[ritchiebaby]

Hibs will be welcoming the Steelmen (do they have a new nickname nowadays?) to Easter Road on Tuesday afternoon before the New Year break kicks in. Hibs' recent form has been a bit patchy, with plenty of promise spoiled by individual lapses. This should be a great chance for them to get back on the winning trail with Motherwell going through a worse time, although only 8 points behind us.

We'll be losing Martin Boyle (a definite miss) and Lewis Miller (both good and bad) for the Asian Cup as well as Rocky Bushiri (no great miss) and Jojo Wollacott (don't really know enough about him as long as David Marshall retains the No1 jersey) for the African Cup of Nations. It'll possibly be mid-February before they're all back, so it's an ideal time for some newer faces (and older ones returning) to come into the first team reckoning.

After this game we have 18 days before the Scottish Cup-tie against Forfar to get a better idea of where we're going with new players coming in,etc. Nick Montgomery will definitely have a better idea of who fits into his playing style and who doesn't.

Happy New Year to all Hibees everywhere and look forward to an upturn in our fortunes. GGTTH

[ritchiebaby]

Hibs showed their usual positive side and their usual negative lapses to snatch a 2-2 draw with a Elie Youan goal in added time.

Nick Montgomery on the game
"I thought we showed big character. We've got three 16/17 year-olds on the pitch and Harry McKirdy who has come back from a life-threatening situation [heart surgery]. I thought first 30 minutes we were superb and could have gone in a couple of goals to the good at half-time. The stats tell you - 70% possession, 500 passes to 250. But ultimately it's moments in the game. I've said to the lads at the end, we can play as well as that but we've conceded from a throw-in, a poor goal to concede from. And it's a free kick where possibly the boy's offside as it's played back in."

[hibeejim21]

That was xxxx dismal today - motherwell were the worst side i've seen us play at home this season - and combined with the weather and the pre back to work blues im feeling pretty grim all round. I know we saved a point in the end but we need a fair bit of work done this coming window/winter break.

Loads of possession but i don't remember us testing the keeper much and we are still STILL losing unbelievably soft goals. Just like v hertz, players just not doing the basics and switching off. As i've said before we are scoring enough goals to win the games, the problems are elsewhere.

[hibeejim21]

Motherwells 2nd just looks increasingly ludicrous the more times you see it

[Inverurie Jambo]

Hibs need a new defence- hopeless at the moment.