Shaun Maloney - Style of play

[bingo70]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

So, effectively, he can play this new style all he wants, if we don't get the results, what's the point. If results are great but the football is turgid, are we not just back at square one?

Footballs an entertainment business, not just a results one.

Chances are if you entertain, you’ll get results. If you only care about the results and not how you get there then it won’t take long for that to unravel and when it does the manager won’t have any credit in the bank.

TBH I’m a bit bored of the current narrative that Hibs supporters are wildly unrealistic in our expectations and only instant success will do. If people are seeing progress on the park, they see a team with passion they can relate to that are trying to play the right way we will be a lot more understanding and patient.

Look at the reaction to our second half on Sunday compared to the first. People are generally happy with how we competed in the second half and the effort the players put in and the team came off to a standing ovation. First half I’ve only seen people complaining about how it’s not what they want to see from a Hibs team. We drew the first half, lost the second.

It’s performances and effort that engages the support, not cold hard statistics or league tables IMO,

[judas]

It’s easy to forget that Belgium’s success is really down to the individual excellence of its players. Belgium has been blessed with a golden generation.

Some would argue that a failure of management is to blame for their lack of trophies. And that makes one think somewhat about the actual potency of management and of Maloney himself.

That said, the fundamental barriers to applying this positional system successfully will be coaching new habits into old dogs and getting the moron element in our support to be patient with it.

Younger fans and players may be the ticket here.

[neil7908]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Surely it’s all relative? We’ll never have those players but we’ll also not be playing against those calibre of players. He obviously feels he can level up the players we have through coaching along with additions to the squad over time. Some players will buy into him in this squad, some won’t, like any other manager he’d have appointed. There are no guarantees but glad we are trying this at least.

Fair point. As I said in my initial post, I like what I'm hearing from him but I know this style isn't easy to implement. If it was, every team in Scotland would be playing like this. Players need intelligence, discipline, skill and a lot of fitness.

Exciting times ahead though.

[timewilltell]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

How about not posting nonsense? I'm not upset at all. There is nothing for me to deal with.

''give the guy a chance'', are you joking? ****ing obviously I will give the guy a chance. Like all Hibs managers he'll get my full backing. I go every week and defend managers and players on here more than most.

Yeah, he is all those things. He will still be hounded out if results don't go well. Like all managers at all clubs.

Have a good day 😏

[PPZPOL]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Fair point. As I said in my initial post, I like what I'm hearing from him but I know this style isn't easy to implement. If it was, every team in Scotland would be playing like this. Players need intelligence, discipline, skill and a lot of fitness.

Exciting times ahead though.

Absolutely agree about the implementation being difficult and I’m looking forward to it as well👍🏻

I just wonder what the alternative is? Don’t try this as some players we have don’t have what it takes to be coached? We’ve got to believe that a football manager and his coaching staff can make a different at our level of the game. Otherwise, what is the point?

I think we are in agreement on this. Let’s hope we start moving in the right direction soon.

“Difficult things aren’t easy, but they’re worth it”

[neil7908]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Absolutely agree about the implementation being difficult and I’m looking forward to it as well👍🏻

I just wonder what the alternative is? Don’t try this as some players we have don’t have what it takes to be coached? We’ve got to believe that a football manager and his coaching staff can make a different at our level of the game. Otherwise, what is the point?

I think we are in agreement on this. Let’s hope we start moving in the right direction soon.

“Difficult things aren’t easy, but they’re worth it”

I'm with you 100% and you've said it better than me.

[J-C]

I've been wanting this type of coach for years, unfortunately we only have a handful of players capable of playing it, get the right players and exciting times.

[Unseen work]

I see slot of people are talking about fitness for the new system but imo the players are fit enough and it’s not something you need to improve for this style of play.

What Biesla does at Leeds is different to any other team and for that you need a ridiculously high amount of energy.

What Maloney will do should, in theory, make it easier for the players. It’s means that each player knows which run/area to go to, this is already something they all do but now it will be in a more structured way and with a meaning behind it.

It should, again in theory, make it alot easier for the man in possession as he will know where everyone should be before he even receives the ball so he can quickly scan before picking the best pass.

I think our fitness is fine.

[Sioux]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Essentially it breaks the football pitch down into zones. There should never be more than three teammates on any horizontal plane, and never more than two on any vertical plane - this means that when the ball is in a certain zone players know where to move so that the person on the ball had more options.

Imagine what could have happened if JR had implemented zoning in training every day:

[hibeerealist]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Imagine what could have happened if JR had implemented zoning in training every day:

Aye the the ball would go across the pitch sideways then back to Porteous/Hanlon then to the keeper hhoooooooooofffffff

J Ross is gone

[PPZPOL]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Imagine what could have happened if JR had implemented zoning in training every day:

If that was the case, it suggests it was the right decision to relieve him of his duties as he obviously wasn’t able to get this system of play across to the players. Time for Shaun Maloney to have a go by using different styles/techniques to make it stick.

Also, really good news that they already have an idea about this way of playing and won’t be completely new to them so not starting from scratch.

[MWHIBBIES]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

If that was the case, it suggests it was the right decision to relieve him of his duties as he obviously wasn’t able to get this system of play across to the players. Time for Shaun Maloney to have a go by using different styles/techniques to make it stick.

Also, really good news that they already have an idea about this way of playing and won’t be completely new to them so not starting from scratch.

He got it across well for a vast majority of his time here tbf.

Time for the new man to get his shot though.

[Largshibby]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

One thing that has been mentioned a lot is Maloney’s style of play and attacking philosophy and how it will differ from Ross.

I find it very interesting that he says when he was a player he was always interested in how the top teams play and knew there must be a certain way which is then what he learned under Martinez with “positional play” which opened his eyes.

Positional play is passed down from Cruyff etc which interestingly enough is where he done part of his coaching qualifications, I think it’s fair to say he will try and implement this at Hibs. Pep is the current one that uses this all the time but many too coaches use this.

For those that haven’t heard of it I strongly recommend reading up about it/watching videos as if he can get us doing it it has the potential to be brilliant. It will also help understand what we’re doing differently and why, it will hopefully make some be patient as they’ll understand what he is doing and how difficult it is.

Essentially it breaks the football pitch down into zones. There should never be more than three teammates on any horizontal plane, and never more than two on any vertical plane - this means that when the ball is in a certain zone players know where to move so that the person on the ball had more options. It should be instinctive for them, for example if Porteous has the ball everyone in our team will know where to be, as soon as he passes it to McGinn there’s a change with players moving into different zones. This might see some players popping up in positions you wouldn’t expect.

It enables the team to either overload the opposition or isolate players for 1 v 1 scenarios. One thing we’ll probably see a lot more of us decoy runs, players coming short and being missed out, only for them to spin and get it off of the person the ball was initially passed to.

That type of football is more for when we have the ball but it normally comes with the defensive side being a high line and winning possession back sharply by pressing the opposition quick and giving them little space.

For me it’s this type of football that we, and Scotland in general, are missing. Rarely do coaches in this county have much more of a game plan than playing at a high tempo, getting it wide or sitting back.

Ange uses this to a certain degree and is a big reason why they have so much possession of the ball and dominate. One of the full backs going into the centre of the park allows the rest of the team to go higher up the field and retain the ball in more dangers areas.

One thing under Ross when we had the ball I got frustrated at how it always seemed to need to go from front to back at 100mph. We would rarely play possession in meaningful areas and work the opposition defensively, we were nice at it along the back 4 but it done nothing.

If Maloney can pull this off it will mean we get our attacking players on the ball a lot more regularly and in better positions. We will attack with pace but I imagine we’ll pin teams back a lot more.

Do people think this is feasible in Scotland? Will our current players have the football IQ for this? There obviously a difference in what he’s coached with at Belgium compared to here.

What’s everyone’s thoughts?

Don't expect to know what Hibs are up to unless you have a sports science degree!

[Hibs90]

I was reading a bit last night about how Belgium play under Martinez. Not suggesting we will be the same as obviously don't have the calibre of player they do but if it's a similar system it'll be interesting to watch.

[PPZPOL]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

He got it across well for a vast majority of his time here tbf.

Time for the new man to get his shot though.

Can’t disagree with that, liked him and thought he was a good appointment for us. The “should he have stayed or should he have gone” is done.

New start here we come!

[jacomo]

I worry that the state of the pitches in Scotland mitigates against this style of play. It doesn’t matter if you are tactically astute and in the right position if the ball simply won’t move across the surface as you hope.

Still, the emphasis possession and variety is exciting.

[Northernhibee]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

I worry that the state of the pitches in Scotland mitigates against this style of play. It doesn’t matter if you are tactically astute and in the right position if the ball simply won’t move across the surface as you hope.

Still, the emphasis possession and variety is exciting.

The positive thing is that Maloney has a fair bit of experience of the Scottish leagues and will know these things. I don't think Heckingbottom ever got the Scottish leagues and he's showing at Sheffield United that he can be a shrewd coach, but I think that experience of up here is vital.

[Hibernian Verse]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

I worry that the state of the pitches in Scotland mitigates against this style of play. It doesn’t matter if you are tactically astute and in the right position if the ball simply won’t move across the surface as you hope.

Still, the emphasis possession and variety is exciting.

Might be a good time for Killie & Hamilton to get promoted...

[Brightside]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Imagine what could have happened if JR had implemented zoning in training every day:

What if he did.

[worcesterhibby]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

I worry that the state of the pitches in Scotland mitigates against this style of play. It doesn’t matter if you are tactically astute and in the right position if the ball simply won’t move across the surface as you hope.

Still, the emphasis possession and variety is exciting.

Celtic seemed to have managed to play a passing game for most of the last 40 years without too many issue..other than when Lennon was in charge and it was just about charging about and being a winner (yes that bit is a wind-up..don't bite)

[worcesterhibby]

I find it deeply depressing that this thread keeps dropping down the board and has very few positive posts. We have just signed a Manager with a football philosophy that is very, very different and more progressive than managers in the past..fans have been howling about boring football and wanting to play with more flair and style for months..yet when we sign a guy who looks like he might do that, virtually no one wants to talk about it....however if you fancy slagging off Matt macey there are 5 pages of posts about it on a thread that's meant to be about transfers.

Do we not actually want to talk about football on here...is it just a place to come and vent your spleen about whichever player you've decided to hate this week or argue the toss about covid ?

Well done to the OP for starting it at least.

[Tommy75]

His style will get branded as 'boring' and he will get hounded out after 18months/his first bad run.

[A Hi-Bee]

I back Maloney, this could be a real good appointment that Hibs have made, it will take a wee bit of time to get in the players that he needs and to get them playing a real good brand of football, but I now see this as a very positive move. I also think we have a hell of a lot of non-Hibs minded people on this forum.
Good things take time, also a bit of cash as well but I back Maloney.

[Tambo]

https://www.hibernianfc.co.uk/articl...aining-session

Some pictures from the first training session.

[Since452]

He will instantly command respect in the dressing room from coaching the Belgian superstars and from his playing career. From what I'm hearing from people who have worked with him I'm becoming more and more optimistic about this appointment.

[IncredibleHibee]

He has shades of Catho about him when he was speaking to hibs tv. …

[sauzeelegod]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

He has shades of Catho about him when he was speaking to hibs tv. …

🙈

[JimBHibees]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

His style will get branded as 'boring' and he will get hounded out after 18months/his first bad run.

Any chance of next weekends lottery tickets?

[JimBHibees]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

He has shades of Catho about him when he was speaking to hibs tv. …

Nothing like him

[wookie70]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Can’t wait for the cries of ‘get it up the ****ing park’. It’s not the players’ IQ’s I worry about.

I just can't see how the Maloney's stated style of play will work and that is one of the reasons. The next would be that refs allow so much contact in Scotland that it is easy to lose possession from a foul that isn't given. Lastly, I think he will lose so many games trying to get the system to work that he would be forced to abandon it or face the consequences. I also find the system pretty dull if I'm honest.

I hope Maloney sticks to his promise of attacking football with points but also realises where he is playing and what the players are capable of and how quickly they will adapt to change. I like that he has a philosophy but I hope he is a realist and realises it could be a long journey, perhaps fuelled by the academy, to get to where he wants to be. We also need to realise if he gets half way there he won't be at Hibs and we need to get back to the LD plan of having whatever style of play is chosen and get it woven through every level of the club and identify future managers that can fit in to that style or an adaptation of it. For me a plan isn't a single manager but it can start with one.