Hibernian

Matty Fairnie
Fan writer

I couldn’t help but feel pleased for Nick Montgomery as the full-time whistle sounded in Perth, with Hibs having trounced Craig Levein’s St Johnstone in the opening round of bottom-six fixtures.

It was a refreshing change to hear the boos ringing out around the stadium without feeling the need to join in as the Hibs players took the applause of the small away support, rather than the jeers of a furious home crowd.

It must have been a fairly bruising week for Monty. With the knives already out for the manager, Hibs did little to ease the pressure on him with the board’s open letter all but telling him he better win some games or he’d be out on his ear.

The win hopefully provided a welcome tonic for the Hibs boss. His side certainly showed they were behind him with a performance that, on another day, could have comfortably yielded another three or four goals.

When we lost to St Johnstone at Easter Road a few weeks back, Hibs racked up the shot count - as we did on Saturday - but the big difference in Perth was the quality of the chances and the relentlessness of the attacks.

Rather than passive, patient and dull build-up play, Hibs attacked with pace, aggression and purpose. St Johnstone were constantly forced on to the back foot as Hibs’ forwards terrorised their defence.

Only an inspired performance from Dimitar Mitov, who again showed his quality in goal, prevented an embarrassing scoreline for Levein, who was far less jovial in his post-match interview than he was a couple of weeks back.

I’m not sure any of the results in the bottom-six fixtures will change the minds of those supporters who are already entrenched in their opinions of whether Monty’s the right man for the job or not, but more performances like this might just sway those that are still on the fence.

Matty Fairnie can be found on the Longbangers podcast., external

Jonathan Sutherland
Sportscene presenter

Two of Hibs' summer signings came to the fore at McDiarmid Park as Hibs shook off the cobwebs to pick up all three points.

Myziane Maolida has shown his quality consistently since arriving in the capital, and threatened the St Johnstone defence all afternoon.

While Emiliano Marcondes' talents have been on display in fits and starts, the midfielder showed his worth in stunning fashion with a free-kick to remember.

Sportscene pundit Neil McCann on how St Johnstone goakeeper Dimitar Mitov saved his side from an even heavier defeat against Hibs. (Available to UK users only)

Watch the best of the action from Hibernian's win over St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park. (Available to UK users only)

We asked for your thoughts on Hibernian's 3-1 win at St Johnstone on Saturday.

Here are some of your views:

Sandy: Great result but no doubt there’s going to be the usual moans - "should have been seven, should have kept a clean sheet". Leave the coaching to Nick Montgomery, that was a good enough scoreline and the football was worth the watch or listen. The team did well.

Kenny: A much better performance from the team but really too little, too late. The season's been one to forget. Montgomery's tactics have been poor and I keep thinking the job's too big for him. Playing out from the back has been his downfall but he won’t admit it. He is not direct enough and his body language doesn’t inspire confidence. He needs to go.

Marcus: I’ve been as disappointed as any Hibee this season but I’ve decided to lay off hating on the manager and give him my backing instead. Travelling up on Saturday I had a good feeling and I’m glad I was proved right against an admittedly poor Saints side, it could have been double figures with a bit more composure! Onwards and upwards, let’s finish well.

Anon: Typical Hibs, win when it doesn't matter.

George: One down, four to go. Too early to conclude anything, except that St Johnstone are dire. Still, we managed to concede one and on a couple of occasions, nearly threw away two more. On positive side, we made a bucketload of chances, but failed to take most. Monty's right: it should've been eight. But, win in Dingwall, then two at home, and then we'll see.

David: Montgomery had 29 league games to achieve top six so winning against a side in 10th in a dead rubber doesn't change my mind. Funny how leaving out duds like Nectarios Triantis and Jair Tavares works. All a bit late. However, results and performances like Saturday in the remaining four matches will see him around next term I suspect.

Cam: A performance that is too little too late. We actually played really well going forward and should have scored more, but this should have been the kind of grit and determination shown throughout the whole season, not in the bottom six. Hopefully the players learn from that.

Darren: It’ll all boil down to what quality comes in next season and if they don’t hit the ground running then the fans will be shouting for Monty’s head real quick! It’s this reason that makes me think that bringing in a new manager now is probably for the best. Were an unforgiving bunch at Easter Road.

Were you at McDiarmid Park or following the match from home? What did you think of Myziane Maolida and Emiliano Marcondes?

Does that performance change your view on Nick Montgomery?

Have your say here.

Image source, SNS

Hibernian manager Nick Montgomery tells BBC Scotland: "It was an important win for us, a good test of character. We've got a lot of character in that dressing room. Happy for the fans, a lot made the trip up.

"It was a game we needed to win and we did so comfortably. We probably could have scored eight goals, the keeper has pulled of four or five top class saves from point blank range.

"We've just about got a full squad and it was a good performance that was comfortable in the end. I'm disappointed we didn't score more and conceded one.

"The fans were disappointed we didn't make the top six. We can't change that, all we can do is finish the season strong and use that momentum going into next season."

Andrew Petrie, BBC Sport Scotland

It would be easy to have sympathy for Nick Montgomery. A good win, clinical in attack, two big January signings producing good performance.

Yet, it might be too little, too late for the Hibs manager. Any win in the bottom six is met with a shrug of the shoulders. Best of the rest holds little sway.

If you were to nit pick, it could have been more than three. Martin Boyle got into good positions, but his final ball was often lacking. Adam Le Fondre was not hugely involved, but Marcondes and Maolida dug them out.

There were also still defensive frailties. They handed St Johnstone that Sidibeh chance, and looked shaky when trying to build, but they were far better when they went direct.

We can't be too harsh. This is only the second time they've scored three goals in a league game this season. Maybe that tells its own story.

Image source, SNS

Myziane Maolida. Longjohns aside, the Comoros international was a cut above. Like that boy in a game of fives who has clearly played a bit, he was able to glide by defenders with ease, or send defenders flying with a wiggle of his hips.

He ran the show with Marcondes. Where would Hibs be if both of these players had regularly turned in performances like this?

St Johnstone: Mitov, McGowan, Gordon, Considine, Franczak, Phillips, M Smith, Robinson, Carey, Sidibeh, Clark.

Substitutes: Richards, May, MAcPherson, Wright, Kucheriavyi, Olufunwa, Kimpioka, Keltjens, C Smith.

Hibernian: Marshall, Cadden, Fish, Bushiri, Obita, Moriah-Welsh, Newell, Boyle, Marcondes, Maolida, Le Fondre.

Substitutes: Wollacott, Hanlon, Levitt, Vente, Mayenda, Stevenson, Triantis, Tavares, Campbell.

Image source, SNS

Luke Amos, Lewis Miller and Dylan Vente could return for Hibernian but Jake Doyle-Hayes remains out.

Diallang Jaiyesimi, Cammy MacPherson and Drey Wright have returned to training for St Johnstone but Sven Sprangler is still missing.

Image source, SNS

Nick Montgomery says he needs to "bring the belief back" to Hibs if he is to turn the club's fortunes around.

The Englishman replaced Lee Johnson in the Easter Road dugout last September with the club 10th in the Premiership and did oversee an upturn in form, but just three wins from their last 16 league games consigned Hibs to a bottom-six finish.

After a statement from the club's board branded that as "simply unacceptable", Montgomery insists he is the right man to take Hibs forward.

“I fully believe in what I’m doing,” he said. “A lot of the fans and people at the club when I came in believed.

“Results sometimes bring doubt, and that’s normal. Internally and collectively I need to bring that belief back because there have been a lot of challenges this season, a lot of players contracted to the club that have not contributed anything this season to Hibs, and some who may never contribute.

“We have to do a lot of work in finding new homes for some of those players. Recruitment moving forward has to be about quality over quantity."

Montgomery says he totally understands the disappointment and anger from fans, and insists there are positives to take into the final five games of this season, and the next league campaign.

“Look, it’s a big club with big expectations," he added. "I understood the pressure when I came here.

“But I’ve never wavered in my belief over where I can take this team. The stats, the metrics, everything around the season, there are a lot of positives. Ultimately, people will always reflect on the negative – and that was us missing the top six.

“I understand the fans’ frustration. I love the fans here, love their passion. We all want to win every game, so we’re on the same page.

“I apologise to the fans and the players apologise for not making the top six, but we now have to move forward.”

Image source, BBC/SNS

• St Johnstone have won their last two league meetings with Hibs; they haven’t won three in a row over the Easter Road men in the top flight in the 21st century.

• After their 1-0 defeat in December, Hibs could lose back-to-back top-flight away games at St Johnstone for the first time since October 2010.

• St Johnstone are without a win in seven home league games (D3 L4), losing their last two in a row; they last had a longer home league losing run in February 2023 (4).

• Hibs are winless in seven away league games (D5 L2); not since their final nine away games of 2013-14, when they were relegated, have they had a longer such run in the Scottish Premiership.

• St Johnstone’s Craig Levein has won each of his last three Scottish Premiership meetings with Hibs; he has never previously won four in a row against the Easter Road side in his top-flight managerial career.

Hibs travel to St Johnstone in Scottish Premiership action on Saturday, looking to start the post-split schedule in positive fashion.

Who would you like to see start for Nick Montgomery's side? Pick your Hibs XI here.

Liam Bryce, football writer for the Hibs Observer, talks to the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast about the club's season to date.

• Listen to the episode in full here.

Image source, SNS

Former Hibs midfielder Scott Allan believes there's a disconnect between the Easter Road side and its support after the club's bottom-six finish.

The 31-year-old, who now plays for Larne in the Republic of Ireland, enjoyed three spells in Leith, first joining under Allan Stubbs in 2014.

But he feels Nick Montgomery's side are currently falling short of supporters' expectations and fears a squad overhaul in the summer will hamper their progression.

"A lot of the time when you watch Hibs, I find them quite unrecognisable in terms of their style of play and what the fans kind of demand," Allan told BBC's Scottish Football Podcast.

"I get the feeling there's not a connect as such between the Hibs fans and the team at the moment, which happens when you go through poor results.

"But leading up to the split, Hibs had been in a good place. They put a couple of back -to-back wins together and they just needed home wins.

"The game against St. Johnstone, Hibs have got to be winning that. And I think that's the problem. When you get a defeat there, it leads on and that's the story of Hibs' season.

"It's probably a very frustrating watch for the fans. We're now talking about a clear-out again in the summer. That seems to be every summer, every transfer window now for Hibs.

"And the turnover of players, it's also well spoken about. You're never going to get success with a team if it's constant turnover.

"When you're in a changing room with players, you make friendships, then he's gone, there's a new guy in. It's very hard to then create a very good team bond."

Alasdair Lamont is joined by former Scott Allan and Liam Bryce for a special edition of the Scottish Football Podcast, as they focus on the current state of affairs at Hibernian.

They discuss how damaging it was for the club and Nick Montgomery to miss out on the top six, and ask where Hibs go from here.

• Listen to the episode in full here.

With several Hibs players' contracts expiring in the summer, we asked you which of them you would like to see stay at Easter Road.

Here's what you had to say:

Michael: In all honesty there are not many I would keep at Hibs. Maolida and Marcondes get pass marks for loan signings I’d like to keep. I think there are better centre-halves out there than Fish and Triantis. The squad needs a desperate clear-out and to start afresh next season. A solid structure is well needed.

Darren: I'd keep Obita, Welsh, Marcondes and Maolida. I genuinely think the rest are replaceable. I know players have contracts but I’d be putting the rest on the transfer list. We need a better standard of player than we currently have and unfortunately I have little or no faith in the people tasked with player recruitment.

Lindsay: Disappointing season where our defensive play has not been effective, but even if I am wary to isolate individuals, there needs to be personnel changes at the back. We all too often lose a critical passing move coming out from the back. I would dispense with Marshall, Hanlon, Levitt, Tavares, Stevenson and coach Youan on the tracking and marking side.

Lewis: Marshall, bye. Maolida, stay. Marcondes, stay. Moriah-Welsh, stay. Paul Hanlon, bye.

Hibernian may bring in a new technical director above director of football Brian McDermott and head coach Nick Montgomery, with the search spearheaded by Bill Foley's Black Knight FC as part of an ongoing review at Easter Road. (Sun), external

Matty Fairnie
Fan writer

It was Scottish Cup semi-final weekend - or for us Hibs fans, just the weekend seeing as our team opted out of the competition in the previous round.

Still though, Hibs did their bit to keep us talking with the release of an open letter from the board to the support. They said performances and the bottom-six finish were "simply unacceptable" as they promised a full review of the football operations and offered Nick Montgomery a stay of execution for the time being.

While some of the statement was an exercise in stating the obvious, the confirmation of a review into the massively under-performing football department - the important bit - is interesting.

While Hibs stopped short of revealing the scope of the review, I would hope it includes a critically objective look at the structure, people and facilities that contribute to a performance on a Saturday afternoon.

From youth team, analysts, physios and coaches, through to those responsible for recruitment, the manager, and the exec team who are decision makers that influence who is hired and fired at the club, all must come under the microscope.

We need to be set up to make the most of the network of clubs we were brought into and this review needs to ensure that happens to the benefit of our team first and foremost.

I expect to see significant change at the club as a result of the review, and it’s essential the review is thorough but also completed with enough urgency that changes can be made to set us up for a successful season ahead.

For this weekend, Montgomery has the opportunity to put right the home defeat to St Johnstone before the split.

A win would go a small way to rebuilding some faith from the support, but crucially we should be looking to vastly improve on the performance from the last match between the sides.

Matty Fairnie can be found on the Longbangers podcast., external