he'd got a chance with Boyle fit. His line-ups did frustrate me though. Whenever Jack Ross picks a team , you understand what he's trying to do, even if it doesn't come off. The 1 up front every week when it was leaking points left, right and centre was infuriating.

He was a likeable enough fellow and seemingly had the players onside. His sacking was hard to argue with though, especially as Ross was free around that time, and I'm more than happy with who we have now, even if Ross isn't perfect himself.

Good post. He improved us when he came in, although we were still a poor imbalanced team, and won at Tynecastle. Then looked out of his depth the next season.

Don’t have any ill will towards him but he’ll be a quiz question in years to come, who was the Hibs manager after Lennon.

[Speedway]

PH's appointment and the fact that it was a toss up between him and Appleton for the job, was the first time I had cause to doubt LD's judgement.

Heckingbottom looked like an uninspired boring sod from the very first interview.

I started unconvinced and got worse as the signings were revealed.

Sir Tommy Farmer's tweet to LD at the end of Heckingbottom's tenure summed it all up.

I'm sure he's a lovely man but I'm delighted he's gone.

[Hibernian Verse]

Marvin Bartley said Hecky was one of the best coaches he's worked under.

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[Danderhall Hibs]

Is his legacy Doidge and Newell?

[DetroitHibs]

When he was punted, Eddie May played with a front two the game right after and it changed everything. He was a piss poor manager IMO.

[Bronson]

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Marvin Bartley said Hecky was one of the best coaches he's worked under.

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A few have said similar. I think he’s clearly a very good coach, but that’s a much different role to being a manager and I don’t think he’s cut out for management. He’s definitely a very knowledgable guy, will do well in his role at sheff utd i would think.

[Pretty Boy]

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Marvin Bartley said Hecky was one of the best coaches he's worked under.

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I'm sure he is an excellent coach.

Hibs players said similar about Calderwood and the jobs he has had as a coach suggests there is truth in it. That doesn't always translate to being a good manager though. Alex Ferguson had nothing but praise for guys like Archie Know, Mike Phelan, Carlos Quieroz and Brian Kidd and their coaching ability. Their managerial records are patchy at best though. It's two very different skill sets.

[Onceinawhile]

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I'm sure he is an excellent coach.

Hibs players said similar about Calderwood and the jobs he has had as a coach suggests there is truth in it. That doesn't always translate to being a good manager though. Alex Ferguson had nothing but praise for guys like Archie Know, Mike Phelan, Carlos Quieroz and Brian Kidd and their coaching ability. Their managerial records are patchy at best though. It's two very different skill sets.

Ian cathro is a very highly rated coach.

Couldn't manage for toffee though.

[RIP]

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You should listen to the podcast, which will put your right on the errors made in this post.

Iain I listened to the podcast before posting.

My point about GM was that at no point last year when PH was getting pelters for summer recruitment did he pipe up about the process at Hibs where they source players and run them past the Head Coach. Then there’s trials where the HC puts the player through their paces.

That’s been the process since Stubbsy. In January the first JR knew about two of the signings was when me met them in training.

Still had the power to push back if he didn’t fancy the players.

The confused answers of fans on this topic proves that it’s still not clear to some how recruitment is managed at Hibs

[Brightside]

Players loved Hecky. Results just didnt come. Doidge had about 20 chances when Hecky was here....if they go in suddenly everyone had a different view. Hecky will do very well in football.

[Eyrie]

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Players loved Hecky. Results just didnt come. Doidge had about 20 chances when Hecky was here....if they go in suddenly everyone had a different view. Hecky will do very well in football.

If he does well then it will be as a coach and not as a manager.

[G B Young]

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Players loved Hecky. Results just didnt come. Doidge had about 20 chances when Hecky was here....if they go in suddenly everyone had a different view. Hecky will do very well in football.

Yep, several of his signings who had by and large been written off as duds seemed to improve under Jack Ross. I think in hindsight he had a decent enough eye for a player but as you say he didn't get the results (barring an excellent spell of league form with Lennon's players after he succeeded him).

[calumhibee1]

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Players loved Hecky. Results just didnt come. Doidge had about 20 chances when Hecky was here....if they go in suddenly everyone had a different view. Hecky will do very well in football.

Yup.

He ultimately wasn’t good enough but between not having Boyle and having our 18 goals in 3 quarters of a season striker missing sitter after sitter when he just started banging them in after he left didn’t help him.

Not good enough but also pretty unlucky. Whilst not playing great I left plenty games at the time under him wondering how we didn’t win - quite often because Doidge had missed chances galore which he then started putting away.

[Is It On....]

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Is his legacy Doidge and Newell?

Not knowing how to get the best out of them [Doidge upfront on his own, Newall wide right).. absolute his legacy.

[blackpoolhibs]

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Yup.

He ultimately wasn’t good enough but between not having Boyle and having our 18 goals in 3 quarters of a season striker missing sitter after sitter when he just started banging them in after he left didn’t help him.

Not good enough but also pretty unlucky. Whilst not playing great I left plenty games at the time under him wondering how we didn’t win - quite often because Doidge had missed chances galore which he then started putting away.

I thought all teams had injuries, and you were not allowed to use that as an excuse?

Did Lennon's side not have any missed chances in games he was in charge of?

[erin go bragh]

Good coach ,****ttt manager .

[calumhibee1]

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I thought all teams had injuries, and you were not allowed to use that as an excuse?

Did Lennon's side not have any missed chances in games he was in charge of?

Where did I use it as an excuse? I quite clearly said his spell in charge wasn’t good enough. If I was looking for an excuse I would have said he was good enough but was hampered by injuries or something along those lines.

Would he have done better without Boyle being injured? Possibly. Would he have done better if Doidge wasn’t missing chance after chance every game? Definitely.

Would Lennon have done better if he didn’t have any injuries? Possibly.

Were they both not performing well enough when they left/were sacked. Absolutely.

Having injuries isn’t an excuse when you’re performing horrifically at a club our size in Scottish football terms.

[blackpoolhibs]

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Where did I use it as an excuse? I quite clearly said his spell in charge wasn’t good enough. If I was looking for an excuse I would have said he was good enough but was hampered by injuries or something along those lines.

Would he have done better without Boyle being injured? Possibly. Would he have done better if Doidge wasn’t missing chance after chance every game? Definitely.

Would Lennon have done better if he didn’t have any injuries? Possibly.

Were they both not performing well enough when they left/were sacked. Absolutely.

Having injuries isn’t an excuse when you’re performing horrifically at a club our size in Scottish football terms.

He ultimately wasn’t good enough but