Why new Hibs boss should keep at least one element of Monty masterplan

It is obvious that the current leadership transition at East Mains is more akin to a revolution than an evolution. In addition, the recently appointed manager David Gray has been very open about what his top goals are for reviving the disastrous collapse from the previous season—which was unavoidably the result of constant turmoil.

Few at Hibernian Training Centre will contest Gray’s overriding desire to make the first team more difficult to beat as he gathers his backroom staff and creates pre-season preparations meant to overhaul an oversized squad of odds and ends. When was the last time you heard of a new leader announcing plans to relax defensive discipline demands and loosen sinews?

However, some aspects of Nick Montgomery’s grand scheme are definitely worth rescuing from the ruins. Whatever went wrong in his short time as manager, the blunt Yorkshireman who replaced Lee Johnson in September undoubtedly had a significant impact on the team’s style of play.

Due to the same limitations that will now irritate Gray as the rookie coach makes his first managerial moves, Monty was unable to complete his rebuild by adding the players he had previously designated as objectives during the summer transfer window. Whether he builds upon the foundations already in place or adds to them is up to his successor, who fortunately has a smaller team to work with but is still unlikely to assemble a potent starting lineup with the players already on his books. He destroys all Montgomery left behind when he disappeared.

Given the budgetary constraints and the ongoing availability of players signed by his predecessors’ predecessors, what can Gray possibly hope to do in a brief off-season and with just one transfer? What action SHOULD he take next?

Continue constructing from behind.

Okay, that makes sense. You feel afraid because of it. has horrifying effects on blood pressure. However, it functions. Sincere.

As much as some supporters went into a full-blown panic the moment Hibs attempted a short goal kick or recycled possession through David Marshall during the previous season, it is a well-known fact that Montgomery was right on the money, at least in the football world. And anyone doubting his judgment could probably count on a few receipts to back up the strategy.

Did you know that Hibs used the short build-up more often than any other side in the Scottish Premiership last season? That includes neither Celtic nor Rangers, nor any other team known for their skillful football? The daring champions of Brendan Rodgers were not even close. Which, given that those numbers include the first three games that Johnson managed, is really amazing.

What now? However, a closer look at the data shows how successful this ruse was. When it came to converting those build-ups into attacks on the opposition goal, only Celtic outperformed Hibs.

It was effective to go short of the goalie. After all, why change what ain’t broke?

Sort the objectives by column.

Although Montgomery used to lament his team’s incapacity to shut out opponents when they were ahead, they really made a lot of shots and finished level with Celtic in terms of shots-to-goals. Even if every Hibs supporter could name a slew of embarrassing misses in close games and none disputed the team’s need for another striker, that wouldn’t be the main issue.

Goals given up? That is a tale unto itself. For this reason, Gray has prioritized it above anything else. It goes without saying that a losing streak of nearly a goal and a half per game cannot continue. It gets us to the point of

Arrange the components of the set.

Should Scotland pull off a historic upset at the European Championships against Germany in Munich tomorrow night, they will most likely have excelled in a very narrow area of the game. Football is a far harder game if you can’t handle set pieces at both ends of the field.