Exclusive:Hibs pair Abdulai and Klidje error reaction revealed amid 'we fail together, we win together' reminder
Revealed: Why new gaffer handed midfielder first start at Easter Road
Had they been working for a less considerate manager, Azeem Abdulai and Thibault Klidje might have suspected that they were being left to stew in their own misery. Go away and think about what you’ve done, lads …
The truth, of course, is that Hibs boss Marink Reedijk simply knew better than to intrude on the private recriminations of players who had committed two enormous, embarrassing, match-losing errors in Saturday’s 2-1 home loss to Falkirk. Sunday’s recovery session at East Mains simply wasn’t the time to speak to either man.
Reedijk, speaking to The Evening News in his office at HTC before training this morning, revealed that he definitely planned to have a quiet chat with both players. After giving the team a rare two days off, the Dutch coach understands the need to lift spirits and reinforce messages.
Abdulai a surprise selection for Falkirk game
Former Scotland international Abdulai, handed a surprise first Hibs start since arriving in the summer window, was culpable in the early concession that put the home side in trouble on Saturday, losing possession in a dangerous area just as Hibs looked like breaking on Falkirk. Reedijk believes it would be wrong to blame just one player for what happened next.
And he revealed: “I left him for the day after, because I know sometimes you don't want to speak about it. This week we will have a coffee together.
“But it's not only him. Yes, it's an obvious mistake there, but also then afterwards there are a few things which we can do better. So it's not only him. It's everyone in this sense.
“That's for me also important to highlight. We do things together, so we fail together and we win together.
“You noticed he kept asking for the ball even after the mistake. That's the bravery we need. That's the bravery we ask for.
“For me that is important to also highlight. Okay, that's a mistake we make. But without these mistakes we don't go any further. As long as we learn from these mistakes, then the things will change eventually, 100 per cent.”
Explaining the surprise decision to start with a player who had played barely 70 minutes of first-team football for Hibs, Reedijk said: “Azeem did a very good job here in training. Left a good impression in his first days here. Now for me, it was a matter of what do we need? What kind of profile do we need?
“Azeem is someone who can hold the ball and is brave and takes the touches forward. This I liked. So that's why Azeem played.”
Club record signing shifted to wing
Asked if he’d take the same softly-softly approach with speaking to Klidje about his inexplicable decision to try a no-look back-heel in a dangerous defensive position, directly leading to Falkirk’s killer second goal, Reedijk said: “Yes. Sometimes you need to leave players for a little bit and then eventually speak and reflect on what happened.”
The new gaffer also explained why he’s been playing Klidje, the club record signing recruited as a striker, on the left wing, saying: “I think he does well there, especially in the last game. I think, except for this moment, he did a good job. He created two chances, had a good opportunity in switching of play, made sure that the people are scared of him.
“What he can do there is either do the one v one, so search for the one v one, or run in behind. I think that's the strength of Thibault.”
Having taken time to reflect on Saturday’s defeat, a result that saw Hibs drop to the foot of the Scottish Premiership table, Reedijk identified an obvious failing beyond two individual errors handing the initiative to Falkirk, admitting: “I think the moments we give away are because of us. That's why I also said we are a thief of our own wallet.
“I think as well that we did, in bits, good things. But towards the final third, either we were not clinical enough in the precision of the execution or the decision-making.
“From the top of my head, they had ten shots, of which four I don't consider as a shot because it was not a shot. Two were chances because of a set play or potential chance, a set play and a header from outside of the box.
“Four were mistakes we made. Of these four, they make two goals. We had more chances, but it takes longer to convert it to goals.”