Ajax v Hibernian

[JimBHibees]

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I don’t get the idea that Smith loses the gloves based on these highlights? Those goals were unsavable.

Yes their finishing was top notch to be honest

[CentreLine]

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Hibs Development Team beat Berwick Rangers 3-2 for those that just want friendlies where we win


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Enjoyable game. The young lads looked so much better organised and coached than the older Berwick side. Liked the set up there with an excellent pitch backed up by by a very engaged social club.
It was good to see Darren McGregor on the sidelines and on the end.

[Hibernian Verse]

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I just don’t think Gray will drop Smith based on his performances in being one of the top keepers in the league last season and he’ll know that Smith played a big part in the turnaround in the teams fortunes . IMO he will go with him at the start and the jerseys will be his until his form deeps or he starts making mistakes , didn’t think he done much wrong today a part from a few poor kick outs , certainly blameless with the goals today I felt .

It’s not about today or last season.

If Sallinger is the better goalkeeper then he will start in Denmark, if Smith is then he will.

SDG won’t make any emotional decisions, he will put the team out that he feels is best equipped to win the game. That’s what he’s paid to do.

[B.H.F.C]

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Nonsense. No reason he won't keep them. He's been terrific for us. Close to being our player of the season last term.

There is a new goalie in the building and, with him, several hundred thousand reasons why he might get the gloves.

I didn’t actually think Smith could have kept any of the goals out today. Maybe, and it’s a maybe, he was a bit slow for the third. He was obviously poor with his distribution for the fifth.

I thought as soon as Sallinger signed we were signing a number one. What I saw from him today made me think that’ll be the case.

[Pretty Boy]

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There is a new goalie in the building and, with him, several hundred thousand reasons why he might get the gloves.

I didn’t actually think Smith could have kept any of the goals out today. Maybe, and it’s a maybe, he was a bit slow for the third. He was obviously poor with his distribution for the fifth.

I thought as soon as Sallinger signed we were signing a number one. What I saw from him today made me think that’ll be the case.

I actually fear a bit for Sallinger.

There are a few people who will have the knives out for him if he gets the nod. The same happened to Bursik last season. He proved to be pretty guff but there were people gunning for him from before the first ball was kicked in the league. His 'mistake' such as it was v St Mirren was barely worthy of mention but it was scrutinized from every conceivable angle. Smith made at least a couple of worse errors and it was 'every keeper makes mistakes, no big deal'.

I like Smith but I'm beyond having an infatuation with a favourite player. If we have signed better and he finds himself benched them so be it. That's how football works.

[B.H.F.C]

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I actually fear a bit for Sallinger.

There are a few people who will have the knives out for him if he gets the nod. The same happened to Bursik last season. He proved to be pretty guff but there were people gunning for him from before the first ball was kicked in the league. His 'mistake' such as it was v St Mirren was barely worthy of mention but it was scrutinized from every conceivable angle. Smith made at least a couple of worse errors and it was 'every keeper makes mistakes, no big deal'.

I like Smith but I'm beyond having an infatuation with a favourite player. If we have signed better and he finds himself benched them so be it. That's how football works.

Agree with this. Easiest thing for Gray would be would be to just leave it as is. Sallinger makes a mistake early doors, there’ll be people on the case that Smith should never have been dropped. Smith did a good job for us last year but I think it shows a pretty ruthless streak if he does end up replaced (which I think he will). It’s not something we would have considered in years gone by. Smith would have been given the number one jersey and we’d have brought in a cheap backup.

[Smartie]

I think Gray’s handling the situation brilliantly.

The right thing to do at the end of last season, when Bursik went back? To buy the best possible goalkeeper within our budget to slog it out with Smith for the gloves.

Both are (correctly) getting good game time in the friendlies, both are getting a chance to impress. Whoever impresses the most in training and in friendlies gets the gloves at the start of the season. If they play well enough, they keep them. If they don’t, the other guy comes in.

Gray would be daft to have decided by now. He’ll be watching, analysing and thinking.

Either player could yet make a positive or negative contribution to influence the decision.

Mistakes Gray could have made? He could have made promises to Smith, he could have signed a cheap back up, he could have ditched Smith. Fortunately he doesn’t appear to have done any of things, no less than we’d expect.

[Donegal Hibby]

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It’s not about today or last season.

If Sallinger is the better goalkeeper then he will start in Denmark, if Smith is then he will.

SDG won’t make any emotional decisions, he will put the team out that he feels is best equipped to win the game. That’s what he’s paid to do.

I have to respectfully disagree with you there HV in there is one or two that have made it about today . There’s also some jumping on the ‘ because we paid a fee for Salinger that he’s naturally going to be better than Smith and he’ll be our new No .1 without having seen him play much at all I suspect .

For what it’s worth I thought the new keeper done well in the 2nd half even though we weren’t under the same pressure , looked good . If the new guy takes over the No 1 jersey , fair enough but I don’t think Gray will drop Smith based on how he has performed consistently over a long period of time last season for him and definitely not after a pre-season game against a quality side in which the the goals he lost weren’t his fault .

[HoboHarry]

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I think Gray’s handling the situation brilliantly.

The right thing to do at the end of last season, when Bursik went back? To buy the best possible goalkeeper within our budget to slog it out with Smith for the gloves.

Both are (correctly) getting good game time in the friendlies, both are getting a chance to impress. Whoever impresses the most in training and in friendlies gets the gloves at the start of the season. If they play well enough, they keep them. If they don’t, the other guy comes in.

Gray would be daft to have decided by now. He’ll be watching, analysing and thinking.

Either player could yet make a positive or negative contribution to influence the decision.

Mistakes Gray could have made? He could have made promises to Smith, he could have signed a cheap back up, he could have ditched Smith. Fortunately he doesn’t appear to have done any of things, no less than we’d expect.

Excellent post, well said Smartie.

[Unseen work]

Don’t think Smith was anywhere near as bad as some were making out today

Couple of dodgy kicks as he’s trying to clip them about 1 inch above the opposition head

Agree about Manneh, thought he was a bit quiet. However he wasn’t the only one and it was against very difficult opposition so harsh to single him out

[blackpoolhibs]

The club will have scouted the new keeper for months, Gray wont be making a decision based on a couple of pre season games.

[B.H.F.C]

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Don’t think Smith was anywhere near as bad as some were making out today

Couple of dodgy kicks as he’s trying to clip them about 1 inch above the opposition head

Agree about Manneh, thought he was a bit quiet. However he wasn’t the only one and it was against very difficult opposition so harsh to single him out

I don’t think Manneh was dreadful or anything like that. He’s tidy enough on the ball but I think he just looks lacking in urgency and I feel like if he doesn’t step it up quickly the opportunity is going to pass him by. I actually get the feeling there is a player in there but from the brief opportunities he’s had he’s going to need to do more.

[bingo70]

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I don’t think Manneh was dreadful or anything like that. He’s tidy enough on the ball but I think he just looks lacking in urgency and I feel like if he doesn’t step it up quickly the opportunity is going to pass him by. I actually get the feeling there is a player in there but from the brief opportunities he’s had he’s going to need to do more.

I think in games like today when we can’t get hold of the ball, the safe option trying to keep hold of the ball is the right thing to do. I don’t think from what else we’ve seen of him suggests this is a problem.

[Hibernian Verse]

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I have to respectfully disagree with you there HV in there is one or two that have made it about today . There’s also some jumping on the ‘ because we paid a fee for Salinger that he’s naturally going to be better than Smith and he’ll be our new No .1 without having seen him play much at all I suspect .

For what it’s worth I thought the new keeper done well in the 2nd half even though we weren’t under the same pressure , looked good . If the new guy takes over the No 1 jersey , fair enough but I don’t think Gray will drop Smith based on how he has performed consistently over a long period of time last season for him and definitely not after a pre-season game against a quality side in which the the goals he lost weren’t his fault .

I wasn’t talking about posters on here I was talking about Gray who is ultimately the only one that can make the decision.

[B.H.F.C]

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I think in games like today when we can’t get hold of the ball, the safe option trying to keep hold of the ball is the right thing to do. I don’t think from what else we’ve seen of him suggests this is a problem.

Against Rangers, I felt the same first half. Thought he was just getting going a bit more when he went off.

It’s a pretty competitive area of the pitch when you consider we will sign again (whether it’s Triantis or a replacement), Levitt playing well, Mulligan in and Newell to come back. And then you’ve obviously got the likes of McGrath and Campbell as well (although I don’t think he’s in direct competition with them).

Think he was unfortunate with circumstances last season, the soft red card on his debut and form of others. As I say, just get the feeling he needs to start making an impact pretty soon or it’ll be hard for him to get in.

[Hibspur]

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I don’t get the idea that Smith loses the gloves based on these highlights? Those goals were unsavable.

Exactly. Some people just seem to have it in for him because of the route he took to become our No 1.

[NAE NOOKIE]

Apart from stadium. wealth, quality of player, better standard of league and European pedigree there's little to choose between the two clubs, so it's disappointing we couldn't have got closer to them, even if it was a friendly.

Seriously though, I suppose the manager and coaches got some value out of today, but I wouldn't be too happy to see it repeated going forward. If there was one lesson it's that we could well find ourselves way out of our depth if by some miracle we made the Europa league group stages if we were unlucky enough to get a bad group.

I doubt Midtjylland are near the level of Ajax, but today's run out has to be a warning that we have a hell of a lot of work to do if we are going to have a chance in that tie. IMO SDG has to play a team as close to the one he will play in the first leg against RWE on Wednesday night with only that and the Bolton friendly to play between now and then.

[B.H.F.C]

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Apart from stadium. wealth, quality of player, better standard of league and European pedigree there's little to choose between the two clubs, so it's disappointing we couldn't have got closer to them, even if it was a friendly.

Seriously though, I suppose the manager and coaches got some value out of today, but I wouldn't be too happy to see it repeated going forward. If there was one lesson it's that we could well find ourselves way out of our depth if by some miracle we made the Europa league group stages if we were unlucky enough to get a bad group.

I doubt Midtjylland are near the level of Ajax, but today's run out has to be a warning that we have a hell of a lot of work to do if we are going to have a chance in that tie. IMO SDG has to play a team as close to the one he will play in the first leg against RWE on Wednesday night with only that and the Bolton friendly to play between now and then.

We play Bournemouth between Essen and Bolton as well.

I think Essen will still be fairly mixed. Bournemouth is probably the one where he’ll look at shaping similar to the Midtjylland game I reckon. There will be more similarities in that as, even though it’s a friendly and we’ll be ahead of them in pre season, they’ll have most of the ball.

Biggest concern for me is if we don’t have Triantis or his replacement in the door by Midtjylland.

[NAE NOOKIE]

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We play Bournemouth between Essen and Bolton as well.

I think Essen will still be fairly mixed. Bournemouth is probably the one where he’ll look at shaping similar to the Midtjylland game I reckon. There will be more similarities in that as, even though it’s a friendly and we’ll be ahead of them in pre season, they’ll have most of the ball.

Biggest concern for me is if we don’t have Triantis or his replacement in the door by Midtjylland.

Yeh. Not sure about the Bournemouth game as I think that will be one where they will make a ton of subs which will break up any continuity.

Totally agree about Triantis .... I don't think he has any intention of coming back here, and if this thread is anything to go by it's a position we seriously need to fill pronto.

[B.H.F.C]

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Yeh. Not sure about the Bournemouth game as I think that will be one where they will make a ton of subs which will break up any continuity.

Totally agree about Triantis .... I don't think he has any intention of coming back here, and if this thread is anything to go by it's a position we seriously need to fill pronto.

It’s their first game so can imagine it’ll just be a different team for each half.

Based on what I saw today, if we don’t have anyone else in the door then Mulligan has to play in the middle of the park. To be fair, Hibs did describe him as a defensive midfielder when we signed him.

[Donegal Hibby]

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I wasn’t talking about posters on here I was talking about Gray who is ultimately the only one that can make the decision.

Absolutely , and if one keeper is better than the other he will most likely be starting , if one is underperforming the other will start . If both are on par and performing at a similar standard pre-season then I think Gray will stick with Smith for the start of the season because he was our No 1 last season , Sallinger has to win the jersey … Gray won’t simply give him the jersey because we paid a fee for him either 👍

[BILLYHIBS]

Ach it’s early days guys it’s only two bounce games and in the past we have thought McKirdy Jair and Kenneh have looked barry in these games

In two weeks time half them winnae be here

Let the goalies fight it oot between themselves goalkeepers code and all that ?

We have a big European game coming up and we need two strikers and a DM cannae hang about waiting on Triantis suiting himself we need to move on pronto

[Since452]

Just shows how well Vente did last season if that's the level he's playing at. No expert on Dutch football but Ajax didn't even win their league. Levels above.

[B.H.F.C]

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Just shows how well Vente did last season if that's the level he's playing at. No expert on Dutch football but Ajax didn't even win their league. Levels above.

He obviously did well but Ajax aren’t just your typical Dutch club in fairness.

[neil7908]

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The club will have scouted the new keeper for months, Gray wont be making a decision based on a couple of pre season games.

This. Gray should and will pick who he thinks is the best player for the position. What Smith or anyone else did last season is irrelevant. We have a massive tie coming up in Europe. We should play our best players for that.

[Donegal Hibby]

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This. Gray should and will pick who he thinks is the best player for the position. What Smith or anyone else did last season is irrelevant. We have a massive tie coming up in Europe. We should play our best players for that.

I will be happy with Gray picking whoever he thinks is best in that position because we have a good manager .. I’m also happy he didn’t think some of Triantis performances were irrelevant the season before he wanted him back either….

Nothing our players done last season should be viewed as irrelevant .. We smashed it and hertz .

[SlickShoes]

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Just shows how well Vente did last season if that's the level he's playing at. No expert on Dutch football but Ajax didn't even win their league. Levels above.

Vente wasn’t playing at a level close to Ajax.

Ajax were top for half the season and blew a 9 point lead, they are a champions league team, even their youth players are a level above our seasoned pros.

[Hibernian Verse]

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Absolutely , and if one keeper is better than the other he will most likely be starting , if one is underperforming the other will start . If both are on par and performing at a similar standard pre-season then I think Gray will stick with Smith for the start of the season because he was our No 1 last season , Sallinger has to win the jersey … Gray won’t simply give him the jersey because we paid a fee for him either ��

You’re contradicting yourself.

Will he start the better keeper or will he just go with Smith because he was our no.1 last season?

We only see friendly matches but Gray sees them every working day in training as well.

[Paulie Walnuts]

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You’re contradicting yourself.

Will he start the better keeper or will he just go with Smith because he was our no.1 last season?

We only see friendly matches but Gray sees them every working day in training as well.

I’m surprised there’s even a debate. Whoever is the best keeper will start the season. Likewise whoever is best out on the right will start the season, whoever is best through the middle will start the season. Players aren’t just getting to keep their spot in the team by virtue of being here last season.

Whether Sallinger is better than Smith or not will become apparent after a few games, it’s impossible for us to say just now based on what we get to see, Gray will see more than enough of him and Smith before the competitive games roll round though to make a decision.

[Viva_Palmeiras]

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It’s not about today or last season.

If Sallinger is the better goalkeeper then he will start in Denmark, if Smith is then he will.

SDG won’t make any emotional decisions, he will put the team out that he feels is best equipped to win the game. That’s what he’s paid to do.

did all the goals not come end up in the same side of the net - is there anything in that?