We've not become a bad team overnight, but..................

[theonlywayisup]

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Think we missed mcginn yesterday as well, defence just didnt work

Like I said in the OP, the problem is the midfield, not the defence. Getting Porto and McGinn back will obviously help, but the problem was a slow overrun midfield, IMO.

[hibbydog]

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What a load of rubbish. If what you are saying is true we’d be down at the bottom of the league.

Not rubbish.

Answer the question please.

I’m fed up being beaten by less talented but hungrier sides. My worry is lack of motivation, leadership or fighting spirit.

Better paid, more talented players who are going through the motions.

I’m all ears if you’d care to present some evidence or examples.

[easty]

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Not rubbish.

Answer the question please.

I’m fed up being beaten by less talented but hungrier sides. My worry is lack of motivation, leadership or fighting spirit.

Better paid, more talented players who are going through the motions.

I’m all ears if you’d care to present some evidence or examples.

You can be fed up of it all you want. However, we’ve only been beaten by one team who are “less talented” than us this season! Last season only the old firm lost less games than us too.

Dinnae let facts get in the way though.

[hibee-boys]

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I see your point but Joe Newell said Dundee United outplayed us in large spells during that game as well.

The same was the case against St Mirren. We've scraped wins or points when we probably didn't deserve them.

I won't go into the debate on wins and losses more than that. It might just be my opinion but we are awful to watch and I think the atmosphere at ER shows that. We are boring. If Boyle gets injured we will be struggling even more than we are now - he, and possibly Magennis, are the only 2 players that can often change the pace of our play.

Doidge injury was a disaster and is having clear affects on our play. Boyle, or evidently Porteous, getting injured and we are in murky waters...

We have players that just pad out the squad but have zero affect on our starting line up: Wood, Scott, Hallberg, Wright, Mackie, Gullan, Mackay. You can add in the players that are coming to their end: Allan, McGregor and Stevenson. Then the injury prone: Murphy.

Doidge might not be back properly for some time, if ever to the same level. We need major squad changes in January and I think we've wasted budget on players to make up numbers, based on them never getting games. This will probably hinder us in the window.

For me, our style of play under Ross has largely been boring. Not just this season or in that one game.

Yip, I agree re players just making up squad numbers. We need to get to the point where players in the squad are seriously challenging the first XI rather than just making up the numbers. Our ‘squad fillers’ are just nowhere near the quality we need so unless we’ve got all our first XI on the pitch we’re going to struggle.

[Key West]

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You can be fed up of it all you want. However, we’ve only been beaten by one team who are “less talented” than us this season! Last season only the old firm lost less games than us too.

Dinnae let facts get in the way though.

Less talented teams beat us in the semi finals and final of the domestic cups.

[lord bunberry]

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Not rubbish.

Answer the question please.

I’m fed up being beaten by less talented but hungrier sides. My worry is lack of motivation, leadership or fighting spirit.

Better paid, more talented players who are going through the motions.

I’m all ears if you’d care to present some evidence or examples.

Who are these less talented sides that keep beating us? We lose the odd game but we win many more than we lose.

[easty]

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Less talented teams beat us in the semi finals and final of the domestic cups.

If the less talented teams should always lose then we should we just give the league and cups to Rangers now? Only fair if that’s how it’s to work.

[hibbydog]

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You can be fed up of it all you want. However, we’ve only been beaten by one team who are “less talented” than us this season! Last season only the old firm lost less games than us too.

Dinnae let facts get in the way though.

And the last time you went to Easter Road and felt we were more up for it?

This year I’ve been to 5 home games. In all but one (Ross County) I’ve felt we were less aggressive than the opposition.

Maybe a bit of a subjective judgment, but I genuinely feel we’re just not competitors any more.

Win the battle before you win the game and all that.

[lord bunberry]

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And the last time you went to Easter Road and felt we were more up for it?

This year I’ve been to 5 home games. In all but one (Ross County) I’ve felt we were less aggressive than the opposition.

Maybe a bit of a subjective judgment, but I genuinely feel we’re just not competitors any more.

Win the battle before you win the game and all that.

I’d rather we were just better at football than the opposition.

[hibbydog]

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Who are these less talented sides that keep beating us? We lose the odd game but we win many more than we lose.

St Johnstone umpteen times last season
Dundee United yesterday

Do you genuinely think Hibs are a tough competitive side who are always up for a battle?

Not on current evidence I’m afraid. And by that I mean not just yesterday, the whole of this season

[147lothian]

Sorry if it's been posted elsewhere but when are Mcginn and mcgennis due to return?

[Keith_M]

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You’re right we’ve not become a bad team. We had a mare today, but we’ll still comfortably finish third.

I admire your optimism but I don't think it's very realistic.

As much as it pains me to say it, I think Hearts (currently) look much more likely to finish 3rd.

Three first picks missing yesterday and we go from half decent to atrocious. I honestly couldn't think who Ross could/should have brought on as a sub to turn things round, which is a massive concern

[Key West]

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I’d rather we were just better at football than the opposition.

That would be nice but there are basic requirements that you have to meet before it can pan out that way, let’s hope it gets better with the return of injured players because there is very little in reserve when we are stretched.

[Allant1981]

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St Johnstone umpteen times last season
Dundee United yesterday

Do you genuinely think Hibs are a tough competitive side who are always up for a battle?

Not on current evidence I’m afraid. And by that I mean not just yesterday, the whole of this season

The whole season where we have only lost 2 games, think that answers your question

[lord bunberry]

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St Johnstone umpteen times last season
Dundee United yesterday

Do you genuinely think Hibs are a tough competitive side who are always up for a battle?

Not on current evidence I’m afraid. And by that I mean not just yesterday, the whole of this season

I think we’re a good team. I’m not interested in how hard our players are, I’ve never watched a game and been concerned that we’re too soft. Yesterday was a shocker, but it’s the first time this season that I’ve felt we weren’t good enough or up for it.

[hibbydog]

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I’d rather we were just better at football than the opposition.

And part of being better at football means winning more 50/50s, second balls and generally being more up for it than the opponent

[easty]

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And part of being better at football means winning more 50/50s, second balls and generally being more up for it than the opponent

You got the stats for how many those we win and lose?

[theonlywayisup]

All this petty point scoring about whether we're an average team or not, finish in the top-3 or not or being beaten by less talented teams or not, is deflecting from the point that I was making is that we've become so predicable to play against.

The message to opposition managers and players is easy "nullify Boyle and Hibs become much easier to play against". The midfield has become slow to move the ball forward and rarely do they shoot from distance or drive into the box (apart from Magennis). We've virtually no aerial threat, so free-kicks and corners offer virtually no threat to the opposition. On the left Murphy slows play down and when he does cross the ball in the defence are back in numbers.

We are so predictable to play against. St Johnstone had worked this out last season and my fear is that other football managers are doing the same. JR, and our players, need to work out the Plan B, when Plan A has been nullified.

[Danderhall Hibs]

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You got the stats for how many those we win and lose?

You’re probably taking what he said too literally.

[hibbydog]

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You got the stats for how many those we win and lose?

Nope, it’s just a feeling I have. Totally subjective.

I cannot accept Hibs being outfought by hungrier teams.

Especially frustrating when you look at the talent we have.

[lord bunberry]

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All this petty point scoring about whether we're an average team or not, finish in the top-3 or not or being beaten by less talented teams or not, is deflecting from the point that I was making is that we've become so predicable to play against.

The message to opposition managers and players is easy "nullify Boyle and Hibs become much easier to play against". The midfield has become slow to move the ball forward and rarely do they shoot from distance or drive into the box (apart from Magennis). We've virtually no aerial threat, so free-kicks and corners offer virtually no threat to the opposition. On the left Murphy slows play down and when he does cross the ball in the defence are back in numbers.

We are so predictable to play against. St Johnstone had worked this out last season and my fear is that other football managers are doing the same. JR, and our players, need to work out the Plan B, when Plan A has been nullified.

So far this season we’ve beaten Motherwell, Dundee Utd, St Johnstone, Ross County and Kilmarnock. If we’re so predictable and easy to play against, how did we manage to win those games? We had a stinker yesterday and it wasn’t helped with us having so many key players out injured. I keep reading that we’re either not aggressive enough or we're predictable or whatever criticism that has been thrown at the team, but no one can really back it up with anything meaningful. We were terrible yesterday but that’s the first time this season.

[MWHIBBIES]

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Not rubbish.

Answer the question please.

I’m fed up being beaten by less talented but hungrier sides. My worry is lack of motivation, leadership or fighting spirit.

Better paid, more talented players who are going through the motions.

I’m all ears if you’d care to present some evidence or examples.

You are acting like we are consistently losing to those sides. That is not true.

Since the beginging of last season we have 26 wins against the so called ''lesser sides'' (Motherwell, DU, Livi, St mirren, RC, Kilmarnock, Hamilton, St Johnstone, Dundee) in all comps. Those 9 sides combined have 7 wins over us. That is really not bad at all. St Johnstone are 4 of those. St Johnstone are the only side on that list who have beaten us on their home ground since December 2019. Nearly 2 years.

Yesterday was a really awful result. Totally outplayed from the first minute. It is not the norm.

[easty]

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So far this season we’ve beaten Motherwell, Dundee Utd, St Johnstone, Ross County and Kilmarnock. If we’re so predictable and easy to play against, how did we manage to win those games? We had a stinker yesterday and it wasn’t helped with us having so many key players out injured. I keep reading that we’re either not aggressive enough or we're predictable or whatever criticism that has been thrown at the team, but no one can really back it up with anything meaningful. We were terrible yesterday but that’s the first time this season.

Hearts have started the season really well, annoyingly, but we’re the only team that’s stopped them from scoring this season. No bad for a team that’s not aggressive enough and too predictable.

[lord bunberry]

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Hearts have started the season really well, annoyingly, but we’re the only team that’s stopped them from scoring this season. No bad for a team that’s not aggressive enough and too predictable.

Rangers weren’t finding us very predictable the other week either.

[Alex Trager]

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Yesterday was clearly a bad result BUT 135 football minutes ago we were 1-0 up at Ibrox and top of the league. I honestly believe we really need to keep things in perspective.

This is what I cannot get my head around.

We were in total control at Ibrox and everybody thought we played pretty well.

Two weeks later and this has been coming, the team has no bottle, no get up and go.

Yesterday was awful, but deary me, the reaction has been wild.

That said, maybe I am missing things everyone seems to be seeing.

[hibbydog]

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You are acting like we are consistently losing to those sides. That is not true.

Since the beginging of last season we have 26 wins against the so called ''lesser sides'' (Motherwell, DU, Livi, St mirren, RC, Kilmarnock, Hamilton, St Johnstone, Dundee) in all comps. Those 9 sides combined have 7 wins over us. That is really not bad at all. St Johnstone are 4 of those. St Johnstone are the only side on that list who have beaten us on their home ground since December 2019. Nearly 2 years.

Yesterday was a really awful result. Totally outplayed from the first minute. It is not the norm.

Those are interesting stats. Thanks for posting.

[Turkish Green]

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This is what I cannot get my head around.

We were in total control at Ibrox and everybody thought we played pretty well.

Two weeks later and this has been coming, the team has no bottle, no get up and go.

Yesterday was awful, but deary me, the reaction has been wild.

That said, maybe I am missing things everyone seems to be seeing.

Just my observation but Hibs started the league best but have started to slide as Huns, Yams, Well & Celts have sorted out their team selections. I had thought that StJ would come out of the traps running but their form has spluttered. Th big surprise is Dundee Utd. who have ghosted up the league.

I worry for Hibs as the bench is weak as was shown yesterday with only 1 sub used. As we go into the winter period, Boyle and Nisbet staying 100% fit is a must as the bench is pretty poor.

[Turkish Green]

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Hearts have started the season really well, annoyingly, but we’re the only team that’s stopped them from scoring this season. No bad for a team that’s not aggressive enough and too predictable.

The only point I will add to this is that the next game is at ER but that the Yams have now a settled formation with their new signings showing prominence. I believe this will be a scoring game but likely a draw 1-1. Hibs are showing they cannot hold on to a lead which is a worry.

[Hibiza]

Time to give our young strikers a run . Can't be any worse.

[MWHIBBIES]

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Time to give our young strikers a run . Can't be any worse.

They definitely can be. Nisbet scored against Rangers last week. He won't be getting dropped for 16 year olds