[0762]

This is our third fixture in seven days and here's hoping Hibs react positively to that surprise loss v Morton at ER. The Sons have just been dumped out of the Scottish Cup by Dundee. So they'll be 'down in the dumps' as well. I think Stubbs must look at the key positions that have failed us in the past four league fixtures apart from the one v The Wasps. We can do without misfiring strikers who are squandering some excellent opportunities to score. IMO it's an issue that the manager must redress! Bartley must start as well as Hanlon and I'd also opt for the big Finnish goalie, Virtanen, and 'foot Oxley up the arse' for that shit performance v Morton. Please don't give us another flat performance again Hibs. Freshen up the team Stubbsy and push on to this Dumbarton team, no messing about.

[torquayhibby]

agree with you there magic,oxley getting a game to easy.GGTTh

[TheWorthinGer]

A bus with no wheels, eh?

45 minutes to keep any automatic promotion hopes alive.

[TheWorthinGer]

Ooft.

Mind the ever increasing gap.

Who's that coming over the hill? It must be Falkirk.

[0762]

agree with you there,oxley getting a game to easy.GGTTh

Oxley was started in Stubbs' lineup today - an absolutely astounding decision by the manager in a match in which Hibs had about 65 pc possession and they have been picked off by counter attacking ploys again. Deserved it v poor opposition and nowt learnt whatsoever. Also why play a lightweight Carmichael instead of Boyle? - utter folly again!  IMO definitely given up the chase before this match started and confirmed it v more poor opponents who normally beat Hibs once every 10-15 matches, or more, when we have the occasional off day!
I believe Stubbs is already preparing for a play-off scenario as well as trying to compete on two cup fronts - it aint gonna be easy! Hanlon is the latest injury and I hope it's a minor one - we can do without another disruptive injury. Fyvie, McGeouch, Gray already injured + Stokes absent again, this time due to illness - these absences are unhelpful but there are other players who should be able to 'step into the void' to cover any absence fairly well esp at this poor level of league football!

[0762]

http://www.hibernianfc.co.uk/news/6242

Here's the match report and you'll see that we've rattled their cross bar, dominated the match and there's a pivotal moment before 2-0 where Cummings has missed another sitter and the Sons' goalie has tipped his goal bound shot past the post. They charge up the pitch and go 2-0 up just before HT! Cummings has had similar defining moments at Falkirk, Livingston and he did the same v Morton (a dreadful miss!) when the score was 0-0 - not the prolific goal scorer who we've needed for a while and definitely has had the opportunities to win matches. I'm sure that's why Stubbs is desperately trying to push Farid's progress to be fully match fit - a move that could possibly make our season a successful one if he 'pulls it off'. However, he must also shore up a defence that has suddenly become a tad fragile (replace Oxley FFS Stubbs!) and a defensive midfield that is not doing enough to protect our defence.

[ritchiebaby]

At least today we seemed to have a bit of fight about us, but it was too little, too late. Right now, I'd happily take a play-off place if it was offered. Every other team seems to be playing as though they have something to play for. Not Hibs. They're just coasting along, as though everything is just fine. It's not!!!

It's all well and good if our dominance in shots, corners, etc is leading to winning games. It's not!!!

Despite all the hoo-hah about Stokes' arrival, is he better than Dominique Malonga? He's not!!!

There's enough clues in there to get Alan Stubbs to read the riot act to certain players - basically Anthony Stokes and anyone who is influenced in any way by him. He will! -- or we'll keep going down.

[hibeejim21]

6 goals in two games lost....that tells us everything we need to know.

[0762]

At the moment, IMO the Stokes signing was a total mistake and Malonga was a better option. However, Dom was not a prolific goal scorer either and we're forgetting what a lazy b#### he could be in certain matches. What puzzles me re the goalie situation is the fact that Virtanen can't be that bad a goalie, otherwise Stubbs would never have signed the big Finn! So it looks like Stubbs is 'taking a chance' and giving Oxley the 'benefit of the doubt' - mistaken loyalty? I wonder how many managers made that error in years gone by! But we've previously observed the worst side of Oxley and at this stage of the winter season as well. Personally I'd never play Oxley in the upcoming cup final at Hampden Park because he does not dominate his pen box and I have previous bad memories of a cup semi-final v Falkirk, a game that we dominated for about 75% of the match and lost to one breakaway attack that was dreadfully defended with Oxley doing exactly what he's good at - not reading and dealing with a cross ball and assassinating the opposition forward if necessary with the appropriate thumping challenge! He doesn't play this way and he'll never change being hesitant in such situations!
One last comment re the insinuation that Hibs are 'coasting along' - we can see that these players 'raise their game' in higher profile matches - that's absolutely clear and, as Ritchiebaby has commented in a previous thread, that is unacceptable in a situation when we still had an outside chance of winning the Championship but they definitely gave it up v Morton. The Dumbarton result just confirmed that mindset and certain players are indeed 'saving themselves' for 'other matches'. That attitude is not required and they can f### off as far as I'm concerned. I aint attending any cup final and I'm gonna convince my other accomplices not to bother travelling either if Hibs continue in this vein!  

[TIN TIN]

That's a shocking attitude Tynie. Encouraging yer mates not to support their team because you now appear to have hit a brick wall!. Supporting your team through thick and thin is what true supporters do IMO. Not many folk get to see their team in cup finals etc, so to entice people not to attend is ridiculous.