Managers live and die by their recruitment. Get more right than wrong and there shouldn’t be a problem.
But Hibs right now are getting way more wrong than right. And it IS a problem. I’m not for a second saying Lee Johnson is solely to blame as the record of questionable signings goes back long before he arrived. There needs to be real scrutiny on the recruitment department and the whole scouting network at Easter Road.
Where are they getting these players from? How are they compiling their lists of targets? It’s simply not been good enough. Ron Gordon is putting money in and they’re paying fees. But the remit seems to be buy young and hope for a gem to sell for big money. Elias Melkersen, Runar Hauge, Ellie Youan, Rocky Bushiri and Nohan Kenneh are prime examples. That would be okay if it wasn’t for the fact none of them look likely to do that.
It pains me to make comparisons with the noisy neighbours in the capital but look at Hearts ’ business. Robbie Neilson signed three guys in the last year - Lawrence Shankland, Barrie McKay and Alan Forrest - who are experienced players at this level that you know are going to produce the goods. They’ve all been excellent for Hearts.
Look at Aberdeen too. They were even worse than Hibs last season. So they identified and brought in players who would turn them round in an instant. Bojan Miovski is banging in the goals, Ylber Ramadani looks excellent and Anthony Stewart was brought in as skipper. They have had eight new signings in their starting line-up the last two weeks and won both games convincingly.
But Hibs? There were eight players in Saturday’s starting XI against St Mirren that were Jack Ross regulars a year ago - what does that tell you about the signings?
Clearly that the manager reckons they’re not as good as he ones who were there last season. That’s a major problem.
Since the beginning of January I counted 19 players have been signed and only one is an upgrade. David Marshall. I’m not counting Martin Boyle as he was already there at the beginning of January.
And that brings me on to another major issue. The lack of goals.
Christian Doidge hasn’t scored in the Premiership since August 8 last year. HIs hat-trick against Clyde in the cup was his only goals in his last 29 games.
Ellie Youan has not scored in 2022 - 14 league games going back to his time in Switzerland. Even Ewan Henderson - one goal in 21 games for Hibs since he signed.
Other than Boyle the strikers are misfiring badly at Easter Road. Yet you have Ethan Laidlaw who has scored for the U18s, the B team and the development squad this season. But he hasn’t had a sniff of the top team.
Why is he not getting an opportunity? Why are Hibs not throwing in their own talent?
The guys up front right now are not producing. I’ve seen Laidlaw playing and as a fellow striker I’m impressed. He is quick, has good movement and can clearly find the net.
He’s keen. He might only be 17 but he works hard and the Hibs fans are desperate for a young striker from their own academy to step up.
When was the last time we had that? I don’t think there’s been a young forward had an opportunity since Oli Shaw.
Here’s a young player with bags of potential, banging in the goals at all levels and not getting a sniff because of two guys that have not scored a league goal between them in 2022. Surely he’s worth a shot on the bench?
Hibs have already lost a young player - Connor Young - to Rangers this year because he never got an opportunity. They can’t afford to risk losing others.
We might only be five games into the league campaign but there’s already pressure on to win against Kilmarnock on Saturday. Hibs fans will turn up to Easter Road expecting to win that’s a given and if there’s a slow start then the pressure will intensify.
The players need to fly out the blocks and get the crowd behind them. It’s a huge game and there’s no excuses for Hibs. They have to go out and win.
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