One or the other

[Unseen work]

One thing that is becoming apparent to me is that the current Hibs team is struggling finding a balance in how to defend and attack well in a game.

At the start of the season Ross was clear he wanted us to be a lot more solid defensively and it was very apparent to everyone how much we had improved. I was watching games thinking we weren’t going to concede and the opposition were hardly creating anything of note. As a result though we were more of a counter attacking team and gave up possession to play a more direct game.

Fans started to moan about the style of play etc and then we seemed to move to more possession based and whilst the football improved quite a bit we then seemed a lot slacker defensively and started giving up silly goals.

Are the players taking things to literal from Ross and just focusing purely on what he says that game and not taking enough responsibility to put it all together? Just because Ross emphasises one bit of the game doesn’t mean you negate the other.

I think with Newell and Irvine in the middle of the park together we will improve considerably as I think Irvine is the leader we need.

[hibbysam]

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One thing that is becoming apparent to me is that the current Hibs team is struggling finding a balance in how to defend and attack well in a game.

At the start of the season Ross was clear he wanted us to be a lot more solid defensively and it was very apparent to everyone how much we had improved. I was watching games thinking we weren’t going to concede and the opposition were hardly creating anything of note. As a result though we were more of a counter attacking team and gave up possession to play a more direct game.

Fans started to moan about the style of play etc and then we seemed to move to more possession based and whilst the football improved quite a bit we then seemed a lot slacker defensively and started giving up silly goals.

Are the players taking things to literal from Ross and just focusing purely on what he says that game and not taking enough responsibility to put it all together? Just because Ross emphasises one bit of the game doesn’t mean you negate the other.

I think with Newell and Irvine in the middle of the park together we will improve considerably as I think Irvine is the leader we need.

Agree with this, said as much in a thread last night and said so earlier in the season as to why we were playing the way we were. We effectively played 4-4-2, with the back 4 sitting, midfield 2 sitting, winning the ball and giving it to our attacking players to do something. We were solid, uninspiring but winning most weeks. We haven’t got the balance anywhere near right to do both and it was clear first half yesterday, we were wide open when losing the ball in the final third, same against Livi and County.

[Unseen work]

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Agree with this, said as much in a thread last night and said so earlier in the season as to why we were playing the way we were. We effectively played 4-4-2, with the back 4 sitting, midfield 2 sitting, winning the ball and giving it to our attacking players to do something. We were solid, uninspiring but winning most weeks. We haven’t got the balance anywhere near right to do both and it was clear first half yesterday, we were wide open when losing the ball in the final third, same against Livi and County.

Yep, I often watch us and think it would be very easy to counter us.

McGinn, Porteous and Hanlon have huge gaps between them on the ball and they all try and play a fizzed pass along the ground to Nisbet or Boyle’s feet.

None of them are amazing passers (not bad for a certain half) but for such a risky pass all it takes is the opposition to read it and put a first time ball in behind to a sharp and pacey striker.

The pass to the strikers aswell is that fizzed in even when it gets there it’s a hard one to take under control.