Longbangers

Hibs have lost 2-1 to Celtic and drawn 1-1 with St Mirren, and a Premier Sports Cup semi-final against Hearts is on Sunday. Matty is joined by Chris, Steven B, Richard, Ian Mackay and Hibs fan Iain to go through it all. In this episode: • Is there really "no improvement", or is the media narrative unfair? • The new style of play: pressing higher, building through the thirds, and the struggle in the final third • Two own goals in two games, and whether it's bad luck or a communication problem • The finishing and shot numbers against Celtic and St Mirren • Striker problems, recruitment and who has the final say • Fan atmosphere and the toxic side of supporter disagreements • Listener comments from the Longbangers community • Hampden preview with confidence levels from "terrified" to "we'll win", plus everyone's score predictions Do you think Hibs can finally win at Hampden? Tell us your prediction in the comments.

Why did Celtic cut through Hibs' press so easily early on, and how did Hibs fix it? On The xG Files, Matty and Colin are joined by analyst Craig Nisbet. He uses the tactics board to go through Hibs' performance against Celtic.In this episode:🎯 How Hibs pressed in the opening 15 minutes, and the two moments Celtic exploited🔄 The tweak that forced Celtic wide and helped Hibs back into the game⚠️ Is the weakness on Hibs' left or right? The goals conceded and the defensive questions🧩 Klidje;s role out wide, the Mayor and Klidje link-up, and why Jamie McGrath is missed🧤 Sallinger's long goal kicks: tactic or necessity?😅 Grant Hanley up front, and what it says about the squad💬 Your YouTube questions: Nicky Cadden's place in the team, and Joe Newell's performance📋 How to line up against St Mirren

Grant Hanley up front. Joe Newell stepping in cold and looking like the calmest man on the pitch. A Hibs team that still lost to Celtic, but finally showed signs of a real plan - and a few reasons to believe the worst might not be permanent.Matty and Colin break down the 2-1 defeat at Easter Road, and this one is about a lot more than the scoreline. Hibs won the ball higher, looked better in possession, and carried far more threat than many expected against the champions. The performance still had flaws - especially the soft goals and the lack of natural scorers - but there were also clear signs of structure, bravery, and a team trying to do something different.You'll hear why Joe Newell might have been the standout after a late change, why Mulligan's afternoon summed up a player stuck in his own head, and why Klidje's best moments still come with a huge question mark. The lads also get into the oddity of Grant Hanley being thrown on as an emergency centre-forward, how much of that was genuine tactical chaos, and whether it actually made more sense than it first looked.They also dig into the wider issue that keeps hanging over this Hibs side: no striker depth, too many players out of position, and a recruitment problem that the Celtic match exposed in brutal detail. But amid the frustration, there’s a different mood here than after some recent defeats - less outrage, more recognition that something in the shape and effort might finally be improving.Matty and Colin also react to listener comments, debate whether the manager is being left to carry the can for squad issues, and look ahead to a massive St Mirren clash with everything still to play for. If you want honest, funny, properly frustrated Hibs chat with a few genuine signs of optimism, this is the one to hear.

One bad setup could hand Celtic the game, and Matty and Colin are not pretending otherwise. With Sunday looming, they break down exactly how Hibs can avoid getting exposed in transition, protect the back line, and still create enough on the ball to make this a contest.Matty and Colin get into the tactical trade-offs that matter most right now: whether Hibs should stick with the new manager's principles or make the pragmatic tweaks this match demands, where Celtic can be hurt, and which players need to step up if Hibs are going to get anything from it. They also debate the shape, the personnel, and whether the side needs a more defensive approach or an extra out-ball to escape pressure.You'll discover:Why Celtic's win over Hearts changes the conversation, but not the whole game planThe case for 5-3-2 versus a more attacking 4-5-1How to stop Hibs from getting pinned in by Celtic's pressWhich players could unlock the left side and improve balanceWhy captaincy, confidence, and "the rub of the green" might matter as much as tacticsAlong the way, they react to listener comments, challenge the idea that Hibs need a "dickhead" in the squad, and dig into the kind of player profile that could give this team more edge without blowing up the dressing room.Matty brings the match analysis and fan perspective, while Colin lays out the tactical concerns and lineup logic with zero interest in empty optimism. If you want a real pre-match discussion that goes beyond clichés and gets into how Hibs can actually compete, this is the one to hear.Perfect for anyone who wants honest football chat, tactical nuance, and a proper read on Sunday's test before kickoff.

Two defeats, a toxic home atmosphere, and a midfield that keeps getting overrun. The big question hanging over Hibs is no longer whether there are signs of improvement - it's whether the current shape, selections, and mentality are actually making the problems worse.This episode is a raw, no-hiding-place phone-in on what is going wrong right now. The discussion covers the Falkirk defeat, the frustrating second-half collapse, and the growing sense that Hibs are too predictable, too easy to play against, and too reliant on opposition mistakes rather than controlling their own game.There’s sharp debate over the goalkeeper, the booing, the atmosphere at Easter Road, and whether the issue is confidence, fitness, tactics, or simply execution. The conversation also digs into the midfield debate: two versus three, who should be sacrificed, and why players like Chaiwa, Mulligan, Boyle, Cadden, Newell, and Campbell keep coming up.In this episode:Why possession is not the same as controlWhy Hibs keep conceding sloppy first goalsTactical issues around playing players out of positionWhether the manager is trying to force a system on the squadWhat needs to change before Celtic arrive on SundayThe panel makes the case for a more compact midfield, questions whether players are being asked to do jobs that don’t suit them, and weighs up whether there are still encouraging signs. The big challenge is turning those signs into better performances—and stopping Hibs from making life so easy for experienced opposition managers.

Hibs are changing shape, changing habits, and changing the way they build attacks - but is it enough to beat Celtic? Matty and Craig break down the tactical shift that has the right side humming, the left side exposed, and the whole team wrestling with a new possession-first identity.Passlack, Abdulai, Chaiwa, Boyle, Elding, and the rest of the lineup all come under the microscope as the pair unpack why the new system is creating real chances, real frustration, and real risk in equal measure. If you want to understand what Reedijk’s Hibs are trying to become - and what still needs fixing before the next big test - this one is essential listening.Craig dives into the build-up patterns, the lopsided formation, the man-to-man press Falkirk used to disrupt Hibs, and the forward-pass hesitancy that kept turning promising moments into recycled possession. Matty pushes on the defensive concerns, the left-side balance, and whether the current setup can survive against a team like Celtic without a smarter, tighter approach.You'll hear why Passlack’s role is more important than the criticism suggests, why Cadden may be waiting in the wings, why Klidje’s pace keeps him in the conversation, and why the midfield shape around Chaiwa and Mulligan still feels like a work in progress. The conversation also gets into the build-up to Falkirk’s goal, the concentration lapses that punished Hibs immediately, and the signs that the new manager’s ideas are starting to show - even if the results aren’t fully there yet.This is a sharp, honest tactical chat for anyone who wants more than a scoreline. Perfect for Hibs fans trying to make sense of the new system, the selection calls, and the bigger question looming over the week: can this team compete with Celtic, or is a different approach needed first?SpeakersMatty - host, driving the discussion and pressing on selection, mentality, and the Celtic preview.Craig - analyst, offering detailed tactical breakdowns of Hibs’ shape, pressing, and attacking patterns.