Safe to say it’s not been the best of years for the club about to be the top flight representatives in the Premiership play-off final. At the start of the season we had them to finish in the top six, possibly challenging Aberdeen and Dundee United in the fight for second place. Poor acquisitions, an unbalanced squad and another change of manager quickly put paid to that kind of expectation. When it’s all said and done, there are barely any players who can come out with their head held high, as Duncan McKay writes.
Goalkeepers
Ben Williams was Mr. Dependable. Although not as flashy as his debut season in goals for Hibs, Williams has certainly kept Hibs in a lot more games than he’s cost them this season. His year got off to a pretty inauspicious start, being at fault for at least two of Malmo’s goals in the Thursday Night Massacre last August. Strangely, for a team that finished the season in 11th place – Hibs are 6th in the table of goals conceded. The club’s problems are further up the field. It must be a frustration for Williams to be performing well in such a faltering side, although the regular chastisement of teammates (even when deserved) may not help a back four lacking in confidence. Regardless of the outcome of this week’s playoff fixtures I would be surprised to see Ben Williams starting as Hibs No.1 next season. His contract expires in the summer and his body language since the departure of goalkeeping coach Scott Thomson has been somewhat telling. Rumours of a falling out with new ‘keeper coach and scout extraordinaire Steve Marsella are hardly likely to make the likable ex-Man Utd man sign on again.
Until his credible performance against St Johnstone in a game that sealed Hibs’ bottom six status back in March, Sean Murdoch was perhaps better known to many Hibs fans as the owner of a Chrysler people carrier (the Venga bus) that transferred many of the Central Scotland based squad to East Mains. It’s hard to evaluate a man who has made just two appearances in two years, but Murdoch remains an able deputy to Williams. Whether Murdoch stays at the club after the summer will depend on what division the club finds itself in and the budget Terry Butcher will be allocated.
Defenders
Joni Mitchell once sang in Big Yellow Taxi “That you don’t know what you’ve got / Till it’s gone”. Hibs fans are discovering that the hard way since March as a knee injury ended Paul Hanlon’s season. Much maligned by a segment of the Hibs’ support, his lack of physicality belied the Hibees soft underbelly (supposedly), Hanlon has become a mainstay of the Hibs first team for the past four seasons. There have been times this season where Hanlon hasn’t looked strong enough (Nadir Ciftci bullied him in the 3-1 defeat back in March) but on the ball, Hanlon is assured and clever with distribution. There’s a reason why he’s made over 200 appearances and was previously a Scotland u21s captain. If Butcher can find another centre half that can compliment Hanlon, then the predictable defensive woes and weaknesses of this season and the Fenlon-Calderwood era could be over.
Jordan Forster came into the first team at Hibs under Pat Fenlon at the tail end of 2012/13 as a right back. He started this season with two appearances in the maulings by Malmo and then didn’t make another start until November. Subsequently he’s been close to an ever-present since. Shuffled between centre half and right back probably hasn’t been conducive to Forster’s development. He looks a more comfortable at right back (although his crossing needs to improve) and sometimes at centre half he looks accomplished, but more often than not he can be caught ball-watching (as evidenced by Kilmarnock’s goal on the final day of the season). He is a fine headerer of the ball, including the disallowed wonder effort against Hearts at Tyncastle which could be one of Hibs’ great ‘what ifs’ for the Easter Road faithful. Forster is now currently the third equal top scorer for the Hibees, which is somewhat depressing. There’s great potential there, but he’ll need to work on several aspects of his game should he want to go further.
Forster’s centre half partner for the latter part of the season has been Michael Nelson. Signed three days before the start of the league campaign, Nelson offered a robust, uncomplicated, rugged centre half that was to counteract claims of defensive softness (especially prevalent after the Europa League exit). I’m afraid Nelson has been a disappointing signing and one with another season to go on his contract. Immobile with some very poor distribution, Nelson can play well with the game in front of him, but struggles with balls over the top or whenever he’s turned by fast attackers. Nelson isn’t all bad – he fine at heading the ball and tough in the tackle, but ultimately he’s one of the many mediocre signings that has led Hibs to their position they are in.
Ryan McGivern has deputised at centre half but has spent most of the season at left back following his permanent move from Manchester City in the summer. In a team that has been underwhelming, McGivern has been the most underwhelming. Comfortable on the ball, McGivern clearly has potential, which makes his form all the more disappointing. His distribution can be mixed and his lack of discipline infuriating (often the Ulsterman would rather argue with linesmen than focus on the game). McGivern has this season demonstrated why he spent time at five different clubs on loan rather than making more than one substitutes’ appearance at the Etihad.
James McPake started the season as club captain but saw his season plagued by injury. When he did play, he struggled with positional discipline (one of the reason McPake appears to make so many last ditch challenges is because he gets caught out further up the field). Currently sitting on the bench having recovered from back surgery, McPake could be the preferred option to Nelson in the forthcoming playoffs.
Alan Maybury has finished the season as first choice right back in addition to his coaching duties at the club. Solid but unspectacular is Maybury’s motto. Unflashy, with good distribution, Maybury is sadly showing his age, with his sending off in the final derby at Tynecastle summing up his deficiencies.
Daniel Boateng arrived from Arsenal on loan in January and has made a number of fleeting appearances. His inability to secure a starting berth speaks volumes.
Midfielders
Liam Craig started his Hibs career brightly, notching up six goals from midfield before the end of October. He was promoted to club captain when Terry Butcher was appointed and things looked rosy for the Borderer. It was perhaps a false dawn, as Craig soon found himself struggling in a Hibs midfield lacking any pace. There’s a lot of hard-work going on, but there’s no sense of urgency or ability to alter the speed of the game. Craig has been unable to demonstrate where his best position is, having played on both wings, in the centre, at the base and at the top of a midfield diamond. Craig’s malaise reflects Hibs’ position – lots of honest endeavour, but sadly no ‘x factor’ that might do something unexpected, like, you know, win games.
Another neat, tidy player lacking the ‘x factor’ is Scott Robertson, who would have the benefit of a full pre-season’s training behind him. But like most of the Hibs midfield, he was found faltering this season. Once again, like many of the squad, there’s a balance between how much of the fault lies with the individual players and how much those players are constrained by the system they are playing in (and the personnel surrounding them). Like many, there’s clearly a player in Robertson but sadly, there wasn’t much evidence of one in the 2013/14 season.
Kevin Thomson was re-signed by Pat Fenlon on Europa League registration deadline day (a move that this correspondent felt was underwhelming. Bear in mind, this was announced in tandem with a deal for Rowan Vine). Early on in the season, Thomson played alongside another player, usually Tom Taiwo, as the midfield anchors in a 4-2-3-1. It was a role he’s suited to, with a range of crisp passing and smart control of the ball. The one criticism of Thomson during this time was that it appeared every ball had to come through him and he insisted on lingering on the ball, thus stripping any attack of its spontaneity. After the arrival of Butcher, Thomson was cut adrift. He deserves massive credit for proving Butcher wrong and playing himself back into contention. Injuries have dogged Thomson, as they have done throughout his career, but if he recovers from his groin strain in time for the playoffs it will give the Hibees a massive boost in those crucial two games.
As mentioned earlier, Tom Taiwo looked good when partnered with Thomson. Taiwo is an efficient little player, shutting down opposition and is unafraid to make tackles, but on the ball he is very limited – he can pass well, but is uncomfortable running in possession. All too often the wee Englishman looks like he will suffer a nosebleed should he enter the opponent’s penalty area. In previous Hibs’ teams, Taiwo would have been a tidy squad player. The fact he has played 27 games this term tells its own story.
Alex Harris’ start to the season wasn’t a great one. Found wanting against better fullbacks than your average SPFL teams in the games at Malmo, he was struggling against Motherwell even before Shaun Hutchinson dealt him a hefty challenge that saw him out for five months with an ankle injury. Wingers, as clichéd as it is, are confidence players, and Harris is severely lacking confidence. He isn’t taking players on with the same zeal and intensity as last season, and he is shirking 50/50 challenges. Butcher himself recognised this and said “We’ve got to build him back up, his confidence is not high. I think he’s found it difficult in the first team, there’s no doubt about that. So, we’ve probably got to take him back and just re-introduce him a lot more gently and make sure that we’ll see the benefit of that next season, rather than at the end of this one.” Since then, Harris has featured in almost every game…
Sam Stanton is a youngster who has gone from squad player at the start of the season to one of Terry Butcher’s first names on the team sheet. Stanton plays with the ball at his feet and his head up, always looking for an incisive pass or an opportunity to run at opponents. He started playing out on the left, before moving into the middle and in recent games has played at the apex of the midfield trying to offer support to Jason Cummings. On occasions, Stanton has been found wanting (his free kicks and corners require more accuracy), but no more than any youngster. Stanton’s form towards the end of the season could be attributed to fatigue, having played in almost every game since the turn of the year. Butcher could arguably build a midfield around Stanton’s potential, but he’ll be looking for a great goal return and better boots (Stanton slips a lot), but genuinely he’s one of the few bright spots in a wretched season for the Easter Road team.
Danny Handling intrigues and infuriates in equal measure. The youngster has an energetic approach to each game but still hasn’t found his ideal position – he’s not quite a forward, nor a probing attacking midfielder. If managed correctly, he could be a success for Hibs next season, but currently that is a big ‘if’. The list of Hibernian youngsters who have burst into the first team but then do not go on to fulfil that initial flourish is long and Handling will need to work on his passing and decision making if he wants to have a starting place at Easter Road in the future.
Another player who offers glimpses of quality is Paul Cairney, but all too often it’s not enough and it would be surprising to see him at Easter Road next season. When he’s on the ball, Cairney is a threat – his low centre of gravity makes it difficult for him to be pushed off the ball. But his workrate off the ball leaves a lot to be desired, which would explain his stop-start run of games.
The Mr. Dependable for Hibs this season was Lewis Stevenson (again). Played at right back, left back, left and central midfield, Stevenson’s flexibility is one of his strengths, but arguably it’s also one of his biggest weaknesses – nine years since his debut you would still be hard pushed to give a definitive answer as to where Stevenson should play. His heading has improved, as has his judgement of long balls over the top (a tactic used often by opposition when he plays at left back) and he continues to look for opportunities to surge forward. But he still remains a little flat footed when in defence and is too often bullied off the ball (although he is tenacious enough to follow the play instead of complaining). Stevenson’s reliability and flexibility should ensure he’ll be involved next season.
Another January loan signing that failed to hit the high notes is Duncan Watmore, the 22 year old winger signed from Sunderland. Watmore looks like a throwback to a 1950s footballer with baggy shorts and an unusual gait which gives him a bizarre running style. Lacking a physical presence has undoubtedly limited the number of starts Watmore has had in green. He looks much more comfortable coming off the bench when the game has been stretched a little. Like many Hibs youngsters, you can see potential, but it remains unfulfilled at the moment.
Abdellah Zoubir was hyped as a great talent by Hibs on their ever-optimistic twitter feed and in flashes, the Frenchman looked impressive. The problem was everything that surrounded those flashes. He looked good in the 5-3 victory over Stranraer in the League Cup and in the smash and grab win at Firhill in October, but the former futsaler didn’t have the most prolific of workrates and gave the impression that not even he knew what he was going to do with the ball next. Tellingly Zoubir has not made an appearance since Raith Rovers knocked Hibs out of the Scottish Cup in February.
If Owain Tudor-Jones is the answer, then what is the question? That’s something that has been bugging many Hibs fans this season. Just what was the justification for signing the giant Welshman? Not particularly agile, quick or precise, just what Pat Fenlon was thinking when he signed OTJ when he already had Tom Taiwo and Scott Robertson on the books (and was in negotiations with Kevin Thomson) will go down as one of the many moments when you have to question what exactly the signing policy was at Easter Road last summer.
Strikers
How to give an assessment of strikers in a team who scored just 31 goals in 38 games? With just six league goals, James Collins was the leading Hibs striker. Not the sort of return any fan would expect when your club has just splashed £200,000 on a front man. Collins suffers from the inability to score goals. At this stage of the season, James Collins looks like a man who couldn’t hit sand if he fell off a camel. There’s no doubt that the former-Swindon man is a grafter. He runs around the park like a headless chicken, but all too often this season, the ball has fallen to Collins at vital moments in matches and he has been unable to convert. Unless something dramatic happens in the playoffs, Collins will sadly go down as one of Hibs’ worst ever signing.
It was telling that by the end of the season, that when Terry Butcher was playing a single striker, it wasn’t Collins he chose to play. Instead, Butcher chose youngster Jason Cummings, another Hibs player with questionable social media etiquette. Cummings finished the season without a goal, despite being the top goal scorer in the u20s league. He was described by Tom English as a “man child” after the recent derby as it’s hard to argue. Perhaps a little too inexperienced to be leading the line in a faltering side at this stage in his career, it would be harsh to judge him on his nine career starts so far. Cummings looks like he could be suited to playing alongside a more experienced forward.
Injuries have curtailed Paul Heffernan’s impact at Easter Road. The Irishman arrived in a surprise move from Kilmarnock (who demanded no fee). Heffernan scored just four goals – with three of them securing points for Hibs. With his fading pace, he is unsuited to playing on his own up front has lessened his potential and he’s been unable to form a solid partnership. “The Heff” has a further year on his contract at Easter Road, but with so much up in the air at the club, I wouldn’t bet on a Premiership club taking a gamble on the 32 year old.
Danny Haynes was a January loan arrival from Notts County. Looking sometimes sharp, sometimes looking like a carthorse, the Englishman has found himself out of favour since his petulant dismissal at St Johnstone in March, making just one start and one appearance from the bench. Haynes, when on form, can be a nuisance, as witnessed by his performance against Ross County soon after arriving at Easter Road and he appears to have a self-belief that is missing from many of the squad. Clearly Terry Butcher does not know his strongest XI so I wouldn’t be surprised to see Haynes jettisoned into at least one of the playoff matches against Hamilton.
Another player not short on self-belief is Ross Caldwell. Physically strong, if a little headless, Caldwell found himself at loan at Alloa after a petulant reaction to being substituted in Dingwall in the Scottish Cup. Caldwell is a player of some talent, but how far he will go at Hibs will depend on his temperament.
The departed
Fraser Mullen was signed in the summer from Hearts… and lasted until January. Despite showing promise with a fantastic free kick against East Fife in a pre-season friendly. Wild and reckless (on and off the field), Mullen was binned by Butcher in the January window where he ended up at Raith Rovers. Rowan Vine was another summer arrival, signed on a free from St Johnstone just in time for Europa League registration. Like Mullen, he was gone by January, with the bearded maestro headed to Kenny Shiels’ faltering Greenock Morton. Vine lumbered around the field like a brooding incredible hulk. Following the signing of Collins and Heffernan, Vine always looked like he would be an uninspired option from the bench. Never once when you saw him enter the field you never once felt ‘now here’s a man who could have a positive impact on the game’. The most memorable aspect of Vine’s time at Hibs was making “offensive comments on Twitter suggesting the use of violence” when Neil Lennon complained about Hibs’ tactics in the 1-1 draw in November.
Youngsters
Dean Horribine has shone in the u20s this season, but in a team with numerous midfielders has only managed a few minutes off the bench in a 2-1 victory over Kilmarnock at Easter Road. Should Hamilton defeat the Hibees, we can expect to see a lot more of the tenacious midfielder.
To read more from Duncan McKay visit 42 Grounds, a web page dedicated to his travels around Scottish football in the 2012/13 campaign. He can also be followed on twitter.
Subscribe to Podcast