Hibs video special: Inside Marink Reedijk's tactical tweaks - and what he MUST see in home debut v Falkirk
With and without the ball, Easter Road side seeking key improvements
Glimpses of what Marink Reedijk is trying to do with Hibs were all that travelling fans got to see in the new manager’s first game at the helm. And the bright moments from Saturday’s 1-0 defeat to Dundee United at Tannadice were very much of the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it variety.
But why were United allowed to switch play with apparent impunity, opening the visitors up with raking cross-field balls to a player in enough space to host a small music festival? Why didn’t the new-look attacking line-up make any real impact, save one early chance, on the home defences?
Dutch coach makes home debut on Saturday
More importantly, what will home fans see when Reedijk makes his Easter Road bow on Saturday? If vibes are worth anything, it certainly shouldn’t be more of the same.
Pressing with aggression and making use of space - the Reedijk plan
As the video above hopefully illustrates, Hibs definitely have a plan on how to press the opposition, force them into uncomfortable areas and present them with precisely two choices - one bad, one even worse. The problem, at the weekend, lay in execution.
It’s hard for players to simply flip a switch and adapt instantly to a new gameplan that demands a certain degree of risk. And this is nothing to do with formation. Whatever shape your team lines up in, players MUST know when to jump out of the line and put pressure on the ball. Without the right timing, conviction and support from team-mates, time spent without the ball can quickly develop into a sort of mini-siege.
Reedijk hopes that another week with his players will help them develop the branie - a Dutch word forever associated with the Ajax brand of arrogant swagger - not merely on the ball, but out of possession, as they face a Falkirk side sitting just one point and one place behind them at the wrong end of the Scottish Premiership table. You can watch the full tactical analysis video here.