Michael Weir: Hibs are sitting too deep and inviting teams to punish them

Hibs midfielder Stevie Mallan at full-time after the 2-2 with St Johnstone at Easter Road, on November 24, 2020. (Photo by Ross Parker / SNS Group)

The disappointment of the Celtic game and being in front with 10 minutes to go, before we lost our composure and they capitalised on it, then the 2-2 draw at home to St Johnstone, it feels like a missed opportunity.

Hibs were a bit unlucky against Celtic. I thought they played well and looked as though they could win it. The St Johnstone game was much the same, but we just can't seem to keep the ball from going in our net at the moment. You're going to go through phases like that during the season where every mistake you make seems to be punished. Hopefully we can come through that.

As a team at the minute I think we are sitting too deep. I look at it, and week in, week out, we're defending far too deep as a side and we're inviting teams onto us. We've got to get up the pitch more and keep the opposition out of the box.

If you look at the game on Tuesday night we conceded a free shot at goal from inside the 18 yard box and that can't continue. You can't keep sitting that deep and expect your midfielders to get up and support the front. We just looked so stretched as a side. It's the whole unit and it just look as if we've lost a wee bit of confidence.

You've got to be brave enough to get up the pitch but we're sitting in and we looked disjointed as a side. From back, middle to front the game is too stretched for me, and the midfielders can't get up to support the front. There’s too much distance between the different departments of the team. If you keep doing that you're going to invite pressure and lose goals, and that's what I think is happening at the minute.

Jack Ross needs to be at them to get forward and get up the pitch. That's a lack of confidence to be honest, especially after losing the two late goals against Celtic. When you got another game three days later it is still fresh in your mind and you tend to sit in, but you've got to find a way to get up the pitch because we're inviting teams to punish us and that's what teams are doing to us.

To me when we lose a goal we just look nervous and step back 10 yards and it's causing us problems. Once you get into that situation it can be difficult to change it but it’s down to players to get a hold of it and be more positive.

I don't think anyone has let themselves down individually. I just think as a team we look a bit stretched at the minute and got to find a way to keep us from losing goals. Collectively we just need to get ourselves organised again and push on because we can't keep losing two goals every game and expect to win. We’ve got to get back to being solid again.

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