Pleasing Transfer Window For Hibs

It’s been an intriguing summer transfer window for Hibs fans and one which has pleased the vast majority of us.

A raft of departures saw the likes of Liam Craig and Scott Robertson depart alongside Franck Dje Djede and a host of youngsters.

Head Coach Alan Stubbs didn’t hang around to strengthen. In came Dan Carmichael and James Keatings on the back of Fraser Fyvie commiting himself for a further two years after his short term six month contract ended.

Liam Fontaine’s re-signing was a blessing with the Englishman, ever so impressive in his debut season in the Scottish Championship, agreeing to a new year deal amidst rumours of interest from south of the border.

Martin Boyle was another who joined the summer influx having spent the latter half of 2014/15 on loan at Easter Road with another loanee from that campaign, Mark Oxley, deciding his future lay in the capital and the ‘keeper signed on for what seems the standard two year stay.

A surprise capture was that of Marvin Bartley who pitched up from Leyton Orient but the arrival of the promising John McGinn was somewhat overshadowed by the whole Scott Allan transfer saga which saw Hibs essentially tell Rangers to beat it before selling him to arch rivals Celtic: a transfer that made many poke fun at the Ibrox side who’d seen three offers rebuffed by the Hibees. The inclusion of talented Liam Henderson on a loan deal for the season was a Brucie Bonus.

With the season underway Stubbs wasn’t quite finished on the transfer front. Dylan McGeouch arrived from Celtic having been another loanee last term, this time in a permanent deal, and his progression should be rapid when he’s playing every week.

Darren McGregor, lifelong Hibee and current Rangers player of the year joined within 24 hours of his strange release from the Ibrox club having agreed the now familiar ‘mutual termination’ of his contract.

So, rolling up to transfer deadline day, Hibs made it clear they were after a striker and just like the buses two came along.

Islam Feruz, 19 years old, cocky, talented, confident but with question marks hanging over his head regarding attitude and application, came back ‘home’ with Chelsea covering the Somalian born Glaswegian’s wages for the duration.

The Stamford Bridge club were even kind enough to offer Hibs a get out clause which could see him return to London should his spell end in tears, tantrums or tedium.

After his arrival Hibs fans were hoping to see Stevie May or Anthony Stokes unveiled so the announcement of Henri Anier was a little disappointing with the Estonian joining on another loan, this time not from an English giant but the not quite so mighty Dundee United.

Anier impressed during his first spell in Scotland at Motherwell and he probably hasn’t been helped by joining a United side which has been pretty awful since the sales of Stuart Armstrong and Gary Mackay Steven to Celtic. Furthermore the emergence of Nadir Cifti as a top class Premiership striker didn’t help his cause in trying to win over United fans who saw him as something of a panic or bargain basement buy.

All told, Stubbs seems to have amassed a fantastic squad for the Scottish second tier and the aim of automatic promotion can surely only be denied by Rangers but the talent and depth within this Hibernian squad is certainly more than capable of carrying the fight to the blue half of the Old Firm.