Argyll Hibs

Being honest Hearts at the moment seem to be in a good place right now. They've not really lost anyone of any note and added a few decent additions. Not seen anything of Keatings, Ozturk or Sow but two goals from two isn't a bad start. Gomis and Bauben whilst average last season at Thistle and Dundee Utd make a good partnership and Levein knows how to get the best out of them. Alexander is more than capable at this level too. At Hibs we are still chasing our tails a little and it's like a double edge sword in some ways. I'm happy that Stubbs is taking his time to ensure that the guy's we bring in will improve things but at the same time the league season is almost here and we don't have a squad (let alone a keeper) capable of challenging for the league. He know's he needs to get the right players in after a succession of duds. Add to the fact that he'll be getting most of the players from down south where clubs return to pre season a bit later and won't have perhaps fully assessed their squads. A combination of these probably explains our lack of activity.

I know Donald pretty well, delighted for him and glad he's impressing!

Even I had a chuckle at that...

On the fans front, I thought we made more noise prior to the game and looking at the highlights our end looked more lively and colourful up until our pumping. I think the way Hampden is set up makes it difficult to take in the noise from the opposite side so your own end will always seem superior. I genuinely thought that the Hearts fans were poor throughout the game, I put that down to the acceptance and ease in which the game was being won. As for us by that point we were just deflated.

I stayed till the end yesterday but I can't really blame those who left early, it was that painful. After sleeping on it there's only 2 players I am bothered about keeping and that's McPake and Griffiths. Ozzy at a push but looks as if he has the heart the size of a pea if yesterdays anything to go by. The thought of Sproule, O'Hanlon and Danny Galbraith having another year on their contract sickens me. Anyway I need McPake to stay as the McPake masks we had made for yesterday looked good and would like to wear them again at some point next season! Had to walk through the Hearts end before the game (which I was dreading) but to be fair there was some good natured banter and nothing malicious directed at me or my family!

You can't write Cairney before he's kicked a ball Isaiah, the likes of Swanson, Dixon and Robertson all came from the lower leagues in Scotland. Think he got 17 goals from the midfield for Partick this season so I'm almost certain he'll be an improvement on what we have here already. Just got to trust Paddy...

One or two of the younger players do need a chance but we need to be careful. We can't be too reliant on youth and will need more James McPake types next year, we need leaders on the pitch back in Big Eck's day you had Sauzee, Laursen, Hughes, Fenwick, Mixu etc etc. Finding that balance will be key! All I can say to our despondent fans is to dust down and get ready to go again next season. It hurts like hell just now for but it's our club, the one we love. Come August we'll be back, refreshed and ready for the start of the new season.

At least Fenlon is telling it like it is! Time to get rid of the dross and the board need to back Fenlon. I know it's been said before but this really is a HUGE summer for Hibs, do it well with clever and strategic player recruitment and we could have a decent season and maybe another cup run. If not then we'll have to go through the same p*sh that we've been through for the past few years now. No long term plan with players not fit to wear the jersey. I think as a support we've been through enough today so we're due some luck at some point, surely?

FWIW I will judge Fenlon next season, he's done what he was brought in to do, save us from the drop. The cup was a bonus which although is the biggest kick in the baws was never on the cards when he first came to the club. He says "There's no desire and we've got to change the players to change the outlook of the club" that sums it up for me he knows what's wrong so we have to allow him the summer to fix it. Thought Thomson had a poor game, at 2-1 despite being terrible we still had a chance. The penalty and sending off changes it completely as reflected in the final score. Oh and Jambo's go and enjoy your night, don't waste it on here.

Well it hurts, really hurts. Don't think it was a penalty though but it doesn't really matter anymore. Hearts deserved it, our players just didn't live up to the occasion and ultimately are not good enough. Roll on next season...

Being serious though, don't see too big a problem with what Fenlon is saying, Ferguson and Mancini say similar all the time. Not that I'm comparing Fenlon having any similar knowledge to these two when it comes to playing mind games of course...

Spot on.

Who?

Can't really disagree with a word of that, apart from the very last line of course...

How are people on here spending their Friday night? Sitting in a dark room rocking back and forth? Fire on a Hibs/Hearts DVD with a couple of beers? Sitting with the tactics board out? Off to the local establishment? Think I'll be going for a couple of jars to take the edge of things as let's face it is impossible to take your mind off things completely.

Indeed and it will hopefully be a great advert for Scottish football. Just a shame the play-off final is on at the same time, would like all the focus of the UK to be on this game but hey by 3pm on Saturday suppose we won't be caring.

What's the deal if you don't actually pay up? Slap on the wrist from e-bay? I think people, a few from .net have been making bids for the laugh. This is copy and pasted from .net... Dear blackpoolhibs, Hi if you can make it to Edinburgh my friend says 15k is fine for all three ticket as it would save hassle..(Please note until they are in my hands tomorrow I can do nothing I am sure you will understand this)thanks again Bill (I shall answer any emails back tomorrow) 15k?

There will be a card display too from the North Stand, seeing as you seem as addicted to hibs.net as you are to P&B you will no doubt know the finer details soon enough.

So we're heading to Dublin after the Inverness game to carry out our preparation for the final. Good idea in my opinion, get's them away from the local hype and hopefully allow them to focus 100%. Some members of the media greeting about it

Big deal, McPake is a good centre half and from what I have read Coventry fans still rate him quite highly. Nor is Hibs fans opinions based on one game against Dunfermline, it's based on every game since he's arrived. Their's plenty of example's of players who hardly set the heather on fire down South but can be good SPL players, and vice versa of course. Not being great at one club hardly makes you a bad player. The likes of Webster and Beattie for example would fall into this category. Without any tinted specs on Webster and McPake would be the best partnership in my opinion. McPake is better than Zaliukas and Barr, of that I am sure. You post one goal where McPake is caught out slightly, how many blunders could you post from Zaliukas? Anyway It's a great ball from Black which would take a number of centre half's out the game.

Thought Mark Kerr was decent last night for you in the first half anyway, would be a good player to keep hold of in the first division.

Thomson is probably the best of a very bad bunch, granted he had a shocker the last time we played Killie. Still hoping that the linesman that gave Hanlon's goal last night receives a late call up...

Why didn't he just pay £20 to become a club member? Then he would get priority for cup games therefore a ticket for the final? It was great value, you even got a ticket for the next SPL game free. I really don't see how they could do it different. It's a shrewd move to get more ST holders on board for next season too. What we do need though is a loyalty system like Hearts have in place to ensure that the true fans get to go regardless to if they have an ST or not. For what it's worth I reckon we might see a very small general sale, that's when the real mad scramble will occur for some folk! Are you not moaning yourself?

Well firstly congratulations to Hearts on winning today. Now the stage is set and it's our DESTINY to win it this way, beating Hearts and ending the 110 year hoodoo! Nervous won't come close to what I'll be experiencing, yesterday was bad enough! The one thing that could spoil it is any crowd trouble in Edinburgh or in Glasgow during the day but I'll not worry about that just now. Big players for us in the final that we NEED are McPake, Osbourne, Griffiths and O'Connor. The players will surely have no option when it comes to being "up for it" whether your a loanee or a die hard Hibee. May the longest month and 4 days commence... It's the biggest Edinburgh Derby in history, let's bring it on! GGTTH