The Hibs players owe Shaun Maloney and the fans a performance against Hearts in the Scottish Cup semi-final.
Hibs started the weekend derby at Tynecastle really well and got the goal but in the second half they were terrible. They were really poor and they chucked it at 3-1.
There are ways to get beat in a derby. Yes, you could get beat 3-1 and have a go in the second half but Hibs just totally chucked it.
There was nothing there for the fans. The second-half performance was worrying for me as a supporter and worrying for Hibs.
Hearts ran over the top of them, bullied them and eased through the game. It was men against boys and that is just not good enough.
Looking out from the away end, there wasn’t a lot of fight. There has to be a lot more fight on Saturday at Hampden.
I just don’t think there was any belief in the team at all when it went to 3-1. No belief at all that we could get back into that game. That, for me, was very alarming.
There are ways to get beat. You can have a go and get beat four or 5-1 but at least you have had a go to get back in the game.
Hibs seemed to settle for it and that’s nowhere near good enough.
I saw Paul Hanlon come out and say it is totally unacceptable for Hibs not to be in the top six and I totally agree.
I have been part of a Hibs team that has finished third and also in the bottom six. I have seen both sides and know the fans will not accept being in the bottom six.
They will be going to Hampden demanding the players show more fight and guts.
These games are massive in the supporters’ eyes.
Look at Robbie Neilson. Hibs came back in a cup tie derby from 2-0 down in 2016 and went on to lift the Scottish Cup on that memorable day at Hampden.
Hearts fans held that against Robbie for a long time.
Like most Hibs fans, I will be going to the semi-final but I’m not looking forward to it. Hearts have won the last three against us at Hampden. Hibs have a poor record.
I will be there with HibsTV and Hearts will be favourites again. Look at the gap in the league. It is 19 points now and Hibs haven’t beaten them this season.
It is a big ask to go to Hampden and win on the back of everything that’s gone on.
Bizarrely, the pressure is more on Hearts now because of what is at stake. But if Hibs lose then there isn’t really a lot to play.
It is not out with the realm of possibility that Maloney’s men could still get dragged down to that relegation play-off place, especially if they struggle to get a result or two. That is why so much rests on this game.
I wouldn’t blame Shaun for Tynecastle. You have to blame the players. That team should have been good enough to get a result. They showed that in the first half an hour.
So it has to be put on the players.
Bar Harry Clarke, there wasn’t anyone who got pass marks.
You are never going to win a derby if only one person gets pass marks.
The whole team has to step up. Shaun has options, Darren McGregor, for example. His best days might be behind them but he knows how to win a derby.
I would bring him in and Lewis Stevenson for a bit of big occasion experience.
Hibs have brought in a lot of good young players, that seems to be the model, and why I would be looking to McGregor and Stevenson.
I don’t think there is any pressure on Shaun, unless it is a really heavy defeat. Then? It’s question time.
You need to give the guy time because he has been in for less than 20 games.
I don’t think Shaun has been helped by injury either. He has lost some big players in Martin Boyle and Kevin Nisbet and Christian Doidge has struggled with injury so those are three players who scored the vast majority of Hibs’ goals last season.
He needs to be given another window and see how we get on at the start of next season.
The club made a big decision to get rid of Jack Ross and go with Shaun and need to give him time.
You can’t keep chopping and changing your manager every 15 to 20 games.
