How do Hibs get themselves in a position to challenge for even the minor European places next season? Well, with apologies for cracking the obvious gag, you certainly wouldn’t start from here …
On a serious note, there are good reasons for Hibs fans to feel both excited and just a little terrified by the coming close season. Even if the potential arrival of a new technical director might generate a bit of energy around East Mains.
Because, sure, appointing the right person in the right place – nobody gets to pick the perfect moment in football, so forget about the third element of that mythical trifecta – would represent a start. But any in-depth study of how Hibs have worked the market over the past five years, under five different managers, is guaranteed to create some concerns.
They need a repeat of their greatest hits. Like landing Kevin Nisbet, a future Scotland international who would also turn a tidy profit when sold on. And they’ll need two or three deals of that calibre even to make a top-six finish any sort of certainty. Which means the people making the decisions need to be clear in their goals, clever in their dealings – and completely certain about every decision they make.
Regardless of how many voices participate in the initial filtering process, Hibs cannot afford to make more than one or two mistakes in an extremely busy transfer window. So let’s take a look at their track record, examining some of the hits, misses, slow burners and surprise packages to pitch up at Easter Road since the summer of 2019.
Loan deals are excluded unless they led to ‘permanent’ moves. And we’ve decided to ignore some of the ‘development signings’ made more as punts on potential, than genuine attempts to strengthen the first team. Which leaves us with a selection including:
Because, sure, appointing the right person in the right place – nobody gets to pick the perfect moment in football, so forget about the third element of that mythical trifecta – would represent a start. But any in-depth study of how Hibs have worked the market over the past five years, under five different managers, is guaranteed to create some concerns.
![What do you mean, you don’t remember him? A Paul Heckingbottom signing in the summer of 2019, Vella was famously hooked at half-time in a 5-2 Betfred Cup semi-final defeat to Celtic at Hampden. Didn’t start many more games before being released at the end of his first season, with Hibs sporting director Graeme Mathie insisting that the former Bolton midfielder had “failed to settle” in Scotland. That’s one way to put it.](https://sttms.blob.core.windows.net/images/RUxNODAzMTk1MDc=.jpg?crop=3:2&width=800)
13. Josh Vella – Miss
What do you mean, you don’t remember him? A Paul Heckingbottom signing in the summer of 2019, Vella was famously hooked at half-time in a 5-2 Betfred Cup semi-final defeat to Celtic at Hampden. Didn’t start many more games before being released at the end of his first season, with Hibs sporting director Graeme Mathie insisting that the former Bolton midfielder had “failed to settle” in Scotland. That’s one way to put it. | other Photo: SNS
![Was there something about this loan-to-permanent move that obliged Hibs to sign the Rangers attacker to a second season following his efforts in the 2020-21 campaign? He was gone by January of 2022, without making a significant contribution.](https://www.thestar.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOmYxZTU1ZDI5LTQ4MjUtNDRlMS1iZDBkLTM4NDEyNTk5ZTYwNzpkY2JhNjQyZS00NWE5LTRkNjktOGQzOC0yMjJmNTZhM2M1OTU=.jpg?crop=3:2&width=800)
14. Jamie Murphy – Miss
Was there something about this loan-to-permanent move that obliged Hibs to sign the Rangers attacker to a second season following his efforts in the 2020-21 campaign? He was gone by January of 2022, without making a significant contribution. Photo: Ross Parker - SNS Group
![Hibs turned a seven-figure profit on the young Norwegian when he signed for Stromsgodset, where he’d been on loan, back in December. A great bit of business, then. But the forward, aged 19 when he signed for Hibs in January of 2022, didn’t score a single league goal during his time in Scotland. So it depends on your perspective.](https://www.thestar.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOmIyMmRjMmIxLTZiZmItNDk2Zi05NmZiLWM4NTliN2FmZDgyNzo4ZGNlYTdlZi01NTAwLTQzOTAtYjZlNi1kZDhiYzA1MTA3NGM=.jpg?crop=3:2&width=800)
15. Elias Melkersen – Hit AND Miss
Hibs turned a seven-figure profit on the young Norwegian when he signed for Stromsgodset, where he’d been on loan, back in December. A great bit of business, then. But the forward, aged 19 when he signed for Hibs in January of 2022, didn’t score a single league goal during his time in Scotland. So it depends on your perspective. Photo: Ross Parker - SNS Group
![Opinion is probably still divided on Gogic, whose insistence on wearing tiny shinpads with his socks rolled right down looks completely wrong for the type of player he is. But every meeting with St Mirren seems to remind Hibs of what they’re missing, in terms of sinew-stiffening attitude and grit. Would you take him back now?](https://www.thestar.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOjUwNmYxM2U2LTVkMmItNDBkMC04ZTM2LTdjNzM3NGJmMTJjYzpkY2M1MmJhZC1lYjVkLTRiMzMtODljNC1jYjljYWYyNjRmYWU=.jpg?crop=3:2&width=800)
16. Alex Gogic – Hit
Opinion is probably still divided on Gogic, whose insistence on wearing tiny shinpads with his socks rolled right down looks completely wrong for the type of player he is. But every meeting with St Mirren seems to remind Hibs of what they’re missing, in terms of sinew-stiffening attitude and grit. Would you take him back now? Photo: Ross MacDonald - SNS Group