Missing the top six is a huge failure for the Easter Road club and there’s obvious problems on the pitch that need addressed more than anything.
Bill Foley was granted access to Hibs’ engine in under 40 days.
After a disappointing season, Bournemouth’s billionaire owner’s Black Knight consortium will oversee a review of the club’s football structure, just over a month after receiving permission to invest. Something must alter at a club that has strayed significantly from its intended path.
Suggestions that director of football Brian McDermott be shifted into a more recruitment-focused role, with another DOF brought in, reeks of further bureaucracy at a time when the club desperately needs a simplified, clear strategy.Nick Montgomery’s position is not under threat right now, which is understandable given a slew of sackings that have further exacerbated the situation.
But the burden has increased on the Yorkshireman. The five post-split fixtures in the bottom half are no longer dead rubbers. Suddenly, Montgomery has come into sharper focus. And it’s fair to argue that the manager needs to improve results between now and the conclusion of the season, when he hopes to be allowed the all-important second transfer window to stamp his authority on the club.
Who takes the lead in the summer recruitment process could be critical. Will Hibs’ partnership with Foley’s consortium provide a “edge,” as chief executive Ben Kensell suggested last month? Will Montgomery have last say on who comes in? Does he have the support of the incoming board member?
If there is one thing we can take away from Foley’s 18 months in charge of Bournemouth, it is that he does not hesitate to make major decisions. Gary O’Neil was fired less than a year ago after leading the Cherries to a solid 15th place result.
It was controversial with many of the fans, but when asked about it months later, Foley said it “wasn’t a difficult one”. Why? O’Neil did not play the attacking style of game that Foley had in mind.
However, Hibs’ situation this season has been mostly the opposite. An extremely expansive approach, as well as an unwillingness to deal with unpleasant situations.
Incredibly, they have lost 22 points by allowing goals in the final 15 minutes. The soft centre dates back to Hibs’ opening game of the season, when they came back to 2-2 against St Mirren only to lose it in the 89th minute.
That, of course, occurred under Lee Johnson’s watch before the Englishman was fired. Hibs lead 2-0 with more than an hour remaining in Montgomery’s debut game as manager against Kilmarnock. Final score: 2-2. A month later, after leading 2-0 at home to Ross County with 16 minutes remaining, the game ended 2-2.
The following week, after leading 2-1 in injury time against St Mirren, what happened? A 2-2 draw. There is more. Hearts’ last-gasp winner in the holiday derby in Leith, Celtic’s 92nd-minute winner at Easter Road, Ross County’s 98th-minute level in Dingwall and St Johnstone stealing all three points from Leith with a goal nine minutes from time.
Is it any surprise that as the Fir Park clock struck the 94th minute on Saturday, with a 1-0 advantage that put them in the top six of the live table, every Hibs fan in the stadium was fearing the worst? And so it happened.
The Hibees’ major issue this season has been game management. This is a responsibility shared by both the dugout staff and the players. You don’t need much of a review to know that.
It will be interesting to see how they seek to resolve the situation in the coming months. However, for the time being, the best thing Montgomery could do to ensure he remains at the wheel next season is to finish first in the split by winning. And winning well.
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