Shaun Maloney: Five reasons things didn't work out for Maloney at Hibs

Hibs have sacked Shaun Maloney after just four months, and 19 games in charge. So where did it all go wrong at Easter Road for the former Belgium No.2?

Losing Martin Boyle

Hibs weren’t actively planning to sell Martin Boyle to Al-Faisaly, even if it wasn’t totally unexpected. It was life-changing money for the 28-year-old and came with a sizeable transfer fee but his 14 goals and talismanic properties were always going to be hard to replace.

Even though Maloney admitted that a like-for-like replacement would have been hard to find, he would have hoped some of the January signings would be able to at least help fill the void.

Shaun Maloney lasted just 19 games at Hibs

Injuries

Every club has injury problems but a mounting list of short- and long-term casualties hampered Hibs in the second half of the season. Kyle Magennis had already been sidelined for a significant period of time but the loss of first-team regulars including Paul Hanlon, Paul McGinn, and Kevin Nisbet for varying amounts of time came at a cost.

So too January signings Harry Clarke and Demi Mitchell enduring lengthy spells on the sidelines. Christian Doidge’s long-term injury and illness issues were also a blow and the number of absences eventually led to youth players being thrust onto the bench to make up numbers.

Suspensions

Red cards for Rocky Bushiri, Joe Newell, and Ryan Porteous didn’t help in terms of picking up results. Porteous was ruled out of four league games – two of which are still to be played – after his second red card of the season in the 3-1 defeat by Aberdeen in March was compounded by a failed appeal and decision to lengthen his suspension.

The side looks better defensively with the 23-year-old and he has been missed during his bans. Bushiri’s dismissal came at a time when Hibs were struggling for defenders and while Newell’s ban will kick in in next season’s Scottish Cup tournament, his ordering-off left Hibs playing 25 minutes with ten men against Hearts when they were in the ascendancy.

League form

Hibs won their first two games under Maloney before the winter break but struggled afterwards, winning just one more Scottish Premiership match, against Ross County. Scottish Cup wins against Cove Rangers and Arbroath were laboured while victory against Motherwell was aided by a very early red card for Bevis Mugabi.

Ultimately it was league form that did for Maloney – there were certain games drawn that might have been won, and others lost when they could have earned a point.

Victim of circumstance – and inexperience?

With Hibs being Maloney’s first role as a manager in his own right, it would be expected that there would be hiccoughs along the way – he even said as much in his first interviews. But he inherited a team struggling for results and performances and although enjoyed consecutive wins against Aberdeen and Dundee United, results and performances after the winter break didn’t match those from before.

The players collectively spoke of enjoying his training and his ideas, and had he had more luck on the injury front he might still be in a job – and Hibs could be in the top six and a cup final.

But football is a results business and, unfortunately for Maloney, Hibs hadn’t had enough positive scorelines or performances.

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