Review of season 24/25

[Don Julio]

I know this might seem like an odd time to start this thread, when the season?s not actually finished, but I think we can be a bit more dispassionate ahead of the last 2 matches than after. Whether we finish 5th and get gubbed in cup, or finish 4th and win the cup, I don?t think should have a great impact on a clear-headed review of how we?ve done.

The bottom line is that this season we?ll finish at least 5th, qualify for Europe, have made one cup final and one cup semi-final. If that offer were made to most of us last summer, we?d have absolutely taken it and said that any manager achieving that should be given a second season.

Of course, context is everything. Our cup runs were incredibly favourable. And our league position covers up a staggeringly poor goal difference and some horrendous displays, not to mention our points haul from the first 12 matches versus the next 26. Not to mention we've spent a fair bit of cash on players.

Also, there?s the evidence of our eyes that week in week out, we look incredibly na?ve and soft and like we?re simply not learning. Einstein?s definition of madness and all that.

For me, a lot of this comes back to my understanding of Mason?s overall analysis, that as a club we?re significantly poorer than the ugly sisters, and marginally richer than most of the rest, but that marginal difference is not enough to get the quality of player to try and play expansive football. So rather than doing what Motherwell or St Mirren do, but with very slightly better players, we?re trying to do what Celtic do, but with significantly worse players. So when **** teams dig in, we can?t break them down, and when we allow the likes of Celtic space, they destroy us. So it risks being lose/lose.

Set against that is Cormack?s desire to play entertaining football. From my reading, that?s why he wants a Thelin, because he doesn?t want a Robinson, McInnes, etc. He wants us playing out from the back, expansive football, etc.

How to square that circle? I guess we?ll see next season whether we can upgrade enough, and whether Thelin can adapt enough, to see us get closer to what Cormack wants at a price we can afford. As others have said, come next season this will very definitely be Thelin?s team. So if they can?t play the way he wants, then something is badly wrong somewhere. And Hibs have demonstrated, I hate to say, that you can play attractive football and rack up the points with less money spent than we have. So the goal is not impossible.

A word on the squad. FWIW I think there?s way more talent in this team, in terms of footballing ability, than for the vast majority of the 21st Century. But as a team, they?ve really not delivered. They are undoubtedly soft-centred, but I don?t feel expert enough to say whether that?s down to them as individuals or how they?re set up to play. Either way, given the money we?re spending, I expect a whole lot better next season.

Which brings me to my closing point in terms of what?s good enough next season. Laughably, finishing fourth and reaching a cup semi and a cup final would be ballpark, albeit 3rd and a trophy would be nice. But fundamentally I want to see a good 10-15 more points over the season and a team that looks like it knows what it?s doing on the park and doesn?t get hammered every time we play the gruesome twosome. I?ll be fascinated to see how we do in Europe, where I have a sneaking suspicion Thelin might prove rather better equipped for success than in Scotland. Let?s see.

And in the meantime, let?s just do over United on Saturday and give ourselves a lift ahead of the Cup final.

Stand Free.

[Mason89]

Thats exactly my point only you put it better

My overriding memory of this season will just be the daft goals we?ve let in. Never seen anything like it

[The_Moog]

Youve summed it up pretty well Don J - but heres my tuppenceworth.

One word to describe this season - bizarre.

Ive never seen anything like it. Weve had good and bad patches before - most seasons in recent memory in fact - but nothing like this. Its almost inexplicable.

Is it as simple as Thelin & his rigid, inflexible tactics have just been found out by the jobber SPL managers?

Has something happened behind the scenes? (rumours of Devlin smacking Nilssen at training abound as one example)

Is Jimmy just not actually that good?

Has he lost the dressing room?

Who knows.

Factually we have improved - league and cups - and absolutely we would have taken 4th (probs even 5th) and the cup runs at season start.

There is just a massive feeling of frustration, anger, disappointment - and deja vu - about the way its gone though.

To not get third after that start is a real failure. It should have been absolutely in the bag. Two more wins in that horrific run would probably have done it ffs.

Thats likely cost us millions. Money we need.

We are also bottom of the league since November. We would have been relegated based on the last 6 months results. Thelin is a lucky boy as any other manager would have been fired - others have been for less.

So I leave this season disappointed (cup final win would change that, but ive never gone into a game with less expectations in my life) and quite concerned about whats coming next year.

This squad still needs massive work - players and mentality wise - and the jury is 100% out on whether Thelin is the man to deliver it.

Im still backing him, but the goodwill and patience is gone. Hes got no hiding place after this sumner.

[TheDeeDon]

Has something happened behind the scenes? (rumours of Devlin smacking Nilssen at training abound as one example)

I heard of an incident with Nilsen, but not who actually smacked him. My money was on MacKenzie, as he didn't hide his dislike of him on the pitch at times.

[The_Moog]

I heard of an incident with Nilsen, but not who actually smacked him. My money was on MacKenzie, as he didn't hide his dislike of him on the pitch at times.

I heard Devlin from the same source that told me correctly about the Aussie lads transfer being a done deal + 3 others incoming (assuming that bit pans out).

Timeline also aligns with Devlins long spell out the team when he wasnt injured.

Either way, behind the scenes issues could definitely be a factor in the downturn in performances for sure.

[Br0chred]

I heard of an incident with Nilsen, but not who actually smacked him. My money was on MacKenzie, as he didn't hide his dislike of him on the pitch at times.

Is it this "smack" that has caused Nillson's eye injury?

[TheDeeDon]

No matter what has happened since November those halcyon months of winning all those games was joyous.
Being able to sing "**** you Celtic, we're gonna win the league" was brilliant and wound up other teams and the media.

We knew, well most of us did, that we weren't going to win it, but it was nice whilst it lasted. usually we are out of the title race by the end of August, so to get to November was an achievement of sorts.

I knew that our initial winning run was masking problems within the the team, and to be fair Thelin, he didn't get carried away much either.
I didn't quite expect the win less run to last as long as it did. I didn't think we would ever win a game again we were so poor at times. Even a couple of Victories from that run could have changed the course of the season and seeing Hibs clinch third hasn't been great viewing.
It was nice to end their unbeaten run a few weeks ago and I honestly think we looked a decent team that day, due to them affording us the space to play Thelinball. If only other team could be so accommodating.

We have a final to play next week, so the season ain't over yet.

It's been such a rollercoaster of a season that I haven't quite yet written off our chances in the final. I'm still convinced our shyteness is a ploy to lull Septic into a false sense of confidence. We gave them a game at the tattiedome in our first meeting and a repeat showing would be most welcome.
It would be as sweet as f*ck, if we were to stop them clinching another treble.

The one other thing I have taken from this season is how much other teams hate us. When we were riding high, they really hated it and you know our game is f*cked fans of other clubs would rather either of the cheeks won a trophy over us.

[TheDeeDon]

The game against Rangers back in October was a game to remember and worth a mention in any review
The atmosphere at the start of it was possibly the best I have ever seen at Pittodrie. The place was bouncing.
There was a corporate thing at my work for that game (I didn't go to that shyte), but I remember being asked if it was like that at every game by the non football folk. I told them it was.

The two other sell outs against the Dundee teams on the Saturday nights were good games too with sell out crowds, or as near as possible.

It's certainly not been all bad this season, far from it.

[NaeMairNeeps]

I know this might seem like an odd time to start this thread, when the season?s not actually finished, but I think we can be a bit more dispassionate ahead of the last 2 matches than after. Whether we finish 5th and get gubbed in cup, or finish 4th and win the cup, I don?t think should have a great impact on a clear-headed review of how we?ve done.

The bottom line is that this season we?ll finish at least 5th, qualify for Europe, have made one cup final and one cup semi-final. If that offer were made to most of us last summer, we?d have absolutely taken it and said that any manager achieving that should be given a second season.

Of course, context is everything. Our cup runs were incredibly favourable. And our league position covers up a staggeringly poor goal difference and some horrendous displays, not to mention our points haul from the first 12 matches versus the next 26. Not to mention we've spent a fair bit of cash on players.

Also, there?s the evidence of our eyes that week in week out, we look incredibly na?ve and soft and like we?re simply not learning. Einstein?s definition of madness and all that.

For me, a lot of this comes back to my understanding of Mason?s overall analysis, that as a club we?re significantly poorer than the ugly sisters, and marginally richer than most of the rest, but that marginal difference is not enough to get the quality of player to try and play expansive football. So rather than doing what Motherwell or St Mirren do, but with very slightly better players, we?re trying to do what Celtic do, but with significantly worse players. So when **** teams dig in, we can?t break them down, and when we allow the likes of Celtic space, they destroy us. So it risks being lose/lose.

Set against that is Cormack?s desire to play entertaining football. From my reading, that?s why he wants a Thelin, because he doesn?t want a Robinson, McInnes, etc. He wants us playing out from the back, expansive football, etc.

How to square that circle? I guess we?ll see next season whether we can upgrade enough, and whether Thelin can adapt enough, to see us get closer to what Cormack wants at a price we can afford. As others have said, come next season this will very definitely be Thelin?s team. So if they can?t play the way he wants, then something is badly wrong somewhere. And Hibs have demonstrated, I hate to say, that you can play attractive football and rack up the points with less money spent than we have. So the goal is not impossible.

A word on the squad. FWIW I think there?s way more talent in this team, in terms of footballing ability, than for the vast majority of the 21st Century. But as a team, they?ve really not delivered. They are undoubtedly soft-centred, but I don?t feel expert enough to say whether that?s down to them as individuals or how they?re set up to play. Either way, given the money we?re spending, I expect a whole lot better next season.

Which brings me to my closing point in terms of what?s good enough next season. Laughably, finishing fourth and reaching a cup semi and a cup final would be ballpark, albeit 3rd and a trophy would be nice. But fundamentally I want to see a good 10-15 more points over the season and a team that looks like it knows what it?s doing on the park and doesn?t get hammered every time we play the gruesome twosome. I?ll be fascinated to see how we do in Europe, where I have a sneaking suspicion Thelin might prove rather better equipped for success than in Scotland. Let?s see.

And in the meantime, let?s just do over United on Saturday and give ourselves a lift ahead of the Cup final.

Stand Free.

Good post ... over and out.

[RED_JOHN]

My review of the season is our bottle completely went after a fantastic start.
The players stopped believing and the manager then realised he needed to change things as our form fell straight off a cliff.
His tooling up went pear shaped and now he has lost all credibility he gained from the start of the season.
Obviously he has a great opportunity to show every single doubter that he is a proper manager and has credibility. I do fear he himself cannot muster belief into his staff we have a chance.
He must find a way to do this and make any future review of a season more noteworthy.