Quite the season, eh, Hibs fans? And it’s only November …
It’s pretty tough to assess the performances of players who have endured so much change in the campaign to date.
Let’s start by acknowledging that plenty of these guys bear some responsibility for Lee Johnson getting the sack back in September.
Yet some of those same players were also responsible for Hibs reaching the Viaplay Cup semi-final. And then losing said semi-final.
The truth? One or two never looked comfortable with Johnson’s style of play. A couple have definitely been asked to take a giant leap in adapting to Nick Montgomery’s new game plan.
That’s the context, then, as we look at how the old pros and young bucks have fared to date.
If reducing their efforts to a simple mark out of ten sometimes feels like a subjective over-simplification of a complex situation, it’s at least a starting point for discussion:
9. W/CF Martin Boyle 7/10
Lacking a bit of sharpness at times, which is natural when you consider a) the amount of football he missed with a cruciate ligament injury that kept him sidelined until well into pre-season, and b) the amount of football he’s now playing, between club and international duty. Photo: Mark Scates - SNS Group
10. W Jair Tavares 6/10
What a comeback for the Portuguese wide man. Frozen out by Lee Johnson, brought in from the cold by Montgomery, Tavares has proven himself a useful asset. | SNS Group
11. CM Jimmy Jeggo 8/10
Hard to overstate the importance of this understated grafter since the new management team implemented their 4-4-2 formation on day one. The Aussie’s work rate and game intelligence made that possible. | SNS Group
12. CM Joe Newell 8/10
Never has a bad game. Was running on fumes just before the international break, having put in some heroic shifts. Essential to the Montgomery masterplan. Photo: Craig Williamson - SNS Group