Hibernian v St Johnstone - Saturday 5th March @ 3pm

[PauloPerth]

Massive shock to see sportscene barely let the managers finish talking before falling over themselves to talk about MacPherson’s challenge.

Just glad to see the ref was strong enough to stand upto the pathetic attempts by the Hibs players to get a red card shown.

Maybe if as a club they put as much passion into running a football match properly, there wouldn’t be hundreds of fans still queuing outside 20 minutes after kick off.

 

[tree house tam]

Folk queuing 20 minutes after kick off?

Get there in plenty time then, the only problem we had were complete no righters in front of us not being able to use a scanner and a smartphone. 

I bet they're the same folk you have to queue behind at the scanners at passport control.

[Nold]

9 hours ago, Theyellowbox said:

I think he still has a lot of really positive attributes as a manager

Name three. 

I'd love him to turn it around but his dogged insistence on sticking with a clearly unsuitable strategy is indefensible.

[Jamie_B]

Last season - even when we weren’t picking up wins in the first half of the season - we were clearly a well coached, well drilled team and you could see what the strategy was. At that point it revolves around getting the ball into wide areas and putting lots of crosses in through Tanser and McNamara for Hendry primarily to attack. That changed and evolved as the season went on - the starting full backs changed and the strikers changed as did the style.

This year there is absolutely no sign of any plan and we don’t look well coached or drilled at all in the system were meant to be playing.

[The Marly]

13 hours ago, Jamie_Beatson said:

That today put me right back to where I was in December/January with Davidson. Playing a Hibs team who can’t score, in poor form and missing a load of players and we show absolutely zero ambition. Crawford constantly giving away possession, McPherson’s set piece delivery absolutely rotten, endless long balls. Just shite and totally lacking any plan to win the game.

Does anyone think we’d be better just chucking Craig and/or Davidson in the middle with Hallberg at the moment? Get the other two in the bin - lightweight and devoid of ideas.

We have to get Muzz back in. He was immense against Hearts.

[hamicle]

11 minutes ago, The Marly said:

We have to get Muzz back in. He was immense against Hearts.

Agreed. With Davidson in there with Hallberg we actually had a midfield. Yesterday there was nothing happening in midfield. That was a beatable Hibs team and we seemed to have no clue how to do it. Any time we did launch an attack we’d left the attacking players so isolated or taken so long to get the ball and bodies up there that it was easily mopped up by the Hibs defence.

I’d have expected us to win that last season. Wright would definitely have found a way to win it.

I know we now have a big squad and we can’t play everyone but I’d agree with others frustration about players being brought in then barely seen. Let’s actually see what Bair can offer while there’s a chance!

Edited March 6, 2022 by hamicle

[AJF]

1 hour ago, tree house tam said:

Folk queuing 20 minutes after kick off?

Get there in plenty time then, the only problem we had were complete no righters in front of us not being able to use a scanner and a smartphone. 

I bet they're the same folk you have to queue behind at the scanners at passport control.

There’s always been a few issues getting into Easter Road. It takes a lot longer than anywhere else I can remember, for some reason.

This was the same when it was paper tickets without scanners too so I wouldn’t put it down to that.

I remember being stuck outside years ago and missed a goal. Word filtered through it was us who scored so everyone was all happy only to get inside the ground to find that we were mistaken and Stokes had put Hibs ahead within about 14 seconds

[tree house tam]

27 minutes ago, AJF said:

There’s always been a few issues getting into Easter Road. It takes a lot longer than anywhere else I can remember, for some reason.

This was the same when it was paper tickets without scanners too so I wouldn’t put it down to that.

I've been plenty times before yesterday and never had any issues, mainly because we never had much more than 800-1000 fans. Yesterday we never had an issue because some of us can actually use a phone and place it under a scanner, even under the influence. Others? Not so much.

[mizfit]

Total respect for the 2 old boys in front of me who were stinking of sambuca the whole 90 minutes.

[Valentino Bolognese]

13 minutes ago, mizfit said:

Total respect for the 2 old boys in front of me who were stinking of sambuca the whole 90 minutes.

But not for the fanny that was strolling around with a lit fag. Stewards did nowt of course. 

Nothing to add about the game. In normal circumstances it's not a terrible result but for a point to be any use at all we needed Dundee to lose. Our delivery into the box was dreadful, no idea why Hallberg wasn't on them after the excellent dead-balls against Hearts. Gallacher's crossing was abysmal. 

Should MacPherson have been sent off? Yes. But he shouldn't have started in the first place. If that decision is the universe starting to balance the bad decision scales, looking forward to some massive calls in our favour in the next 8 games.

Like others, not sure where we go from here but if we stay up there's no chance of Davidson being punted. Maybe the summer gives him a bit of thinking time to work things out, do some better transfer business and generally sort shit out., but it seems an uphill battle with a squad that seems packed with passengers. 

[Shaggy Jenkins]

19 minutes ago, Valentino Bolognese said:

not sure where we go from here but if we stay up there's no chance of Davidson being punted. Maybe the summer gives him a bit of thinking time to work things out, do some better transfer business 

I'm not even sure that is an option for us, whoever has recruited this window, CD or THO or a combination of both it's not really been inspiring. Extenuating circumstances certainly and maybe players that need a pre season but as things stand right now.

Crawford, McPherson - never good enough. McPherson may fill a hole when needed in a competent midfield

Cleary - have to say beginning to look pretty average to shaky. Gets booked every game. Gets beaten a lot on his right side with pace. Looks quite lightweight and does not get forward much

Halberg - at the moment probably the best but has been quiet the last few weeks. I think he is carrying a knock and is certainly not helped by those around him

Sang and Gallagher - meh not much better than what was here

Shift key - looked good for a couple of games, again not sure how fit, won't be here next year no matter what I don't think

The rest, well if they ever play....

Again I think some could come good with a pre season but that is not what we needed.

Indeed the whole January felt a bit like getting guys in with a slim hope they click / get / stay fit and we stay up but mainly it felt like looking at getting a core signed for the championship. That in itself is a worry as it speaks to CD firmly in the long term plans

Edited March 6, 2022 by Shaggy Jenkins

[Zamora Fan]

Folk queuing 20 minutes after kick off?
Get there in plenty time then, the only problem we had were complete no righters in front of us not being able to use a scanner and a smartphone. 
I bet they're the same folk you have to queue behind at the scanners at passport control.

Got there at 2.30, got in at 3.15. And was one of the lucky ones as at least a few hundred more were behind in the queue. A complete nonsense, shouldn’t have to turn up to a football game an hour early just to guarantee you’ll see kick off.

[tree house tam]

2 hours ago, Nold said:

Name three. 

I'd love him to turn it around but his dogged insistence on sticking with a clearly unsuitable strategy is indefensible.

This is it. Absolutely cannot name any strengths of his. Shite tactics, shite recruitment, shite game management and absolutely no charisma. With all the recurring muscle injuries I'm beginning to doubt the one thing he's good at, putting out cones and telling simpletons to run and pass around them.

[tree house tam]

10 minutes ago, Zamora Fan said:

Got there at 2.30, got in at 3.15. And was one of the lucky ones as at least a few hundred more were behind in the queue. A complete nonsense, shouldn’t have to turn up to a football game an hour earlier just to guarantee you’ll see kick off.

Well I was there around 2.30 and went in, had enough time to go buy overpriced food and take my seat for the end of the warm up. Turnstile 7.

[RandomGuy.]

20 minutes ago, Shaggy Jenkins said:

The rest, well if they ever play....

Kind of feels like we're back to the Vertainen situation with Bair, doesn't it?

Chucked on at the end of games we're already losing and can't influence them so is just completely dumped. He'll probably get a start against Celtic in a 10-0-1 formation and that'll be it for him under Davidson when he can't do anything.

[Fraser Fyvie]

FAO the country bumpkins, you just but the barcode under the scanner and it will let you in.

HTH.

[Theyellowbox]

3 hours ago, Nold said:

Name three. 

I'd love him to turn it around but his dogged insistence on sticking with a clearly unsuitable strategy is indefensible.

Ha ha, to be honest, struggling at the moment, but I suppose you could argue that he knows how to set up a relatively solid defence, always retains positivity and by all accounts is a very good coach. To counter my own arguments, these are also flaws to an extent. He is too defensive, doesn't know when to wire into the players and being a good coach doesn't always translate to being a good manager.

I think there is something there, but all to often to stubborn and loyal to some players and, while I get some of the games we have between no and the end of the season are 'must not lose', he needs to take a few more risks. I feel that a more experienced former manager in their somewhere would be a good sounding board for him. Clelland and Macca, while contributing, are not experienced managers.

I'm sure this season will be more of an education for CD than last season was and if we stay up, he will be better for it. Obviously if we go down, he would need to own it.

[akuram]

Got there at 2.30, got in at 3.15. And was one of the lucky ones as at least a few hundred more were behind in the queue. A complete nonsense, shouldn’t have to turn up to a football game an hour early just to guarantee you’ll see kick off.

That’s where paying £15 and watching at home wins every time.

The only thing missing is the atmosphere.

[Theyellowbox]

17 minutes ago, RandomGuy. said:

Kind of feels like we're back to the Vertainen situation with Bair, doesn't it?

Chucked on at the end of games we're already losing and can't influence them so is just completely dumped. He'll probably get a start against Celtic in a 10-0-1 formation and that'll be it for him under Davidson when he can't do anything.

Feels very much like it. It must be destroying these guys confidence. I think Bair had mates over from Canada yesterday and he got nowhere near the pitch. You would think there will be a bit of him already regretting the decision to come already.

I'm sure someone will have it to hand, but would be interesting to see the minutes played between E2, Bair and Mahon since signed and all for fairly chunky cash for Saints. Probably c£300k for a combined 200-300 minutes? 

[Radford]

Glenn Middleton played an hour of football yesterday. This was his contribution.

Two of these touches were in the first half and three were with his head. 

Edited March 6, 2022 by Radford