23 May 2016 09:15:03
I seriously wonder if some of the posters here actually watched the game. Sure, we're all entitled to our opinions but some of the criticism directed at players is off the scale. Foderingham made some crucial saves, McKay didn't play badly, he hardly got the ball and wasn't given free reign to move to the right or middle, Zelalem was our calmest player in possession of the ball and controlled much of the midfield and Wilson made Cummings look like a very poor player.
I agree Kiernan was shocking and Waghorn totally ineffectual and Halliday spends too much time on the ball before getting a pass off but I'll cut Tavernier some slack due to the blow he took to his knee early in the game and played in a lot of pain.
The learning that needs to be done and never is, is squarely in the hands of our coach and his policy of substitutions. We've seen it many times this season and have snatched the proverbial defeat from the jaws of victory because of it. His insistence to play Shiels, his 34th sub appearance of the season on Saturday, has left me with more questions than answers. Like Falkirk's Peter Houston did against us, Stubbs won the touchline battle with his use of subs. We'll learn from it.
23 May 2016 09:41:13
K, fraser, Rangers never turned up, well apart from kenny miller, it happens in football all the time, we just picked the wrong game to do it, sorry but our defence is shocking and if we don't fix it, were in trouble, but we're back in the premiership so our target was achieved.
23 May 2016 10:11:31
I would tend to agree with most of that Kfraser but McKay was non existent. I would have had him off for Law and I don't really rate Law.
I would also say I believe Holt didn't turn up and the midfield battle was lost before the game started due to our players still on holiday from their 3 week break.
Tav I can't cut slack because he is grown man. A man grown in a cup final. If adrenaline can't drive a grown man in a cup final to dig deep and find something then I give up on sport. I have seen athletes carry on during sport with broken bones and ligament tears so please do not provide an excuse for inexcusable defending.
23 May 2016 10:48:09
To make excuses for Tavernier is frankly laughable. He isn't an 8 year old schoolboy wanting to get out of gym class he is a grown man. If u watched the game u will see he didn't seem bothered with his knee of the few ocasions he did go forward. Bottom line he can't defend and not for the first time he was culpable for goals conceded. Overall the team wasn't prepared for the game, Waghorn was clearly not fit and Hibs were hungrier, quicker and far better on the day.
23 May 2016 10:54:48
I posted after the game that I thought Zelalem was very good indeed so I don't know why he gets pelters on here and why Warburton took him off to replace him with Shiels! I'd have him back in the team next season if Arsenal release him again. We missed Ball and Forrester and I'm sure O'Halloran could have made an impact if he hadn't been cup-tied. I also agree with the poster who said Wilson had a good game. Replace Keirnan with an experienced CB and that could work.
23 May 2016 12:54:23
Agree with the comments about Shiels. 34 substitute appearances all season and I can't think of a game he actually did anything in. Don't see the point of playing the likes of Law, Shiels and Clark when they know they won't be getting a new contract and will be gone. Far better to have kept the likes of Murdoch, Thompson and Hardie and had them on the bench to come on. I'm sure Murdoch would have been happy with 34 substitute appearances and would have been far better than Shiels.
23 May 2016 09:35:07
I was at the game and the criticism is NOT off the scale. The players were shocking, 2nd to every ball, gave hibs too much space, and the defending abysmal. And if MW say's we will learn from it then he's kidding himself. All season the frailties have been evident but did he get an experienced Cb or Gk in January? No, he went for more attackers. Give me strength.
We need a Gk cb's and cm's that will take control not ship 3 goals every game. Pathetic and embarrassing. Granted we achieved what our aim was, we have stability in the club, warbs had 6 wks to sort the team pre season. We can't start the prem with that squad except maybe 3 or 4. Dig deep Mr king, big changes needed.