Hibs Tactics Zone: What will it take to claim St Mirren scalp and complete Scottish Premiership clean sweep?

This season’s previous trip to Paisley have not been especially pleasant for followers of Hibernian Football Club. So how can David Gray’s team change that on Wednesday night?

Absolutely scudded by the Buddies on the opening weekend of Scottish Premiership action, Hibs also drew 0-0 at St Mirren drew 0-0 at St Mirren Park back in February, in a game mostly remembered for Alasana Manneh’s debut. Red card and all.

Stephen Robinson’s team are the only side yet to be beaten by Hibs in a Scottish Premiership campaign that has swung from extreme to extreme. Which gives Gray some easy motivation ahead of a midweek challenge where plenty is at stake – up to and including the need to secure that third-place finish.

But what about the nuts and bolts of the game as an actual contest? Where might this one be won and lost?

Well, apart from hoping that it’s more entertaining than the previous encounter, a game so brutal that the match balls might not have passed a concussion check, Gray will obviously be telling his players to beware some obvious St Mirren threats. And looking to expose just a couple of partly hidden weaknesses …

Stephen Robinson’s St Mirren in fine form

Robinson’s well-drilled and dangerous team have won three of their last four, only dropping a couple of points to Rangers in a dramatic 2-2 draw, and they’re going into this one off the back of wins – and clean sheets – against Aberdeen and Dundee United. Having timed their run into the top six perfectly, Saints are enjoying themselves.

Starting with the basics, they’re most often to be seen deploying a 3-5-2 formation that relies on Mandron and Ayunga to provide real oomph at the top end of the park. And it all starts with hard work. Plenty of it.

Saints use smart pressing to lay traps for opponents

As Photo 1 shows, St Mirren aren’t averse to putting the squeeze on opponents high up the park. Sometimes it’s about winning the ball back near the opposition goal. But more often than not it’s really about laying a trap and tempting someone into playing a risky pass.

Photo 1 - Saints press | Wyscout

With the ball, they’re extremely difficult to pin down. In Photo 2, which captures the moment just before Mandron scores, you’ll notice how bunched the Dundee Unite defence are; they’ve been dragged to one side by movement, creating space for a quick-ish switch.

Mandron able to exploit gaps

Photo 2 - Mandron goal | Wyscout

On the counter, they will hit quickly. And in numbers (see Photo 3). This snapshot comes in a lightning break that leads to a chance.

Quick counter-attack could catch Hibs out

Photo 3 - quick counter | Wyscout

While a lot of the onus is on Mandron and Ayunga to unsettle defences, they do get help from midfield. Especially, as Photo 4 shows, in the shape of a willing runner like Phillips.

Midfield runners make all the difference

Photo 4 - swapping lanes | Wyscout

There really weren’t many passages of what you’d call good football in that February slog on a bad and bumpy pitch. But Hibs did see a little of what St Mirren wanted to do – namely stretch their back three by getting someone driving into that gap between the left centre-half and left wingback. See Photo 5 for an idea of their basic plan.

Stretching Hibernian’s back three all part of plan

Photo 5 - Hibs back three stretched | Wyscout

Defensively, well, as things stand, they’ve got the worst record in the top six. For now, anyway. Shutting out both United and the Dons – big favours to Hibs in both instances – suggests they’ve found a solution to some problems at the back.

As with most teams, they’re really vulnerable if you can get a runner in behind their sitting midfielders with just a little space on the ball. Photo 6 shows how Rangers’ Raskin, who had already set up the opener, found himself free to score one for himself against St Mirren.

Rangers midfielder Raskin found space between lines

Photo 6 - Raskin in danger zone | Wyscout

Now, despite the final score, this was something Hibs managed to do on a couple of occasions back in February. Josh Campbell found himself in decent positions more than once, without ever having the option to play a killer ball across a ragged surface.

Can David Gray’s men find same soft spot in Saints defences?

Depending on how things go, Campbell – or AN Other in the No. 10 role – may be relied upon to play more of an aggressive pressing role than anything else. Photo 7 is an example of how the attacking midfielder, simply by supporting Kieron Bowie in closing down Taylor, made enough of a nuisance of himself to create a genuine scoring chance in a game few will recall with fondness.

Josh Campbell found ways to annoy St Mirren last time

Photo 7 - Campbell supporting his front two | Wyscout

All of the usual rules apply to this contest, of course. Set pieces can be both a blessing and a curse, depending on attitude, communication and even the odd break of the ball. Corners and even long throw-ins will be a factor.

It might not be pretty, then. But it should be an intriguing enough clash of two teams shouldering very different expectations over the closing stretch.

Your next Hibs read: Contract talk latest as star man makes ‘out of my hands’ revelation