I feel like I’ve been watching the same movie at Easter Road for the past 12 months - and it’s not great viewing.
Hibs are boring on the park and apathy is setting in in the stands. It’s really concerning. I’ve seen fans on social calling for Lee Johnson to be sacked but that would be the third managerial casualty in 11 months and you can’t just keep sacking managers at the first hint of a bad run.
It’s not Championship Manager. However Johnson needs to do better. And quickly. He’s still playing the same players that got the last two managers sacked despite 15 new signings in the summer. And that’s a damning indictment on the recruitment team. Regulars including Hanlon, Porteous, Newell, Campbell, Cadden .. all these guys were mainstays under Jack Ross and Shaun Maloney. Then there’s Rocky, Henderson, Melkersen and Mitchell who were brought in by Maloney in January.
They’re all still playing week in, week out. The last two or three transfer windows have been shocking. Since the tail end of Ross and under Maloney it’s been absolutely shocking.
Put simply the team is no better than it was 11 months ago when Ross got binned. Johnson needs a massive January window. They can’t afford to get this one wrong.
This owner is ruthless Ron Gordon wants results and he wants them tomorrow. Some supporters I speak to are starting to lose interest and if apathy is setting in and fans can’t be bothered watching their team then there’s a massive problem.
The performance against Ross County on Tuesday was terrible. It was going back to the stuff under Maloney. County bullied Hibs. They were too physical, too strong and their two centre halves cruised the game.
Hibs are good getting it out from the back into midfield but then they get to the final third and there’s nothing. No excitement.
There needs to be more end product. Take Mykola Kukharevych out of this because he has scored a few goals recently and obviously Martin Boyle is the main threat when he’s available.
But the other four - Ewan Henderson, Elie Youan, Elias Melkersen and Jair Tavares are producing next to nothing, Melkersen’s not scored a league goal for Hibs yet after 18 appearances, Henderson has one this season, Youan has one and Jair has done nothing.
I keep banging the drum for the youngsters because I genuinely don’t think Youan and Melkersen are any better than Ethan Laidlaw or Josh O’Connor. They should be throwing these young boys in when they’re available because it gives the whole place a lift. It brings enthusiasm and energy and Easter Road is badly in need of that right now.
I remember Garry O’Connor and myself getting hauled off by Bobby Williamson after 30 minutes against Aberdeen years ago and replaced by a young duo called Scott Brown and Derek Riordan. It was Broony’s debut and the pair of them were brilliant in a 3-1 win.
The whole of Easter Road came to life as they buzzed about - Broony tackling anything that moved and Deeks popping up with two goals. The fans went home absolutely thrilled with these two products of their own academy and really excited about the future.
Hibs currently have an under-19 side that won the league last year and have just beaten Nantes and Molde in Europe to set up a tie against Borussia Dortmund. But not one of those boys have had a chance yet when form has been rotten.
They also need a leader on the park. Someone to go and crack heads together. Ryan Porteous hasn’t kicked a ball since the week after his Scotland debut and his head looks like it’s elsewhere.
Before that though they need three massive points at Rugby Park tomorrow. Three or four weeks ago it looked like they were genuine contenders for third place.
But five defeats in six games means that a match against the team at the bottom of the league has nerves shooting through the support. They need to sign off with a win going into the five week World Cup break or the dissenting voices on social media will only get louder.
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