John Collins and Michael Stewart disagree over Hibs performance at Tynecastle and what is going wrong

Two former Hibs midfielders, two very different perspectives. Listening to John Collins and Michael Stewart dissect the performance in the derby at Tynecastle and the overall state of affairs, it was impossible to avoid the conclusion that the club is entering crisis mode.

Another derby defeat. Nine defeats from 11 games. Unhappy fans. Recent history of managers being sacked quickly. Strong post-match words from Lee Johnson. There was plenty to discuss and debate in the aftermath of a thoroughly miserable start to 2023 for Hibs.

Collins and Stewart, reflecting on the 3-0 defeat by Hearts at Tynecastle, could agree on one thing: this run of result simply isn’t good enough. Determining what is wrong and how to go about fixing it doesn’t lead to consensus. Collins, in fact, thought Hibs were the better team at Tynecastle.

“Hibs were by far the better team in the second half,” said the former Hibs manager on BBC Sportsound. “First half, there wasn’t a lot in it. Neither goalkeeper has made a lot of saves. If we talk through the flow of the game, Hibs started the game well. Hearts scored a goal by pressing, not playing great football. The Hibs defender has made a mistake. They scored the second goal from a penalty. Hearts never pinned Hibs in and controlled the game in the first half.”

Stewart, far better known for his Hearts association of course, disagreed. He said: “I don’t know how you can get many positives after winning two out of 11 and being on the end of a 3-0 defeat to your rivals. That is not positive. Yes, the second half was better, but they did not look like they were going to hurt Hearts. Unquestionably, Hearts were the better side. If you thought Hibs were the better side over 90 minutes that’s crazy.”

Johnson brought in Will Fish and Harry McKirdy in two surprise changes to his starting line-up, only to hook both of them at half time. Stewart described the selection of McKirdy as a “punt” and a “gamble”. He added: “It’s not paid off because there is a lack of strength of character and a lack of core strength in this team. A lot of it is icing on the cake sort of stuff. The actual fundamentals of the cake are missing at the moment.”

Asked what positives Hibs fans could take from the performance, Collins explained: “Second half, 2-0 down, they could have come out and got massacred. Players could have had red cards all over the place, losing their shape, losing their discipline. Instead, the two substitutions at half time made them better. They worked the Hearts goalkeeper in the second half. They got momentum.

“McGeady came on and it looked like him and Cadden had a good understanding. It was a good combination down that right-hand side. If Hibs can get McGeady fit and playing I think he could make things happen and that could be a terrific right side of the pitch. Nisbet has come back. As a manager, as a supporter, you have to try and look look for some positives. It is easy to look for the negatives. Question the Hibs fans and the media will say it is another sacking of a manager. Where does it go from there?”

Hibs manager Lee Johnson cuts a dejected figure after the 3-0 defeat to Hearts at Tynecastle. Picture: Mark Scates / SNS

Stewart added: “Lee Johnson is not the major issue here. It is the club as a whole. Hibs were the better team in the second half. You can take small positives as much as you want, but the bigger picture here is they have a humungous squad and don’t have a clear identity. There are big problems at Hibs off the park and it is filtering through on the park.”