Bzzt

Final Game - No Pressure

Hibernians final game of what has been a roller coaster season comes to an end at the Caledonian Stadium.

I think one statistic that puts our season into perspective is that if Hibs win today they will have won more games in Inverness than they have in Edinburgh this season.

That stat and that stat alone shows why Hibs have had such a poor season. Home wins were very few and very far between.

Another fact is that Hibernian did not manage one weekend home win all season.

The two home games we did manage to win though proved vital to our SPL survival. The second was of course our must win game on Monday night against Dunfermline.  The game was built up as a must win for Hibs and in the first 15 minutes the team responded like winners.  Before Fat Jim could finish his pre-match pie, Hibs were flying and 3 goals clear. The goals settled down the team and a bumper crowd at Easter Road really got behind the team and what could have been a nervy 90 minutes turned in a very comfortable victory.  With nothing much happening on the pitch, much of the Hibernian fans singing was aimed towards the away dug out with Jeffries on the receiving end of the abuse.

The 3 points gained not only ensured SPL safety for Hibs but also condemned Dunfermline to the 1st Division. This now means, 7 days before the Scottish Cup Final, manager Pat Fenlon can put out a team and play a game with no pressure.  Key personnel can be rested and fringe players given a chance.

The performance and result does not matter today.  The most important thing is that come Monday before the team fly to Dublin we have a fully fit squad.

A final fact is that for all the season has been poor, it could still be the best season for many many years, arguably EVER. 1 game can change that and we are only a week away from it.

Biggest Win of the Season

Wednesdays game in Aberdeen was what I consider to be the most important win of this whole entire season.  Never has 3 points meant so much.

The team travelled to Pitroddie in desperate need of a win.  With only 3 games to go and only 3 points ahead of Dunfermline a win was vital.

Before the game there was mixed team news with McPake dropping out with a groin injury but O’Connor coming in to the team.  Sean O’Hanlon came in and played superbly even getting himself an important goal.

The team though as a whole stepped up and really showed the metal that Fenlon has instilled into them that when it matters it can be used.  We just got that bit of luck and took chances to win the game, that was the only difference in this match to the previous ones we had lost.

With Dunfermline drawing 0-0 it now means the gap has grown to 5 points with 2 games to play.  1 point from any of our last 2 fixtures will be enough but a win on Monday would relegate Dunfermline as well as embarrass Jim Jeffries. Double whammy if there ever was one.

Sorting out our SPL future on Monday would mean the game in Inverness is pointless and our key players can be rested. Thats the ideal situation so hopefully Fenlon gets his first win at Easter Road while relegating Dunfermline.

Chances Missed

You would have thought with a Scottish Cup Final coming up Easter Road would be buzzing with excitement.  Actually you would be very wrong.

For all that cup has been a welcome distraction from a poor season, we are still having that poor season and now find ourselves only 3 points above Dunfermline.

Results at the weekend did not go our way at all and now we find ourselves travelling up to Aberdeen tonight in desperate need of 3 points as we just don’t know what Dunfermline are capable of doing.

A loss for Hibs and a win for Dunfermline would, to put it mildly, be a disaster.

The thought of playing in the First Division with the number of fans and facilities Hibs has does not bear thinking about.

The performances the team have not been putting in have not been bad at all. The team has played some nice stuff but in our last few games partly bad luck and also missed chances have conspired against us.  For example against St Mirren at the weekend, if Doyle buries his chance from 6 yards out we go onto win that game. But we don’t.

That is where the quality from the likes of Griffths and O’Connor shows. They don’t need 2 chances, they need one and they stick it away. And that is why these 2 players will be massive in our next few games.

So forget about Hampden and forget about the cup final the most important thing for Hibernian this season is to remain in the SPL and any fan who thinks the cup is bigger is deluded. 

Hopefully tonight we can take our chances and get points on the board before our ‘unofficial’ cup final at Easter Road on Monday against Dunfermline.

Lets step up to the plate Hibs.

Scottish Cup Final 2012 In Numbers

Here is a quick look at the Scottish Cup Final in numbers.

1 - The number of teams that will leave Hampden as winners after the final

2 - The number of goals Hearts beat Hibs by the last time the two teams met

3 - The number of wins Hearts have had over Hibs this season

4 - The number of goals Hearts scored against Hibs the last time they met at Hampden

5 - The minimum number of games required for an SPL team to win the cup in 1 season

6 - The number of years since Hearts last won the Scottish Cup

7 - The record winning margin in a derby, Hibs beat Hearts 7-0

8 - The number of goals Hibs have scored so far in this years cup to reach the final

9 - The number of Scottish Cup Finals Hibernian have played in without winning

10 - The number of derbies Hibs have gone without a win

11 - The number of players on each team who could make history

12 - Hibs longest unbeaten steak against Hearts

13 - The number of Yellow Cards Ian Black has been shown in all competitions 

14 - The number of goals Skacel has scored this season (Club Top Scorer)

15 - The number of goals Garry O’Connor has scored this season (Club Top Scorer)

19 - The date in May which the Scottish Cup Final will be contested

21 - The number of players who have left Hibs since the summer

57 - The number of shots Leigh Griffths has had this season

63 - The number of Yellow Cards Hearts have been shown this season

110 - The number of years since Hibernian last won the Scottish Cup

20,000 - The number of tickets Hibernian and Hearts fans will receive each for Hampden Park

1 million+ - The number of people in 50 years time who were actually there that day

Who Would be A Referee…

Not many people leaving Easter Road on Sunday after the 1-0 defeat to Kilmarnock would have given the referee a thumbs up.

Its hard, especially in Scotland, to talk about referees without being accused of being all Celtic or paranoid about it.  The reasons we have lost these games may not have been directly because of the referee but there is one current ‘UEFA Elite Referee’ who loves nothing more than making the game more about him than the football. His name is Craig Thomson and his most recent performance was verging on cheating more than incompetence.  

Not since the ‘Freeland-gate’ incident of 2006 has there been a worse performance at Easter Road from a referee.  The odd error or whatever is totally fine and understandable but things such as no consistency and allowing one team away with something but booking the opposition player when they do the same thing is really hard to understand.

In the last 6 games for Hibs when Thomson has been the referee we have not won any of them and scored none.  He booked Griffths for diving when he was clearly fouled, awarded Aberdeen a penalty when it wasn’t, booked several Hibs players for nothing while allowing opposition players away with it and not given what could have been 4 penalties.

How this man is considered fit enough to go to Euro 2012 I really don’t understand.  Even the European games this season that he has been involved in he has made errors, massive ones.  While in charge of an FC Twente - Schalke 04 game, the Twente attacker runs into the box and falls over his own feet.  Referee Thomson heads straight over, penalty and red card for the defender.  Cue the players going mental and the fans going crazy.  Big Thommo strikes again.

Im not saying being a referee is easy as Im sure it is very difficult.  But fairness of decisions, an understanding from the stands of why that decision was made and obvious  fouls etc called surely are the fundamentals for a referee.

Worryingly it looks like the big man will be taking charge of the Scottish Cup Final at Hampden on the 19th of May.  Its already going to be a difficult task but add to the fact this clown is going to be in charge makes things even worse for Hibs!

I dont believe a game without a referee would work but you have to wonder, would the players self-refereeing really be any worse….

What A Difference a Week Makes

In the last 7 days Hibernian have moved 7 clear of Dunfermline and all but secured our SPL status.

A win in Inverness and a point at home to Motherwell have been massive. The team has pulled together when it mattered and all but guaranteed what league we will be in next season.

The win last week in Inverness was vital. Jumbo Jim has come in at Dunfermline and made zero difference but prior to that game they were only 1 win away from catching us.  The first half at the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium was brutal to say the least. As with previous games the performance in one of the halves was much worse in comparison to the other.  This time we started slow but really upped our game in the second.  Hibernian went 1 goal down early on but powered back to a 2-1.  A fluke from Hayes with 7 minutes left was devastating as we thought we would have to settle for a daw. 90 seconds after conceding though, none other than Griffths pops up with a fantastic left foot shot to give Hibs all 3 points.

6 points was good but a draw yesterday has now meant its 7 which effectively means Dunfermline need to get 3 wins more than us as our goal difference is much better.

The game against Motherwell was easily the best performance we have had all season.  The work rate from everyone, especially O’Connor, showed the team can do it.  Sproule had the best game he has had since returning to Hibs but it would be hard to pick someone who didn’t.  The picture above shows the goal O’Connor scored.  A free kick won by Sproule and a fantastic finish from Gaz top corner gave Hibs the lead before a late equaliser denied us the win.

Fenlon is still undefeated against bottom 6 clubs since December so that bodes well for the remaining fixtures.

A break from the relegation this weekend though as the Hibs are off to Hampden.

Derby Day Reflection: 18th March 2012

Result: Heart of Midlothian 2 - 0 Hibernian

Well Derby Day in the capital came and went. The players in the starting team for Hibs may have been different but the end result was the same. A Hearts win.

Going into the game there was nothing to separate the teams. Hearts are on a terrible run and Hibs are fighting relegation at the foot of the table. In fact, in this calendar year it could be argued that Hibs have been the better team. Except when it comes to the Derby.

I don’t know why but every time a derby comes around it doesn’t matter what happens off the pitch, previous derby performances or recent from, Hearts always turn up and Hibs never help themselves.  That is the most infuriating aspect of all. Being beat is fair enough but not turning up for the first half is not acceptable. In fact the first 45 was very ‘un-Fenlon’ and much more ‘Calderwood-esq.’

Hearts settled first in the game and knocked the ball around Hibs with ease. There was no composure from any of the Hibs players and it almost at times looked like we had forgotten how to pass to other green jerseys. There was a fear and lack of confidence from the Hibs players which was in stark contrast to the players in maroon.

At half time, Hibs went in 1 nil down. It was far and away the worst 45 we had played in weeks and terrible that we chose the Edinburgh Derby to do it in. The second half though was such a turn around. Hibs came out firing and really caught Hearts out. The biggots in the Hearts end had nothing to sing about and Hibs pressed and worked harder. Having not mustered a shot on goal in the first 45 there was more chances in the second. The best of them falling to O’Donovan who with a flick header couldn’t sneak it past McDonald in goal.

For all our valiant efforts in the second half we just couldn’t score. Too many players just didn’t perform. Although the second half was an improvement it still wasn’t good enough. Players like Stevenson, who have been Hibs best player this season, didn’t perform and I don’t know why. The midfield was over run and the strikers got no service, not a great combination.

How can we stop the rot? Well they say confidence breads confidence. Hearts are now 10 undefeated in derby games. Hibs have had 3 managers since we last won and it looks like its going to be a challenge to stop this pattern. The team we have now is temporary and is good enough to avoid relegation but come the summer we need to sign big characters and players that know what these games are all about. The fans are always up for it so why are the players not?

One thing is clear though. Hearts go into this game believing they can win. Hibs go in hoping and there is a massive difference. This needs to change as Hearts are not so much better than us that we should fear them in any way. 

If Hearts are still around come the next derby I hope things will be different. Attitude was what won us the game against Ayr and we need to show more of it against them.

The longer the run without a win though, the sweeter it will be when it comes around.

A Cruel Result

If you had said to me that we would score 3 goals at Motherwell I would have been so chuffed as not many teams this season have scored never mind got 3.

If you had then said we could concede 4 goals I would not have been surprised. 

The quantity of goals we are conceding is unbelievable but the standard is even worse. The vast majority are self-inflicting which makes these defeats even harder to take. If you are outplayed by a better team fair enough but if you continually shoot yourself in the foot it makes every game so much harder than it should be.

The attitude from the players early was on great and Griffths was top drawer. He had a superb game and Hibs rightly went in 1-0 up at half time. Chants of “1 nil and the lights are on” rang around the ground as the players emerged for the second half. 

I don’t know what Fenlon said at half time but it didn’t have any time to make an impact. Within 90 seconds, Hibs conceded a penalty and the game was 1-1. Again, a stupid mistake cost us a goal. 

In what was to be an exciting second half with a total of 6 goals, Motherwell scored again before Hibs pulled it back to 2-2. The spirit from the players was definitely there as at no point did heads drop or players not want to the ball, we just leaked goals for fun.

After about 70 minutes, the substitution board went up and Sparkys number was displayed to come off, loud boos from the away end showed unhappiness at our best player being brought off. At a time when fans are unhappy, this didn’t help matters.

After Motherwell scored a penalty to make it 4-2, Hibs anonymous man for 90 minutes, Ivan Sproule popped up with a goal somehow to bring us back within 1. Despite a late onslaught from Hibs we couldn’t get that magic 4th goal.

The players are trying to do the right thing. Going forward and at set pieces we look so much more organised. We just have players making individual mistakes and if we could cut them out we would easily pick up points.

We are not a bad team, just a team playing badly.

With a bit of luck and no mistakes, 3 points this weekend against Kilmarnock is a must.

Back to Fir Park….

Tomorrow night Hibernian travel to Motherwell for the second time this season to replay the postponed fixture from December. The original game was cancelled at half time due to a floodlight fire so lets hope everything is working correctly this time.

The game that night was Fenlons first in charge and was actually one of our best performances of the season. The players looked fired up and we took the lead so was a shame the game was cancelled.

This time round though, Motherwell are the form team who are chasing Rangers for second in the league. The last time we played them, Motherwell were winning away from home but not picking up many points at home. Unfortunately they have rectified that and are fresh off the back of a 4-0 victory against Hearts at Fir Park. This game won’t be easy for sure but as long as the Celtic game doesn’t have any effect on the players confidence we should be looking for a result.

I assume O’Connor and Griffths will start up front but other than that the rest of the team shouldn’t change to much from the weekend. Soares may have recovered from his hamstring injury but Fenlon has plenty options in midfield.

Its going to be a very difficult game with Youtube sensation Henrik Ojamaa on form and Jamie Murphy getting amongst the goals. The defence needs to be tight and if we can do that going forward we will create plenty opportunities.

Prediction: 2-1 Hibernian

Onwards and Upwards

The game on Sunday was definitely one to forget.

Days in Edinburgh when Celtic are in town are always horrible but to see your team get beat by that margin was not fun at all. In fact towards the end it was unbearable.

Let me start by saying 4 out of the 5 goals could easily have been prevented. Obviously looking at it from a Hibs point of view but I think it could be argued the players could have done something better to prevent each goal. 

Saying that, Celtic are far and away the best team in Scotland right now and I don’t see how anybody can catch them. They are quick, big and in key positions very skilful. Also with nearest rivals Rangers on their knees, it could be a while before they are caught.

The ‘atmosphere’ before the game with the plastic paddies in town was obviously filled with much glee about their ugly sister Rangers. Took just over 3 minutes though before a belting rendition of ‘Oh A Up the Ra’ was sung. (don’t get me started on Old Firm singing) This carried on for the whole afternoon with IRA songs being interspersed around songs about jelly and ice cream.

Looking back at the game now with a more measured view its hard to find any real positives other than we won’t face a team like that this season again. Sparky and Doyle worked hard and Claros is coming onto a game more and more now. Osbourne had a nightmare yesterday but has been an outstanding player recently so can’t be to hard on him. Just another example of a game where the players did not do themselves justice on the day.

The problems with Hibs and goalkeepers still hangs there. The mistakes might not be as high profile but its easy to spot instances of ‘could do better.’

The game against Motherwell this week is very important although Dunfermline are playing Celtic at Celtic Park.

Lets hope their goal difference takes a bit of a bashing.

A Point Wasn’t Enough

Score: 0-0

Well for the first time in ages I left Easter Road thinking we should have won that game having controlled it and was disappointed with only the point.

The progress we have made in the recent weeks though is startling.

Amazing what a team can play like when it doesn’t think its going to concede goals every time the opposition attacks.

The team looked organised, passed the ball around and through Aberdeen and created chances. We had the majority of the possession and for the last 20 minutes had Aberdeen camped inside their own half with all 11 men behind the ball.

Matt Doherty and Sean O’Hanlon at centre half looked really solid with Francomb coming in at right back. I think Doherty and McPake could be a very solid defensive partnership.

Amid the high paced game, there was something that I had not seen at Easter Road for months if not years. A player in the middle of the park who was willing to put his foot on the ball. Jorge Claros made his debut and although the first half kind of went by him as it will take a bit of time of bed in he looks a very decent player. He always looked like he had a bit more time on the ball than other players so once he gets going I think we will have a superb player on our hands.

Not only was there a confidence on the pitch but also one in the stand. The fans really got behind the team because we have faith in what the players are doing. The lazy, slow days of Calderwood seemed to have gone and Fenlon has the team playing high tempo, working hard and passing and moving!

MOTM: For me it was Lewis Stevenson. The forgotten man at ER but under Fenlon has giving 100% every game and one of the names high up on the team sheet in my opinion.

Exciting days ahead for Hibs and its Celtic at ER this weekend.

GGTTH

Hibernian Mid-Week Preview

This weekend will be the second time this season Hibs host Aberdeen at Easter Road. 

The last game which was 0-0 was probably one of the worst games I have ever seen. Some 0-0s can be exciting and I have been at a few but in this game literally nothing happened. I felt sorry for the 2 American tourist sitting behind me, they were trying to get involved with their serious yet humorous “Go Greens” rally calls but there was literally nothing to cheer about.

So this weekend I am hoping not for a repeat of the performance or the result. Usually a draw against Aberdeen, who are well organised and have improved greatly since the start of the season would be okay but now being joint with Dunfermline at the foot of the table this game is a must win.

The biggest problem for us this weekend is the suspensions to 2 of our players, McPake and Hanlon, our centre halfs who played last weekend! Just when our defence starts to look solid we have 2 missing for a crucial game. This will cause problems for Fenlon who will have to bring in the likes of Stephens or O’Hanlon. I think the most likely thing he will do is move Doherty to centre back and bring in Norwich-loanee George Francomb at full back meaning only 1 centre half coming in.

There may also be a starting place for ‘The Pitbull’ Jorge Claros. The Hondurian who Hibernain snatched from Rangers could make his debut in midfield and from what I have heard about him he would bring so much to the table. Of all Fenlons January signings he is the one I’m most looking forward to seeing.

Sparky is still out so there will be no change in the attack which will cause Aberdeen problems.

A positive Hibernian support behind the team should mean a victory and I’m going for 2-1 to the Hibs.

GGTTH

The Fenlon Revolution

Now the transfer window has ‘slammed shut’ and Jim Whites taking a breather it seems a good time to reflect on the signings Fenlon made during the window.

A total of 8 new players were brought in with 6 players leaving.

Of the 8 brought in 2 were signed and the other 6 were loans with 5 til the end of the season and Claros until January next year.

Whats interesting to note is that of the 6 that left, 5 of them were signed by a Mr Colin Calderwood. I think that really shows how how much Fenlon rated the squad he inherited. 

There is a section of the support unhappy with the large number of loans. I on the other hand am very happy because it means we get a high quality player in with a point to prove to keep us in the SPL. We are not in a place financially to sign 8 players so getting a group with the right attitude to keep us going then allow Fenlon to build in the summer is a much better idea.

Players in
Matt Doherty - loan to June 2012
Roy O’Donovan - loan to June 2012
Jorge Claros - loan to January 2013 
Pa Saikou Kujabi - signed to June 2013
George Francomb - loan to June 2012 
Tom Soares - loan to June 2012
James McPake - loan to June 2012
Eoin Doyle - signed to June 2013 
Leigh Griffiths - loan extension to June 2012

Players out
Akpo Sodje
Michael Hart
Junior Agogo
Victor Palsson
Matthew Thornhill 
David Crawford

Instant Impact

New Players. Instant Impact.

Standing in Behind the Goals on Saturday, pint in hand the Hibernian team at 2:20 was announced to the many supporters in the bar. Fenlon was giving a start to none other than 5 of his January singings with a total of 7 in the match day squad. I was already excited for this game because for all that the Scottish Cup has not been good to us it always means a different atmosphere and was a welcome break from the league but the introduction of new players added to the occasion.

Players such as our full backs Kujabi and Doherty I had never heard of never mind seen play before but they had to be better than what we had so this was instantly a positive.

The team was lead out by new captain James McPake and not only did he wear the armband he played like a leader and a commanding centre half. I had almost forgot what it was like to have one of these, not since Rob Jones have Hibs had a defender with a desire to win every ball.

The back four was completed with Kujabi at left back, Hanlon at centre half and Doherty at right back. Kujabi, or the Ghanaian Roberto Carlos tucked James Deyton into his back pocket for the whole game. A few set pieces early on were a bit of a mixed bag but he really came onto a game and looks like he will settle in nicely. One memorable moment was when he took the ball all the way down the left wing, with a 1-2 on the way before playing a lovely ball to Doyle. The East Stand responded with a chant of ‘OOH Kujabi’ or the Zemmama Song as its known. High praise indeed. Doherty really looks like an experienced player on young shoulders. Composed, skilful and not afraid to attack the ball. In the last minutes, Kilmarnock were putting on the pressure and he really responded well with a fantastic last ditch block.

The main bonus from this game was that Hibs kept a clean sheet. The 1-0 victory was massive and the defence really have to take so much credit for that. Doyle scored the only goal of the game after 15 minutes and although never really troubled by Kilmarnock there was big headers made by the centre halfs and good challenges from the full backs. 

Going forward we really did miss the creativity of Griffths and stuggled to hold the ball up at times but having a defence that didn’t concede really took the pressure off the attacking players.

Through to the next round of the cup and the hugs the players gave each other at the end really shows we are all in this together. The players for the first time showed a desire to not concede. It was a ‘Thou shall not pass’ attitude from all 11 players that won us that game.

Dig. Determination. Focus. 3 things we need more of from now until the end of the season.