Four games into the season and it’s already clear the challenge that faces Hibernian in their attempts to gain promotion from the Championship.
Defeat against Falkirk saw Hibs slump to a second successive loss and despite being the better side it’s clear investment is required to improve a squad which is light in numbers and average on the field.
The Easter Road side sit six points behind City rivals Hearts at this early stage and if alarm bells weren’t ringing in the boardroom prior to this afternoon they should be deafening CEO Leeann Dempster this evening.
Once again it appears money is getting spent on infrastructure with a backroom size almost equal to that of the first team but the fans are sick of restructure after restructure and demand to see an improvement where it matters.
Of course this was never going to happen overnight but appointing a rookie manager with one hand tied behind his back in comparison to league rivals Rangers and Hearts is hardly fulfilling the CEO’s commitment to providing a strong push for promotion to the Premiership.
Agreed season ticket sales have slumped but offset this against the SPFL parachute payment of £500k and the club should be on an even keel financially in comparison to last season.
However it appears our new Chief Executive is moulded from the same stuff as our former and although Stubbs keeps assuring us he’s happy with the squad he’s got, the fans aren’t and the ambiguous statement of quality signings over quantity is becoming ever tiresome.
In reality this summer has saw Hibs sign permanently three players in David Gray, Farid El Alagui and Scott Allan. Matthew Kennedy and Mark Oxley have arrived on loan.
The shortcomings on the park are becoming more evident on a weekly basis and if Dempster wants the fans goodwill towards her to continue she’d better dig deep and come up with the money to fund at least two more quality signings before deadline day.
Hibs fans are sick to the back teeth of broken promises, statements of intent and being led up the garden path – the bull**** has to stop and it has to stop right now.
Supporters will back the club if they see it showing ambition but as it stands, after three defeats in four, it’s more like Groundhog Day, or season if you prefer.
At this moment in time it would appear the limit of the club’s ambition is merely to compete for a Championship play off place and that’s not nearly good enough, not nearly good enough at all.
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My mate was in the pub by 4:30 yesterday as he was so fed up with what he was seeing on the park yesterday. Hes been a regular and season ticket holder for nearly 40 years. Through “Hands of Hibs” and away visits to European matches including friendlies in places like Magdeburge. Ibrox and Parkhead being spat at and dodging to bottles of *****. Theres a strong chance he could be in the pub by 3 every saturday now. Hes a perfect example of where Hibs are at the moment.
That’s brutal John. Like you I know lots of stay away fans and yesterday there were only three of us at the game whereby in the past there has been as many as ten. All season ticket holders at some stage but now most couldn’t give a hoot about Hibs unless it’s derby day and that’s not changing until the club shows some ambition and Petrie goes. If Petrie is still hindering LD in her work then the fans have to know but if he’s not then the success or failure comes down to her and her ability to back her man.
Its one thing having the most professional backroom staff and facilities in Scottish football but if you havnt got the players to match? I know ill get slaughtered for this but I reckon the board have already accepted we wont get up this season and are planning to follow Hearts and Rangers up in 2016 when we’ll be up against the likes of Ross County and Falkirk for promotion. I cant believe they really think we’ll go up this year looking at our unspectacular signings. No offence to the new lads but we expected more after such a massive cull.
I think what both have you have mentioned regarding Hibby friends is a sad indictment of how the fans view the club these days and make no mistake those who aren’t going now are in no rush to come back and the longer this happens then the longer it’ll take to entice them back. When LD came in stating her aim was automatic promotion, I now believe, like John above, that it was merely soundbites to appease an apathetic support. Their aim seems to be to again rebuild, hope for a playoff spot and go for a full promotion push next term. The problem there is 1) You lose all goodwill from the support 2) Season ticket sales will again dwindle and 3) No one believes your spin. It’s a low place at the moment and it’s not a nice feeling.