Fatal Hibs failing exposed as vital statistics cause serious concern

Lack of firepower undermining team with better goals against record than city rivals Hearts

You could devote a whole week to examining the various flaws and failings contributing to the plight of a Hibs team apparently stuck in some sort of doom spiral. It may yet come to that.

Even with warning lights flashing and alarms sounding all over the pitch, however, it’s important for Marink Reedijk to prioritise. Stop the thing that’s killing you. Never a bad way to think about management – especially when your team is sitting adrift at the bottom of the league, with seven points from a possible 21.

If the new Hibs manager doesn’t fix the single most glaring issue affecting his team, no amount of tweaking, tinkering and rethinking will deliver them to safe ground. He must, simply must, find a way to get the ball in the opposition net. And do so with a squad desperately short on genuine firepower.

How can a team with a better defensive record than Kilmarnock, Motherwell, St Mirren and – following their weekend trouncing at Celtic Park – city rivals Hearts find themselves stuck behind every other side in the top flight? It’s not a trick question.

No-one in the Scottish Premiership has scored fewer goals than Hibs, who are averaging precisely one per game. They are tied for dead last with Falkirk, who boosted their numbers in Saturday’s win at Easter Road, and St Mirren.

Under two different managers now, they are one of only three sides yet to hit double figures in the league. Those are the sort of cold, hard, unyielding facts guaranteed to have sirens wailing and distress flares going up.

Martin Boyle is at least offering up some sort of fight, with three league goals to his game, two of those coming from the penalty spot. But the plan for 2026-27 most certainly did NOT involve relying on the sometime skipper, a veteran club servant who was on his way out of Easter Road with everyone’s thanks and best wishes until that dramatic U-turn on the final day of last season, being the go-to guy for penalty box production.

The truth is that no-one else has stepped up to the mark. Summer signing Callum Wright has found the net twice in the Scottish Premiership, which at least shows some promise.

But even Owen Elding, who broke his duck in the weekend loss to Falkirk, is sitting on just the one league goal. He’s one of three current Hibs players sitting on that minimal mark, joining on-loan Stoke City striker Nathan, possibly now regretting his welcome early talk about becoming top scorer in the league and Adam Mayor. The other Hibs goal, in the Scottish Premiership, came from Josh Campbell – now on loan at St Johnstone.

Anyone who pays close attention to football will recognise this as a worrying pattern. Many a relegated side has gone down for want of a genuine goal scorer.

Despite sitting comfortably inside the top six in average possession and expected goals (xG) conceded, just two of several metrics pointing to a team comfortable on the ball and not overly vulnerable to giving up chances, the lack of a consistent scorer is causing Hibs all manner of issues. The numbers back this up.

Only two teams in the entire top flight – Rangers and Celtic – have produced more touches in the opposition box. Breaking it down, Hibs are getting the ball into that danger area with frequency … but can’t find that finishing touch.

In expected goals (xG), they’re sixth in the ranking, another sign that they’re at least putting opponents under some pressure. But they are only 10th when it comes to big chances created, with the experts at FotMob crediting them with 18 good scoring opportunities over nine league games. Here’s how the main goal getters - including one surprise name - have fared so far:

Martin Boyle

League starts: 6 Goals: 3 (2 pen)

Summary: As welcome as his contribution may be, Hibs would have been happier to see the veteran attacker pass the scoring burden onto someone else in this bonus year for the Socceroos forward.

Nathan Lowe

League starts: 4 Goals: 1

Summary: You can’t blame the kid for setting his sights high. Still very much a raw work in progress, and currently injured, the 21-year-old will have to get a shift on if he’s to realise his ambition of becoming top scorer in the Scottish Premiership.

Thibault Klidje

League starts: 4 Goals: 0

Summary: There’s still a lot of love for the club record signing among some sections of the support. Not likely to score many starting on the left wing.

Owen Elding

League starts: 4 Goals: 1

Summary: Probably the most talented player in the Hibs squad, the Irishman does have two European goals and one in the League Cup to show for his efforts this season. The 20-year-old looks the most threatening of a pretty tame bunch, although he doesn’t see himself as an out-and-out striker.