Lee Johnson explains team selection and half-time adjustment after Hibs defeat at Motherwell

Lee Johnson has revealed he was pushed into changing the shape of his Hibs team ahead of Sunday’s defeat to Motherwell due to a lack of available players.

Lee Johnson issues instructions from the sidelines during Hibs' defeat to Motherwell at Fir Park. Picture: SNS

Despite beating Luzern 3-1 in European football on Thursday evening at Easter Road, Johnson altered his starting XI and formation with Jordan Obita, Christian Doidge and Jimmy Jeggo all coming into a 3-5-2 system.

This lasted only until half-time when Dylan Vente and Dylan Levitt were replaced with Martin Boyle and Adam Le Fondre, with Johnson going back to the 4-4-2. It didn’t have the required impact with Hibs losing two second-half goals en route to a 2-1 defeat as Le Fondre netted an injury-time penalty as a consolation.

Johnson was hamstrung in his selection with Elie Youan missing out through injury and Boyle being restricted in the amount of football he could play. As a result, Johnson went with a system he felt best suited the players at his disposal.

“The thinking was we did not have any wingers! [Harry] McKirdy is out, Youan was out and Boyle I was restricted and not allowed to play him. Jordan Obita is a wing back really and Lewis Miller can play wing back so the thought process was to put round pegs in round holes as much as we could. With the personnel we had on the pitch it would have been difficult to play 4-3-3 or 4-4-2,” said the Hibs boss.

“We had two strikers on the bench, we had the potential of Boyle and obviously Obita could then step up into the left midfield role, it felt like the natural change. And we were not doing enough. I wanted to increase the energy.

“I thought that the angle making was the bit I was disappointed with today. I do not think we took control. I don’t case what anyone says, it is physical – it is physical that then leads to the mental, in terms of that sharpness.

“It takes a lot out of us at the moment, these games on a Thursday night. There is one less recovery day and not an absolute prime squad, where everyone is 100 per cent. That is why we are putting in flat performances on a Sunday.”