Please Don’t Turn The Clock Back!

Today’s Edinburgh Evening News has run an article claiming Alan Stubbs would be interested in a return to Easter Road as manager once Neil Lennon’s departure is confirmed.

I bet that this has came as a surprise to all Hibs supporters.

Personally, I love Alan Stubbs. Some of the football his teams played against top flight opposition while we were “re-structuring” in the second tier was breathtaking. Then there’s the small matter of securing that Scottish Cup victory. The man is a bona fide Hibernian Legend as he should be. Does that mean I’d like to see him back at the club? Hell no.

Part of Stubbsy’s success at Hibs, in fact a whole lot of his success, was down to his backroom appointments. Andy Holden and John Doolan were instrumental behind the scenes and the trio as a unit were fantastic for the club.

Doolan in particular “got” Hibs straight away. His emotions were never far from the surface and his comments in the aftermath of the Cup success following the death of his father showed exactly what Hibernian Football Club meant to him. Having spoken to him on occasion since his departure it’s clear he’ll never lose his affinity to Hibs.

Unfortunately it’s unlikely either Holden or Doolan would accompany Stubbs on a return journey to Easter Road. The Liverpudlian tried to go alone at St Mirren and became the first managerial casualty of the season almost before a ball had been kicked in earnest.

His success in the transfer market at Hibs was unfortunately not replicated at Saints who view him as their Ian Cathro equivalent. There were very few failed signings during his tenure at Easter Road and he was the figurehead responsible for bringing John McGinn, Dylan McGeouch and Scott Allan to the club. Mavericks such as Dominique Malonga and Anthony Stokes performed well for him. David Gray was his first signing and that didn’t turn out badly.

There were a couple of head scratchers of course. Franck Dja Djédjé and Adam Eckersley immediately spring to mind but by and large his transfer market dealings were better than decent.

Unfortunately his time at Easter Road, much like Neil Lennon’s has came and went. Why tarnish a legacy?