Coventry Saint

Don't most clubs train on fake pitches nowadays? Very odd.

I've just watched the highlights again there and, in the interests of balance, I have to say Ethan was horribly out of the game for their second goal. Sheron actually does marginally better, position-wise, but they are both horribly exposed. Spoilered analysis of the goal below.

Inconsistency is what winds me up more than anything. Shaugnessy's red card vs Ross County was absolutely a red... so why wasn't the County player given a red for a very similar offence in the first half? Willie Collum's laser-focused vision that enabled him to spot the Shaughnessy tackle from the touchline seemed to desert him at the weekend when missing two clear and critical handballs from the Hibs players. (Wouldn't have changed the outcome, but 2-1 is better than 3-0.) Jamie McGrath stuck out a leg and got tripped on the edge of the box vs Rangers at Ibrox and it wasn't given. I was fine with that in itself because he was totally looking for it, but I felt aggrieved because I'm 100% certain what Dallas would have given had it happened at the other end. The whole scenario with Saturday's game therefore doesn't bother me, tbh, as long as it's applied consistently. It was desperately unlucky, because it happened to be all of our keepers, but that's us being a victim of circumstance, as opposed to specific unfairness. As long as this is applied to everyone else in the same way, and I'm sure it will be, then we're golden.

We all know Kyle blows hot and cold, but Durmus has been the real shock for me. I had him down to be one of our most influential players this season but he's been atrocious. He doesn't look like he's firing on all cylinders at all. If he hadn't just had several months off, you'd say he looks like he needs a rest. It's completely bizarre. Also though McGrath was quiet on Saturday.

Yeah, I think that was broadly my point (4) - though I was determined not to whinge about the goalie situation, the first one went right through him. The second was a decent finish but the boy was in acres of space to pick his shot. If Sheron's not snuffing out those chances at the edge of the box then I'm really not sure what he's for. I think we had a complete heads gone for the spell that led up to the second, too. Other than that, we actually played some ok stuff at times, albeit most of it at 2-0/3-0 down when Hibs were arguably just in game management/counter-attack mode.

The issues* were there for everyone to see on Saturday, but I'm going to go full happy clapper and point out some positives: 1) Ethan was very good. Way better than we had any right to expect. Not everything came off for him, which is understandable, but he was always looking to play forward passes. When there was movement in front of him, he was doing an ok job of finding it. The absolute madness of playing a guy in his preferred position. I think we've got a real talent there and I hope we can somehow still offer him enough minutes when the squad is at full strength (also applies to point 2). 2) MacPherson has lost his place in the first XI, for whatever reason. All you can ask of him is that he works hard and shows that he needs to be included. He did that on Saturday. Coming on at 3-0 down, late in the game, is far from ideal, but he instantly improved the way we were moving the ball around, and he certainly wasn't hiding. 3) Dennis looked rusty and, I assume, picked up a knock, but some of his movement was promising. We won't play 4-4-2 all the time - and certainly won't be on Wednesday - but it has potential. 4) We should have had a penalty, and the third goal should have been chalked off. I'm not saying we get anything from the game if we get those decisions, but 2-1 in the circumstances is a LOT better than 3-0. 5) This might be the Pro Evo player in me, but I liked the look of Connolly. He's probably a bit of a one-trick pony - head down, kick 'n chase, whipped balls in - but once strikers learn what he's trying to do, he could get a few assists this season. And my god, we need to get balls into the box like I can't describe. 6) I still like Morias as an option from the bench. He's such a unit: much bigger players just bounce off him. He will be our most-used sub this season. 7) I liked the look of Erwin. I'm hoping he turns out to be like a good Cody Cooke.

Even then, I'm not sure he would.

I forgot Shaughnessy was back, tbh. Yeah, agree with that. But Jim will go stodgy, I reckon. Cammy was good when he came on, and I like the look of Connolly. He was actually trying to get to the byline and cross the ball. Mental.

Agreed. Cammy and Erhahon in for Celtic or we riot.

Four goals in four minutes is a big ask for Morias, but I've got my fingers crossed.

Fuxake. McAllister ballwatching there, totally flat footed. Our long balls to the head of Gogic simply haven't worked today. I hope we change that for Celtic.

I simply don't believe that Jack Baird is so bad that it's been worth pulling the team out of shape to this extent to avoid playing him. He could have been playing and still got his move to Ayr while we found a replacement.

Was it leathered from point blank range?

While I didn't see it hit both his hands, it certainly wasn't a point-blank blasted ball as you suggested. Definitely a handball by any interpretation of the rules.

Hibs quite happy to let us keep the ball there. Any time they nicked it off us, they looked dangerous. That said, a short spell of complete disarray has undermined an almost passable performance. The 4-4-2 looks ok, though we're being beasted in that hole between defence and midfield. Sheron is poor; I suspect Jim didn't want to play too young a midfield with Ethan and Cammy. Just watching Sheron's saved effort and it's actually a really lazy finish. Lacked conviction. Get him hooked and see how we go from there.

He's actually picked up a bit the last five. I'd give him an hour, at least. Ethan has been good. Few sloppy moments but decent on the whole.

Hope the highlights package picks up that bit where we strung six passes together.

Looked like a handball there, then. It hasn't even annoyed me.

Also: where is the real Ilkay Durmus? He's been a shadow of the player we had last season. Edit: @djchapsticks

When even Willie Collum is taking pity on you and changing his mind about what looked a dead cert booking, you know things are bad.

Jeeeeesus. Was just thinking we'd not started badly but I'd not realised we were planning on giving the Hibs midfield all the fucking time and space they want. Edit: when was the last time, in any game, we played a ball across the box like either of the ones Hibs have scored from?

They're good guys, those Hearts fans.

Like a cup of cold sick. Check the responses to this tweet:

I wasn't going to bother with the game today but we're just too box office.

Imagine growing up a) a Hearts fan and b) with the surname Cockburn. No wonder he's livid.