Why Hibs are facing a potential conundrum in central midfield

As things stand, the futures of Joe Newell, Jackson Irvine, and Stevie Mallan are somewhat up in the air

So well stocked, in fact, that 2018/19 player of the year Stevie Mallan was allowed to leave on loan (albeit reluctantly) and Stephen McGinn could return to coaching rather than filling a spot on the bench.

The arrival of Jackson Irvine in January on a short-term deal so far looks to have been the missing piece of the jigsaw, with Jack Ross trying various other pieces in there with varying degrees of success between August last year and the winter transfer window.

Joe Newell overcame a difficult first season in the Capital to become a key member of the midfield while the arrival of Alex Gogic added some much-needed steel and a protective barrier in front of the defence. Melker Hallberg has also played a big part in helping Hibs to third in the table.

The only problem is that as things stand, the only out-and-out central midfielders contractually tied to the club for next season are Gogic, Hallberg, Mallan, Kyle Magennis, and youngsters Josh Campbell and Innes Murray. Of that group, Mallan may be on the move if his spell with Turkish side Yeni Malatyaspor is a fruitful one.

So how do Hibs prepare for the possibility of major change in the engine room?

Euro-vision

Barring a monumental collapse between now and the end of the season, Hibs should qualify for continental competition. A run in Europe could be vital for the club’s coffers after a season without supporters in the stadium and while other teams have experienced similar, there is a very real possibility that the Easter Road hierarchy may be scrambling to field a team capable of carrying Hibs on an extended run in the Europa League.

It remains to be seen if the club can use the carrot of European football to entice players to extend their stay in green and white but the background of the coronavirus pandemic could well add an extra layer of complexity to negotiations.

On the other hand, featuring in Europe could potentially raise players’ stock even higher and put them in the shop window.

The young team?

Hibs have a number of midfielders out on loan; or at least they did before League One and League Two were suspended. Fraser Murray and Innes Murray are still playing regularly for Dunfermline and Alloa respectively in the Championship but Josh Campbell hasn’t kicked a ball since mid-January and Innes Murray is yet to make a first-team appearance in green and white.

Given Hibs’ approach to recruitment, it is highly unlikely that the club will end up going into a European game with Gogic, Hallberg, Magennis and a couple of youngsters as their only central midfield options but it does illustrate how quickly the landscape can change.

Hibs could potentially be down four central midfielders by the end of May if Irvine, Mallan, and Newell move on and McGinn hangs up his boots, for instance. We have already seen Jack Ross hand Stevie Bradley, Josh Doig, and Ryan Shanley their first-team debuts and it may well be that there is an opportunity for another youngster or two to step up this summer.

The Newell conundrum

Joe Newell is on the verge of returning to action but Hibs’ run during his spell on the sidelines means the former Rotherham man will find it hard to force his way back into the team.

Ironically, that might suit the club as less exposure for the classy Newell could reduce the amount of interest in him and improve Hibs’ chances of getting him to sign a new deal. Alternatively, his stock may already be high enough that it won't make much difference.

Newell may feel he deserves another crack at the English Championship and at nearly 28-years-old, he still has plenty of years left in the tank.

However, he has missed 17 games through injury since moving to Easter Road and while he has undoubtedly been one of the stand-out performers this season, there is a nagging feeling that he could be adding more goals and assists to his game.

Newell has won the fans over after a lukewarm start to his Easter Road career. But as March creeps closer it is starting to look increasingly like Hibs may have to start planning for the 2021/22 campaign without the services of the Tamworth Pirlo.

Season ticket angst

Hibs will soon be asking supporters to commit to buying season tickets for next year; a tall order given fans haven’t been present at games for nearly 12 months.

Watching games on TV is not the same as being on the terraces. Many fans have admitted feeling a sense of apathy towards the game, and not even bothering to watch every game involving their team.

Clubs have a mountain to climb in terms of enticing supporters to renew their season tickets and that could be an even bigger ask if fans aren't sure what team they will be watching.

Solutions?

Even as you read this, the recruitment team at East Mains likely has a lengthy list of targets to pursue if required, for all positions.

They will fit a profile so they can slot into the midfield with relative ease and pick up where their predecessor left off so even if it is all change for Hibs in the middle of the park come the end of this extraordinary season, it isn’t necessarily an insurmountable issue.

In a perfect world Jack Ross would be able to keep his midfield as is and enjoy the benefits of a settled side, but football rarely plays out that way and the head coach would be the first to acknowledge that.

Regardless of what happens in the next two to three months, Hibs fans may have to enjoy the midfield while they can – and hope that the club continues its upward trajectory to potentially boost the chances of hanging onto the likes of Irvine and Newell.

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Why Hibs are facing a potential conundrum in central midfield - and how they might fix it