There’s a decidedly thin vibe to the Hibs squad right now, in sharp contrast to the majority of people after the annual festival of gluttony and greed. And it will soon become even more slender.
The final Scottish Premiership match before the winter break will undoubtedly be missed by Martin Boyle and Lewis Miller. Rocky Bushiri and backup goalie Jojo Wollacott are also expected to travel for international duty prior to Motherwell’s visit to Easter Road on Tuesday. Head coach Nick Montgomery is about to face the reality of losing important players to the Asia Cup and Africa Cup of Nations, something he has discussed frequently.
The Hibernian “depth chart” appears fairly shallow without delving into the kind of Americanism that might become popular once billionaire Bournemouth owner Bill Foley’s proposed investment begins to shape the language around Easter Road. Let’s examine the personnel concerns as well as the important issues that Hearts’ defeat brought to light.
A concerning deficiency in firepower
Dylan Vente appears disoriented. His one goal in 13 games makes him look like a striker. In the final 20 minutes of last night’s game, Martin Boyle gave the Dutchman a chance that he needed to bury; if he does, Hibs will almost definitely win. Additionally, Vente’s “save” earlier in the game probably should have prevented Hearts defender Kyle Rowles from giving up the penalty.
Despite his impressive performance as a very late substitute, Christian Doidge is now clearly the third striker in the starting lineup. Is Boyle now the clear starter to back Vente, given that he is scheduled to attend the Socceroos training camp in Abu Dhabi on January 1? Recall that they were paired off right at the beginning of the Monty period. and performed admirably.
The absence of Boyle, who was forced into service up top despite appearing more at ease on the wing, means director of football Brian McDermott will undoubtedly be prioritizing the acquisition of a striker. This is without making any predictions about success or failure in the transfer market and keeping in mind that Adam Le Fondre could return before the window closes. Available, ideally, on January 1st, 2024.
defensive skepticism
The fact that Bushiri was included in the final Democratic Republic of the Congo AFCON squad yesterday is undoubtedly problematic. Despite any reservations fans may have about a player who makes unpredictable decisions, it is concerning that Montgomery doesn’t have a backup central defensive player in Riley Harbottle, who is obviously not a viable option given his lack of playing time.
Bushiri has just reclaimed a starting position from club captain Paul Hanlon, who is the most obvious replacement for the center-half who was born in Belgium. Bushiri is scheduled to report for national service at the DRC holding camp next week. Monty hopes the veteran remains healthy. but in January, was undoubtedly already looking for a central defender.
For the time being, 16-year-old Rory Whittaker will see more playing time as a result of Miller’s rise to prominence in the Socceroos team. So far, the child has proven that he is capable of handling most challenges. Whittaker will need to step up, even with Chris Cadden’s impending return to the training field. Once more.
Interestingly, Wollacott is the only member of the massive 50-man roster that is expected to report for training camp in South Africa on Monday. Ghana head coach Chris Hughton hopes to cut that number to 26 the following week. Max Boruc is hoping that his teammate gets selected.
broader patterns
Few would contest the notion that Hibs are currently lacking something, even in the unlikely event that they keep all four players out of the lineup for a month or longer. Despite the excellent job of developing a playing style that counters a variety of tactics, Montgomery is obviously concerned about the lack of cutting edge in and around the penalty box.
Hiring more staff will help to address part of that. However, during the winter break, there probably will also be a strong emphasis on attacking in the final third.
Positively, Hearts were utterly terrified when Elie Youan was introduced to the competition last night—earlier than planned, of course, due to Campbell’s injury. There is definitely hope for Hibs to regain the form that saw them win four games in a row prior to back-to-back losses, with Jordan Obita and Jair Tavares starting to gel well on the left wing and Youan on the right.
GET MORE NEWS HERE