The Recipe For Semi Success

[Seven Tattoos]

Hertz, justifiably, go into the semi as favourites. They've pumped us twice this season, they are a far stronger (in the physical sense) team than us and in Gordon, Pressley and Webster they possibly have the best all Scottish defensive spine to a team since Leighton, McLeish and Miller of Ferguson's Dons two decades ago. However, as we proved on 29.10.05 they are not unbeatable. But if we are to emerge victorious on the day (cos I can't see it requiring a replay) we'll need to do all of the following:
(a) don't let those b@stards score first
(b) don't get any of our influential players, i.e. Sproule, Killen, Murphy, pole-axed by them early doors
(c) keep it goal-less til half-time
(d) fight like lions
(e) defend our end like Middle Eastern terrorists (on and off the park!)
(f) score late!

I see this game as being very similar to our trip to The Lodge back in February. I watched the game live on Sky that day and, while Hibs gave a fair account of themselves during the first half, I don't think any fair-minded observer could have complained if we'd been a goal down at the break. That we weren't was due to a combination of teamwork, tight defending, good goalkeeping, poor finishing by them and that mysterious quality you just can't legislate for, a bit of luck. You could see Hibs grow the longer the game remained goalless. You could also see Rangers found it difficult without the comfort of that early goal.

If you look at recent derbies then you have to go back to Sunday 21.10.01 for the last time we actually won a derby in which we scored before half-time. Indeed the last two home victories have seen goals from the 78th minute onwards (GOC 17.8.03, Boozy & GOC back in October).

I could see us coming from behind to win, we did it against them at Swinie only last April, but if they get a couple of goals up then it's goodnight to our hopes and aspirations.

We owe them good style for Jan 28th, I really feel that without the groundswell of emotion caused by Mercer's death at a relatively young age it could have been a different game. Also, a strong ref and a physically tough Hibs peformance is required. I'm sick of them kicking us off the park. Sometimes it feels that Neil Berry never retired.

[CadgeMac]

agree with you there, i think a similar performace from the rangers game in february is required, and theres always apart in the cup run where you look back (if we win) and say we were always going to win ie browns finger tip save from malcolm
To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

[Greenmachine]

Originally Posted by Seven Tattoos

Hertz, justifiably, go into the semi as favourites. They've pumped us twice this season, they are a far stronger (in the physical sense) team than us and in Gordon, Pressley and Webster they possibly have the best all Scottish defensive spine to a team since Leighton, McLeish and Miller of Ferguson's Dons two decades ago. However, as we proved on 29.10.05 they are not unbeatable. But if we are to emerge victorious on the day (cos I can't see it requiring a replay) we'll need to do all of the following:
(a) don't let those b@stards score first
(b) don't get any of our influential players, i.e. Sproule, Killen, Murphy, pole-axed by them early doors
(c) keep it goal-less til half-time
(d) fight like lions
(e) defend our end like Middle Eastern terrorists (on and off the park!)
(f) score late!

I see this game as being very similar to our trip to The Lodge back in February. I watched the game live on Sky that day and, while Hibs gave a fair account of themselves during the first half, I don't think any fair-minded observer could have complained if we'd been a goal down at the break. That we weren't was due to a combination of teamwork, tight defending, good goalkeeping, poor finishing by them and that mysterious quality you just can't legislate for, a bit of luck. You could see Hibs grow the longer the game remained goalless. You could also see Rangers found it difficult without the comfort of that early goal.

If you look at recent derbies then you have to go back to Sunday 21.10.01 for the last time we actually won a derby in which we scored before half-time. Indeed the last two home victories have seen goals from the 78th minute onwards (GOC 17.8.03, Boozy & GOC back in October).

I could see us coming from behind to win, we did it against them at Swinie only last April, but if they get a couple of goals up then it's goodnight to our hopes and aspirations.

We owe them good style for Jan 28th, I really feel that without the groundswell of emotion caused by Mercer's death at a relatively young age it could have been a different game. Also, a strong ref and a physically tough Hibs peformance is required. I'm sick of them kicking us off the park. Sometimes it feels that Neil Berry never retired.

Pretty much agree with all of that.
To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.


Hearts usually like to start games fast, and try to finish off teams early. It's vital we do not lose an early goal. If we are level at Half-Time, I would fancy Hibs to go on and win.

[Hibsean]

Originally Posted by Greenmachine

Hearts usually like to start games fast, and try to finish off teams early. It's vital we do not lose an early goal. If we are level at Half-Time, I would fancy Hibs to go on and win.

They do, We won't and We Will
To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

[Boogy]

The Yams have looked tired towards the end of games recently - and this is something I think TM will try to exploit. Even if we do (fkng hope not though) go 1, or even 2 down early doors, as long as the floodgates don't open and we keep our composure I reckon we still pull something off. And let's not do the usual silence thing if things aren't going our way. Sad to say it but our fans are notorious for being quiet at Hampden when the chips are down. Let's take the roof off the fkng place, regardless.

[CadgeMac]

Originally Posted by Boogy

The Yams have looked tired towards the end of games recently - and this is something I think TM will try to exploit. Even if we do (fkng hope not though) go 1, or even 2 down early doors, as long as the floodgates don't open and we keep our composure I reckon we still pull something off. And let's not do the usual silence thing if things aren't going our way. Sad to say it but our fans are notorious for being quiet at Hampden when the chips are down. Let's take the roof off the fkng place, regardless.

To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
lets give the whole team the lift needed to beat the yams, lets be the 12th man
To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
remember when they played celtic 2-1, lost 3-2 they do tire after about 60mins and with the pace we have we can beat them aslong as we havent let them get out of sight. the big pitch suits us more, look what happens when they have went to the old firm this season, 1 point of 6.

[Hibee_Fiona]

Agree..Lets Blow The Roof Off Hampden! Lets Sing As Much As We Can & Lets Hope Hibs Can Re-pay Us!
To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
None Of This Sitting In Silence..Lets Be Heard!

As For Hearts..Let Us Take Care Of There Fans..Sing At Them & Make Them look stupid! And Let Hibs Do the Football! Cant Wait
To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

[Greenmachine]

Another thing to remember is that when you look at Hibs Hampden appearences since 2000, it is quite clear that we more often than not play badly and lose when we are favourites. Even in the 3-0 semi win against Livi in 2001, we looked nervous and disjointed, and it was only experience and goalkeeper errors that saw us through that day.

2000 Scottish Cup semi : v Aberdeen (Favourites): Strong favourites to win in the media, bookies and fans. Result 2-1 defeat, poor, shambolic performance.

2002 League Cup semi : v Ayr United (Favourites) : Playing against a crap First Division team, overwhelming favourites. We produce what I still say is the worst Hibs performance I have EVER seen, and lose 1-0.

2003: CIS Cup Final : v Livingston (Favourites) : We should not have been favourites, but we were. Playing a small wee West Lothian team with 35,000 Hibbies in attendance. Result : 2-0 defeat, Terrible performance, yet another let-down.

2005: Scottish Cup Semi : v Dundee United (Favourites) : Massive favourites against a team struggling to stay in the SPL. Result 2-1 defeat. Terrible second half disaster, tactical naivity. Another let-down.


The ony other games we have played at Hampden in this period were the 2001 semi against Livingston (Favourites). As I said, We looked nervous during this game, and being favourites certainly did not help our overall performance one little bit. Experience and goalkeeping errors won the day.

2001 Scottish Cup Final v Celtic (Underdogs). We were very much the underdogs that day, and yet I still feel we played well, and were very unlucky during that game.

2003 semi v Rangers (Underdogs): We were virtually written off in the media, but our young side produced a heroic performance, again when we were the underdogs.

What I am saying is that because we are the underdogs on April 2nd, IMO given our recent past, this makes it more likely we will win. We can worry about being massive favourites in the Final later.
To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

[shandongreen]

scoring first will be massive,they will have to come at us after that,then could be rich pickings for the mighty
To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.



To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
lose first goal they will try to shut up shop and as much as it irks me to say it they are no bad at the back
To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.



To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
but lets just fcuk them and no worry about nowt but the hangover
To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

[matty_fairnie]

I'm hoping the big pitch will make a difference, and that we'll be able to get Crazy Ivan bombing down the flank into the big spaces. Hearts are good on a tight pitch but don't really give that good an account of themselves on a bigger pitch (i.e Ipox or Septic Park), whereas Hibs style is more suited.
Hearts style is to have a period where they really come at the opposition, and recently they have been doing enough in this spell to win games, a good defence seeing the result out through the rest of the game. If we can weather the storm and not concede we should be able to go on and win.

[We Hate The Hearts]

Scoring first is big in any game, but especially derbies, the boost that it gives the team is huge! so we need to score first and also make sure that we keep it tight till Half Time, maybe go in at 1-0 or 0-0.

[Young_hibee]

A think tony will no exactly how to play them and how too take advantage of their weaknesses but you no herts if we score first Skacel will end up taking a dive in the box a just hope the ref will be wise enough to spot they cheating bstards.
To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

[We Hate The Hearts]

Am going mad thinking about how the game is gonna pan out, massive!!!!!!!
To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

[WoWST]

Anytime is a good time to score against that lot. The good thing is we seem able to get back into games these days, even when not playing they way we know they can. I recall days under Miller (and blobby) when if we went a goal down it was game over, not now we have belief !!

[devohibee]

Brellier and bednar will be big misses for them and they seem to run out of steam at the end of games like we did against celtic.Frustrate them in the first half then unleash ivan in the last half hour to clinch victory.Its not our style but the right tactics for this ocassion.
To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

[CadgeMac]

Originally Posted by devohibee

Brellier and bednar will be big misses for them and they seem to run out of steam at the end of games like we did against celtic.Frustrate them in the first half then unleash ivan in the last half hour to clinch victory.Its not our style but the right tactics for this ocassion.
To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

agree with that, especially if broonaldo is fit as ivan and whit on the same flank doesnt work as proved at tynie

[18grigson75]

Originally Posted by CadgeMac

agree with that, especially if broonaldo is fit as ivan and whit on the same flank doesnt work as proved at tynie

Ivan must start the semi....if the worst happens and we are a couple of goals down after an hour what use is bringing Ivan on then?? we need Ivan's pace from the start
To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

[BigBadBouncer]

anyone agree that we should start with fletch on the right and bring on ivan in the 2nd half to tear up that side later, a totally different prospect for whoever they play there on the day, plus tired legs might just be our route to victory.

[18grigson75]

Originally Posted by BigBadBouncer

anyone agree that we should start with fletch on the right and bring on ivan in the 2nd half to tear up that side later, a totally different prospect for whoever they play there on the day, plus tired legs might just be our route to victory.

i rekon Ivan should start up front with Killen, with fletch starting on the right of midfield
To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

[Briant]

Originally Posted by 18grigson75

i rekon Ivan should start up front with Killen, with fletch starting on the right of midfield
To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

Yer no backwards at going forward are ye
To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.


3-0 by half time
To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.