In season 2021/2022 what would disaster, average, excellence or glory look like?

[One Day Soon]

Given the reaction to the Cup Final and the debate about Jack Ross I'm wondering what people feel the scenarios of disaster, average, excellence or glory would look like next season?

Perhaps something like:

Disaster:
Failure in Europe
Losing to Hearts
Playing 'meh' football
Bottom six form

Ross is out early in the season

Average:
Honourable failure in Europe (play well but don't make group)
Honours shared with Hearts
Entertaining football but inconsistent form
Top 6 form but heading outside of top 4

Ross stays but support still split

Excellent:
European group stage qualification
Dominating Hearts
Return to high tempo attacking football
Strong challenge for top 4

Support want Ron to give Ross bigger budget

Glory:
Competitive in European group stage and domestic cup win
Win all or most derbies
Goals aplenty, unearth new exciting prospects and fortress Easter Road
Top 3 finish

Ron can write his own contract

[easty]

We finished 3rd this year, so that should be the target. 4th wouldn’t be the end of the world. 5th or 6th would be poor.

[SChibs]

The absolute least we should expect next season is top 5 and at least a semi.


I think 3rd again and at 2 semi finals would be a successful season. Realistically 3rd is the best we can get barring a miracle and getting to a semi final puts you at 3rd/4th in the tournament. At the moment results come before performance for me as I'd like us to consistently finish at least 4th then we can work on our style of play from there

[JohnM1875]

Should definitely be aiming for third again, fourth at the very least seeing as Hearts are rank and Aberdeen seem to have a rebuild on their hands. Can't see anyone else having the consistency to push for top four.

Most important thing for me is the style of football we play next year. Has to improve, especially with fans getting back.

[CapitalGreen]

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Given the reaction to the Cup Final and the debate about Jack Ross I'm wondering what people feel the scenarios of disaster, average, excellence or glory would look like next season?

Perhaps something like:

Disaster:
Failure in Europe
Losing to Hearts
Playing 'meh' football
Bottom six form

Ross is out early in the season

Average:
Honourable failure in Europe (play well but don't make group)
Honours shared with Hearts
Entertaining football but inconsistent form
Top 6 form but heading outside of top 4

Ross stays but support still split

Excellent:
European group stage qualification
Dominating Hearts
Return to high tempo attacking football
Strong challenge for top 4

Support want Ron to give Ross bigger budget

Glory:
Competitive in European group stage and domestic cup win
Win all or most derbies
Goals aplenty, unearth new exciting prospects and fortress Easter Road
Top 3 finish

Ron can write his own contract

Apparently targets and expectations are determined once the season has finished not at the start.

[LaMotta]

Derbies are vital for Ross next year. He is already on dodgy ground in that respect, failure in them will truly have the knives out.

[Pagan Hibernia]

Disaster would be finishing behind the maroon relegation fodder and getting beat by them a few times. Finishing out of the top 4, papped out of Europe with a whimper and getting nowhere in the cups

[He's here!]

I could see the return of the derby far enough to be honest. I haven't missed it one bit and even when we're winning them I hate all the baggage that goes with the fixture. However, there's not much I can do about that so what I would say is that it's imperative that we show we're up for those particular battles.

Top four in the league should most certainly be the target.

The cups? If we continue to reach the latter stages under Ross we're going to have to show we have more fire in our bellies. Nobody's going to fault him if we can see the team has given it their all.

Europe? Not expecting much there but a couple of ties where we peform creditably would be fine by me.

[matty_f]

Establish third place, minimum semi finals in the cups.

Qualification for group stages of Europe would be a bonus.

[One Day Soon]

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Establish third place, minimum semi finals in the cups.

Qualification for group stages of Europe would be a bonus.

Wait, which category are you describing?

[matty_f]

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Wait, which category are you describing?

I’m leaving it vague so i can fit it to suit whatever point I’m trying to make this time next year.

[ScottB]

Ultimately, Aberdeen will still be, at best, in transition, assuming things don’t continue to be a bit of a mess under Glass and the incoming Brown. Hearts will presumably spend big again, not sure they’ll be all that great. St Johnstone could be good if they can keep their squad together.

Beyond that, everyone else looks no great shakes.

Therefore, third needs to be the expectation again.

[blackpoolhibs]

Europe through our league position, and a good run in both cups.

The usual really.

[Brightside]

Top 4. Semi in at least one cup. next round in Europe

[danhibees1875]

It's very hard to define when you look across all 4 platforms we'll compete in I think. 20/21 on paper would have been good but ultimately felt a little disappointing at the end due to the missed opportunities.


No idea how many of our key players we'll still have going into the season but I imagine we'll be going in with a budget that's 5th biggest in the league - higher than 5th and we've done well.

Cups throw a spanner in the works though, avoid relegation and win a cup? That's good too.

Realistically for Europe we're probably looking at falling at the last or penultimate hurdle before group stages - preferably to a team that we'd expect to beat us rather than to an "upset".

[superfurryhibby]

The league will be harder for us next year. The mere inclusion of Hearts, whether they are pish or not, will add to the challenge for us to maintain our third place.

Everyone is in transition, including Hibs. We might well lose half our regular starting line up. Who can really say how replacing them will go?

For me the target should be third place in the League and decent runs in the cup.

Qualifying that decent runs in the cup part , depends on what happens in the respective tournaments. If we reach semi finals/finals and play a lower league side or one that sits well below below us in the League, I would hope we win. If we play one of the Old Firm, those expectations are naturally curbed.

[Crunchie]

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I could see the return of the derby far enough to be honest. I haven't missed it one bit and even when we're winning them I hate all the baggage that goes with the fixture. However, there's not much I can do about that so what I would say is that it's imperative that we show we're up for those particular battles.

Top four in the league should most certainly be the target.

The cups? If we continue to reach the latter stages under Ross we're going to have to show we have more fire in our bellies. Nobody's going to fault him if we can see the team has given it their all.

Europe? Not expecting much there but a couple of ties where we peform creditably would be fine by me.

I'd taking winning the derbies over league position ( barring relegation ) how you can dismiss the biggest games in our season is baffling.

[calumhibee1]

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The league will be harder for us next year. The mere inclusion of Hearts, whether they are pish or not, will add to the challenge for us to maintain our third place.

Everyone is in transition, including Hibs. We might well lose half our regular starting line up. Who can really predict say how replacing them will go?

For me the target should be third place in the League and decent runs in the cup.

Qualifying that decent runs in the cup part , depends on what happens in the respective tournaments. If we reach semi finals/finals and play a lower league side or one that sits well below below us in the League, I would hope we win. If we play one of the Old Firm, those expectations are naturally curbed.

This.

Throw in Europe and getting as far as possible without being put out by some absolute diddies.

[calumhibee1]

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It's very hard to define when you look across all 4 platforms we'll compete in I think. 20/21 on paper would have been good but ultimately felt a little disappointing at the end due to the missed opportunities.


No idea how many of our key players we'll still have going into the season but I imagine we'll be going in with a budget that's 5th biggest in the league - higher than 5th and we've done well.

Cups throw a spanner in the works though, avoid relegation and win a cup? That's good too.

Realistically for Europe we're probably looking at falling at the last or penultimate hurdle before group stages - preferably to a team that we'd expect to beat us rather than to an "upset".

I’m sure Budge said recently that Hearts will have to massively reign in their spending. Whether that happens remains to be seen but I’m not sure our budget will be lower than theirs.

[danhibees1875]

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I’m sure Budge said recently that Hearts will have to massively reign in their spending. Whether that happens remains to be seen but I’m not sure our budget will be lower than theirs.

Possibly, I'll work on the assumption that they won't though. They'll find a benefactor or 2 to plug the gaps and throw money at players to try to top us now that they're back.

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I'd taking winning the derbies over league position ( barring relegation ) how you can dismiss the biggest games in our season is baffling.

I understand the point because there's not much sweeter than a derby win, but don't think that would be a long term view of mine.

Lose derbies and finish 3rd Vs win derbies and finish 7th? I'd probably take the former.

[superfurryhibby]

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Possibly, I'll work on the assumption that they won't though. They'll find a benefactor or 2 to plug the gaps and throw money at players to try to top us now that they're back.



I understand the point because there's not much sweeter than a derby win, but don't think that would be a long term view of mine.

Lose derbies and finish 3rd Vs win derbies and finish 7th? I'd probably take the former.

Given the 12 points at stake over the course of a season whilst playing Hearts and the possibility that they will be competing within the top six, coming out with at least six points from those games will probably go hand in hand with aspirations to finish third.

[Diclonius]

Disaster: Anything not listed below
Bare minimum: 5th place, at least one semi final, equal record against Hearts
Good: 4th place, at least semi final in both cups (and no defeats in the cup to a team other than the OF/Aberdeen/Hearts), winning record against Hearts
Great: 3rd place, at least one final (and no defeats in the cup to a team other than the OF/Aberdeen/Hearts), unbeaten against Hearts

[Steve20]

Why is reaching the semi finals of a cup a target for some people? In a cup competition, the target should be to win them. We had what some would call "a good run in the cups" this season, but it wasn't a success at all? It was a disgrace what Hibs produced at Hampden.

Top 4 and winning a cup would be great.
Top 4 and no cup is what we should at LEAST expect (although Ross should be going all out in the cups to make up for this season)

[Danderhall Hibs]

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Why is reaching the semi finals of a cup a target for some people? In a cup competition, the target should be to win them. We had what some would call "a good run in the cups" this season, but it wasn't a success at all? It was a disgrace what Hibs produced at Hampden.

Top 4 and winning a cup would be great.
Top 4 and no cup is what we should at LEAST expect (although Ross should be going all out in the cups to make up for this season)

It’s something tangible I suppose but it’s a fair point.

[Allez Hibs]

Top 4 and Winning a Cup

[Allez Hibs]

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Why is reaching the semi finals of a cup a target for some people? In a cup competition, the target should be to win them. We had what some would call "a good run in the cups" this season, but it wasn't a success at all? It was a disgrace what Hibs produced at Hampden.

Top 4 and winning a cup would be great.
Top 4 and no cup is what we should at LEAST expect (although Ross should be going all out in the cups to make up for this season)

We are at Hampden virtually every season now.

[McSwanky]

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Why is reaching the semi finals of a cup a target for some people? In a cup competition, the target should be to win them. We had what some would call "a good run in the cups" this season, but it wasn't a success at all? It was a disgrace what Hibs produced at Hampden.

Top 4 and winning a cup would be great.
Top 4 and no cup is what we should at LEAST expect (although Ross should be going all out in the cups to make up for this season)

I think setting targets for cup competitions is a bit iffy to be honest. We could be drawn against Celtic in R4, Rangers in R5 or we could be drawn against teams like e.g. Brora in R4 and Alloa in R5. We could theoretically win the thing never playing a Premiership team, or we could get pumped out at first time of asking by an Old Firm team at the top of their game.

The League remains the best way of showing where we are at. Like it or not, luck has a big bearing on how we do in the cups.

I'd be disappointed if we're not at the very least challenging for 3rd place again. I can't see any reason why we shouldn't finish 3rd, there's nobody good enough or consistent enough by this years' showings to trouble us greatly.

Europe: If we get a tie against someone decent and are allowed some fans in the stadium, I think that's success enough for me. I don't expect us to get to the group stages of EL or ECL, to do so would be a major achievement now.

As for the cups? A bonus. Replicating this season's record of 2 x semi finals and a final would be quite an achievement!!

[Dalianwanda]

3rd would be great & keep knocking at the door with the cups. In Europe give a good display of ourselves, really depends on the draw for that. If we can continue to do as planned improving the squad Ive no reason to think we will have another successful season.

Folk keep mentioning Hearts coming up...So what? I think they will do well do make top 6.

[matty_f]

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Why is reaching the semi finals of a cup a target for some people? In a cup competition, the target should be to win them. We had what some would call "a good run in the cups" this season, but it wasn't a success at all? It was a disgrace what Hibs produced at Hampden.

Top 4 and winning a cup would be great.
Top 4 and no cup is what we should at LEAST expect (although Ross should be going all out in the cups to make up for this season)

Think you need to think about the difference between a minimum target and a stretch target/target.

Hibs will aim for minimum semi-final but that doesn’t change the fact that the target is to win the competition.

Only one team per competition can win it, appreciating that there’s significantly more chance of not winning it than winning it, giving yourself a minimum expectation keeps the goal achievable and realistic.

We want to win the league at the start of the season, but you know that’s unlikely so you set a minimum that would be considered acceptable.


Otherwise we’d be raging that we haven’t won the league, Europa Conference, Scottish Cup, League Cup etc.

The targets need to be grounded in some form of reality, it’s not saying “let’s consider it job done if we reach the semi”, but it’s saying we would expect to get at least that far.

[JeMeSouviens]

I'm about to move up north, so I'd like 2x wins at Ross County to be a kpi, please.