How player recruitment and a formation tweak has turned things around for Hibs

Martin Boyle celebrates scoring against Aberdeen with Chris Cadden, Alex Gogic, Christian Doidge, and Jackson Irvine

It is true: the 4-2 Scottish Premiership loss away to Celtic in October 2018 remains the only game the Easter Road side has failed to win in which the Australian internationalist has found the net.

An impressive stat that also serves to underline the importance of the 27-year-old to this Hibs team. It is no coincidence that the side’s improved performances have coincided with a reinvigorated Boyle returning to his devastating best.

Four goals and an assist in his last three games have not only contributed to three important victories; they have vindicated the decisions made by Jack Ross in a bid to turn his team's form around at a crucial point in the season.

The Cadden factor

When Hibs were first linked with Chris Cadden, he seemed like a curious target given Ross' predilection for a 4-4-2 set-up and the presence of Paul McGinn and Boyle as first-choice right-back and right midfielder respectively.

However the arrival of Cadden and the signing of Jackson Irvine allowed Ross to return to a system with three at the back, with the former Motherwell man deployed as a wingback. Having a player with Cadden's energy and directness on the right flank has allowed Boyle to operate further up the field and as a result, be more effective.

Ross actually tried a version of this in the Betfred Cup semi-final against St Johnstone and while it worked to a certain degree in the first half, he reverted to 4-4-2 after Hibs conceded the second goal. It's possible that Cadden and Irvine’s fitness levels weren’t quite at the level required for this to work and Christian Doidge looks better suited to the target man role in that system, but there were encouraging signs in the 1-0 defeat by Rangers and since then it has been plain sailing.

How Hibs beat Aberdeen

It was fascinating watching how Hibs approached the Aberdeen game. Boyle, Doidge, and Jamie Murphy stayed mostly central, clearing the way for wingbacks Cadden and Josh Doig to attack on the flanks. The set-up also allowed Boyle to make those darting runs in behind the Dons defence. Because of Hibs’ focus on the right flank, the Aberdeen players were repeatedly pulled to the left side of the pitch, opening up the opposite flank.

No coincidence, then, that both of Hibs’ goals came down the left. In the lead-up to the penalty award Boyle had already started making a run between Ash Taylor and Andy Considine, with Tommie Hoban looking to intercept at the near post. Matty Kennedy appeared to be tasked with marking Cadden, who was lurking just outside the box, while Ross McCrorie was keeping tabs on Josh Doig. No one seemed to be marking Christian Doidge with Dylan McGeouch floating between the penalty spot and the six-yard box. With Murphy having got past Connor McLennan, Lewis Ferguson was virtually forced into making a rash challenge. If he didn’t, there were potentially three players – Boyle, Cadden, and Doidge – who could attack the cross ball.

For the second goal, Doidge did well to beat Hoban to the ball on the halfway line, pulling the defender out of position and forcing Taylor to step up. The knock-on effect was that Jonny Hayes was unsure whether to try and block off Lewis Stevenson, or track Boyle. In the end he did neither and with Taylor unable to catch Boyle, the Australian internationalist was able to make that run behind and tuck away his and Hibs’ second after Stevenson’s perfectly-weighted pass.

Hibs tried similar in the 2-1 win at St Mirren, with Boyle, Doig, Irvine, and Murphy overloading on the left flank in the first half, but with less success.

The final pieces of the jigsaw?

Irvine is the box-to-box midfielder that Hibs had been missing in the first part of the season. His dynamism allows Ross to play that flexible 3-4-3 system and revert to a 4-4-2 if required and his presence along with the boundless energy of Cadden and Doig places less pressure on Alex Gogic. The Cypriot has stepped up his own performances since the system change and as a result, Hibs are winning the midfield battle.

There is greater competition for places now, too. With Darren McGregor leading by example on his return to the starting line-up, the onus is now on Ryan Porteous to unseat his experienced colleague. But with McGregor’s presence in the defence resulting in an improvement in Paul Hanlon's game, Ross has a big decision to make for the rest of the season.

Similarly, Kevin Nisbet. Doidge may be going through something of a barren spell but his hard work brings others into the game and he played a key role in the lead-up to the second goal on Saturday, and it is up to Nisbet to try and change that.

Many managers out there would dearly love to have the likes of Scott Allan, Nisbet, Porteous, and Kyle Magennis to bring off the bench. It is worth noting that against Dundee United, St Mirren, and Aberdeen a substitute played a key role in the final result by either scoring, assisting, or making a key pass.

What next?

Hibs haven’t won in Dingwall since September 2017 but with Jack Ross seemingly unearthing a formation and strategy that works no matter the opposition, the Easter Road side must surely stand a good chance of maintaining their run of form. The Staggies have won just two home league matches to date this season and although they held Hibs to a goalless draw last time out and won the reverse fixture at Easter Road late last year, their inconsistency coupled with Hibs’ hitting a run of form could result in the three points heading back to the Capital for the first time in a good long while.

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