Predictable title this week but it seemed very apt.
11pts – 8pts – 5pts 2pts – level. Its been an interesting month! And the folk that managed to get a few quid on Hibs to win the championship at 20/1 will be feeling not too bad at the minute. Best price is around 9/2 now.
In my last blog, I ended it by saying I still felt that Rangers would edge the league, and even after Saturdays results, my gut feeling hasn’t changed. We are on a fantastic run. 8 wins in a row, with a win at Morton completing the full set, goals coming from Cummings & Keatings as well as some from midfield, and the defence continuing to add to it’s clean sheet tally. But the Hibby in me always has this feeling that the wheels will come off at some point. I still have it in my head that we will slip up more in the run of the mill games (even though our current run is saying otherwise). I suppose recent years have almost made this feeling second nature, but thankfully our players seem to have a different mentality to the fans these days.
The good thing for us Hibbies, is my gut feeling is often wrong! Last season I was quite vocal that Rangers would win the league, and even at this point last season I thought that Rangers would turn their form around, Hearts would have a slip up and Rangers would nick the title, but that simply didn’t happen.
The things that are in my head that is arguing that we CAN win the league is – out of the 2 squads, we definitely have better depth. We could pick up an injury or suspension in basically any position and I’d be happy with the player waiting to step in. Rangers on the other hand, if they lost Wallace or Tavernier, it would make a huge difference to them. Also, our form has improved and we seem to be getting better and better when it comes to grinding out results, whereas Rangers seem to have run out of a bit of steam in recent weeks. I think the biggest thing has to be, take one game at a time. Its a great feeling for every single game to be so important tho. Last season by this point, a playoff spot was basically the best we could achieve, whereas now we really do appear to be in a title battle and it would be great for us and also the league if it could go down to the wire.
I am enjoying the media battle between Stubbs and Warburton. When Warburton was Brentford manager, and first got the Rangers job, he came across as thoughtful and intelligent. I suppose the fact was, as Brentford manager he’d never been under any real pressure, and the same could be said for his opening 3 months as Rangers manager. The cracks are beginning to show tho. He reacts too quickly to the questions from the media relating to comments Stubbs has made, and twice now he has got the wrong end of the stick. The media must be having a field day. And also, he needs to learn that adding “respectfully” to the start or end of a sentence does NOT make it respectful. Stubbs is playing a blinder tho. He is very honest with the media, and seems prepared to answer any questions they ask him, and if it ruffles the feathers of our rivals, then fantastic. Apparently Rangers aren’t thinking about hibs – yet Halliday, Warburton, Wallace, Waghorn, Kiernan and Holt have ALL been in the papers recently talking about us. Yeah, DEFINITELY aren’t thinking about us are you!!!
Prior commitments meant I didn’t make the Alloa game last Saturday, which I was really disappointed at (although my memories of the terracing last season in 105 minutes of pouring rain eased my yearning). From listening to the radio, reading Hibs.net updates and watching the highlights tho, it seems that it yet again was much more comfortable than the 1-0 scoreline made it look. The difference between this season and last season is the fact that we are managing to get the breakthrough. Last year we just couldn’t work out how to get past these 10 man defences, which is interesting considering Scott Allan was our superstar. I suppose the difference is, teams had to shut Allan down last year, and if they did that, we were stuck, whereas now, if they shut down Mcginn, then Fyvie, Mcgeouch, Henderson, Keatings could all unlock a defence, and Jason Cummings continues to improve every week. I feel he is much more than a goalscorer now – he is a player that can create a goal from nothing. So all in all, it continues to look good. I’ve secured my tickets for Morton already. I’ve never been to Cappielow before so it should be interesting, although this uncovered stand should be fun in the December weather!!
Things continue to look good off the park. Communication was always a major issue to Hibs fans. The club used to tell us nothing. These days we have great communication from our fan elected board members, and we even have our CEO going onto forums thanking the fans for their support. It really is great to see. My dad and I are already shareholders, but we decided at the weekend to donate to HSL too. It really seems to be gathering momentum at the minute and I think it will be a great day when the fans can finally say they have majority shareholding in the club. Ok it may take time to get to that (we don’t have the threat of our club going pop to force us into donating) but I think some of the apathy that people have got lost in in recent years, is starting to disappear. We’re having to REALLY dig deep to try and find things to moan about these days – the biggest issue at the next AGM will end up being the quality of a steak pie, or the price of a tea!
away from the football, I am not long home from the Proclaimers gig at the Rothes halls. Was as usual a cracking gig and I upset my son by face timing him from the concert during sunshine on leith so he could see the Hibs scarves. I also managed to upset an Aberdeen fan by reminding him that the Hibees were to blame for his sides downward spiral this year. Needless to say, he didn’t agree.
Its so frustrating that after an international break, we very quickly find ourselves without a game at the weekend again. I personally hate the international break. I back Scotland, but I normally count down the days for domestic football to return it does look like our players have enjoyed a wee break tho and it’s fantastic to see so many of them socialising, thanks to the likes of Facebook and Twitter. Our players seem to be a real close knit group at the minute. Long may it continue.
Now, where exactly is Greenock??
From The Capital 