[ritchiebaby]

Everybody's really pointed out the lack of positive attitude in the Hibs' team, but I'd like to add that the little success we had was when we played the ball along the ground and ran at their defence. So what did we do? Lumped it up in the air to the edge of their box and their solid, dependable defence gobbled it up. Not only that, their midfield gobbled up just about all of the second balls. Sadly, we were the turkeys.

[0762]

Yep ritchie! But why did Hibs manager and coaching staff not see what we were seeing and do something about it????????????? i.e. "change it"???????? I reckon he could've done that after the first 30 mins - it was plainly obvious that the same poor scenario v them was gonna unfold again unless plan B or C was deployed to make them really feel uncomfortable!! After all, they were playing in a one-off cup final v a solid, stuffy footie team that was nowhere close to being a great team!! Note this is a similar discussion cropping again re Ross and his coaching staff in previous "big matches" where his tactics have been called into question!! So disappointing in that regard and I can reflect back to that enlightening Netflix film, "Sunderland til I die" and the fans' criticisms within it.

[HerefordBull]

Good points by both 0762 and Ritchie.

We don't possess a midfielder who can constantly turn and run at the defense and MAKE SOMETHING HAPPEN. Ross just seems to coach slow square passing before the ball being launched hopefully forward. ( Newell did turn and run once, but his shot,as usual, didn't match the run)  Davidson had a superb game plan and as 0762 said, Doidge didn't win a header all day...............so why continue with it?  

Another problem Ross has, is that, he has gathered a group of midfielders who are all the "same" so when he looks at the bench to change things, its like for like.  

Davidson made sure, as was said, that they at least doubled and tripled up on Boyle ( even once in the first half it was highlighted at half time St J had 4 players on him) as he knows he is our only creative threat most of the time.  However if this is the case, especially 4 players on Boyle, that is a high percentage of outfield players in one area that should create space for our other midfielders ...........but inevitably , Boyle stopped and passed the ball back enabling those defenders to pick up our other midfielders again and regain their shape. Ross must know this is going to happen, especially against St J ( we've played them often enough this year!) but has no game plan to capitalise on it and make it work in our favour.

Ross has bought himself some more time by finishing third in the League but he still has to convince me about his ability. Even the games we did win this season,for large parts of them, it was back to the wall "Alamo" stuff to defend a lead and the luck went with us this year. Lets see how he does next season where we may not be so lucky and crowds will be back ( hopefully!) to give him some insight into how the fans are feeling.

The only times Ross s plan works is if we get the first goal so the other side have to change formation and come forward .........this frees up space for Boyle to use his pace on the break.

I see Josh Taylor wants to fight at Easter Road.......I'll certainly try to go as although not a great fan of boxing it will be nice to see some fight on the park when Jack Ross is in charge.  

Always Hibernian FC

GGTTH

[0762]

Aye! That was a wee bit of positivity for Hibees yesterday when JT won that junior world title fight in Las Vegas.
Re Jack Ross and where he is at the mo with HFC, may I just add that Ross definitely has a limited tactical ability/nous. That is why a top footie manager like "supercool" Brendan Rodgers is earning millions of quid and Ross is not - successful and a great manager with dollops of all round ability to manage a footie club properly, motivate players and is tactically astute. In reality, Jack Ross and his Hibs teams have meekly conceded 2 x semi-finals and 1 x cup final at Hampden Park and big questions being rightly asked by lotsa Hibs fans. Here's a post match quote by Ross: "I couldn't have asked for any more from the players"???? As my nephew rightly commented - "What a f####### joke!!! Was he watching the same match as us"????? I also read Ron Gordon's pre cup final statement to Hibs fans where, in the last para, he commented that "Together we can achieve anything"????? Upbeat as usual, he also remarked that the team would "give everything" to win the cup final???? One word comes to mind immediately after that seriously insipid performance - EMBARRASSED!! He must be embarrassed and in hiding after that dreadful concession by manager and a good number of Hibs players!!!

[hibeejim21]

2 semis and 1 final pissed away in games that didn't involve the old firm. Thats the scale of absolute failure we are talking about.

Ross has done well getting 3rd spot, even though Aberdeen were in freefall and its been a weird season in a lot of ways. But if he doesn't hit the ground running next season he is going to come under pressure very quickly. I feel distinctly 'iffy' about him as a manager, particularly because he couldn't see what was plainly obvious yesterday and has been obvious on numerous occasions against that side..... As soon as we went behind I should have took the dog out. I've said this from the start of the season - we do not move the ball forward anywhere near fast enough for my liking.


No ones mentioned the state of anxiety that team were clearly in when they crossed that line yesterday....They folded like a deck chair, there is a real lack of leadership and inspiration on the pitch and on the touchline.

[HerefordBull]

I hope Jack Ross and the team watched the Hibs ladies side today.

Playing the top team Glasgow City, they gave and fought for everything with tremendous commitment and came away with a goalless draw in a very entertaining end to end game.

They struggle now having lost so many players to Rangers , Celtic, City and the likes of Lee Napier going to Chelsea and this was the best I have seen them for a while. They are now a long way behind the top 3 and are on a par with Spartans.

What impressed me most was their fight and team spirit which if the mens side had shown half of this yesterday then the result could have been different. Rachel Boyle was a real rock at the back on the right and never seems to waste a pass coming forward, so at least one in their household can hold their head up tonight.

[ritchiebaby]

Good comments re our mental fragility as a team and also about Boyle back-tracking early on. If he'd charged forward with the ball, taking the 4 St Johnstone players with him, he could have easily won a throw-in or even a corner, but no, he chickened out and the tone for the rest of the game was set.

[0762]

I hope Jack Ross and the team watched the Hibs ladies side today.

Playing the top team Glasgow City, they gave and  fought for everything with tremendous commitment and came away with a goalless draw in a very entertaining end to end game.

They struggle now having lost so many players to Rangers , Celtic, City and the likes of Lee Napier going to Chelsea and this was the best I have seen them for a while. They are now a long way behind the top 3 and are on a par with Spartans.

What impressed me most was their fight and team spirit which if the mens side had shown half of this yesterday then the result could have been different. Rachel Boyle was a real rock at the back on the right and never seems to waste a pass coming forward, so at least one in their household can hold their head up tonight.

Rachel Boyle has been HL's best player for weeks! Good to hear she had another solid performance v the probable league champs for the umpteenth time. IMO HL's plummet from being regular Scot Cup winners and attaining a decent top league position is definitely down to money and investment elsewhere at other Scot footie clubs that have suddenly taken the SWL more seriously than before. Hibs unfortunately haven't copied that level of investment.
Re Hibs leadership on and off the pitch, the Hibs captaincy issue has been a big bugbear of mine for years that - mentioned this prob on and off for a long time - I don't like quiet Hibs captains!! Also leading by example is fine in principle but one cannot beat a proper driving force of a captain with the verbals to go with it. Also the more the merrier as far as I'm concerned esp being privileged enough to have captained footie teams when I was a kid. It makes a huge difference as one can see in past footie teams that were lucky enough to have such strong leaders in their line up.

[HerefordBull]

In the present times I can certainly see that the club would be reluctant to fund the ladies side and prefer money to go to the mens side. Most fans would agree with this and the ladies side has never had much from the Club itself anyway.

Rachel Boyle is a good player but a while ago struggled to hold down a place due to the quality of the squad. With the loss of so many better players she is now one of the best. If Martin goes then she will move with him if the transfer is down South.

Cavagnah will be the next to go as she shows signs of being a top player, is a box to box midfielder and has a great engine. This will not have gone unnoticed by the big 3 up here and even Hearts where the club itself are pumping in a sizeable amount of money.

Agree about the Captains position and that's where we missed Gray or Darren Mc on Saturday as they would not have held back on that abject performance.

[0762]

I still can't believe those players couldn't lift themselves for a cup final. First half we just launched it up the park but Saints back 3 dealt with it easy... Doidge won FA.

2nd half it just broke down all too easy... One shot on target is shocking in a final. If Boyle doesae fancy it we just don't create enough.

It's a sore one... Seems like anyone can do us at Hampden... Except sevco... LOL.

Well done to Davidson,  that's some achievement - 2 Cup wins and top 6 - in your first season. Anywhere else that's manager of the year material.

I'm not surprised at the "strength of feeling" that is evident from lots n lots of Hibs fans in the past few days re the disappointing attitude of most of the Hibs players - the frustration and angst re this kinda unacceptable display is clear on Hibs SM channels and other HFC fans' outlets. The same goes for Jack Ross re some baffling comments on how well the guys did in this final and then the photos of Hibs players' champagne celebrations at the weekend didnae "hit the right chord" with many disconsolate fans either. One significant comment in my OP was:- ............."(We'll) focus on Hibs and demand a total commitment from the guys from KO to the dying seconds of this match - give it all you've got to offer and no regrets after the final whistle"! The players never got anywhere near that pre-requisite!! Hence lotsa Hibs fans clearly pissed off re Hibs "becoming the bridesmaid" again - a common theme but exacerbated by a poor attitude and lack of commitment. Even before KO, the scene of the two teams lining up in the players' tunnel o/s their dressing rooms was really enlightening in the fact that the Hibs players stood passively with Paul Hanlon at the front and in comparison Saint Johnstone players finally walking out on to the pitch with lotsa vocal encouragement etc - HOW DISAPPOINTING TO WATCH THIS AGAIN!!! I've said before that I was privileged to captain footie teams when I was a kid and this kinda cup final behaviour would not happen if I'd been part of this set up because I wanna win matches, I played to win matches and expected my team mates to do the same!! There are clearly a lotta Hibs fans who perceived that attitude to be the right one as well!! What disappointed me more than anything was the fact that the likes of Paul Hanlon and Ryan Porteous are Hibs fans!!!?? Why the f####### silence!!!?? Were they so frightened of St Johnstone even before the match began!!!?? Or did the manager, Jack Ross, prime these players to be in that kinda negative mindset!!??? IMO some honesty and frank discussion definitely required from certain senior people at ER Stadium to "clear the air" on this subject!!!