Nisbet needs a fast start or Hibs will feel the heat
WE nEEd to talk about Kevin. Mr nisbet of that ilk, who, through no particular fault of his own, finds himself firmly under the spotlight at Easter Road before he’s even kicked a ball.
That was always going to be the consequence of Hibernian forking out £250,000 to sign a player at a time when the club’s owner was pleading poverty.
To their eternal credit, the squad have agreed to defer up to 50 per cent of their wages as a means of easing the financial strain on the club during the Covid pandemic.
The economic realities of Scottish football dictate that any club outwith the Old Firm splashing out £250k to sign a player invariably raises a few eyebrows.
It’s very decent money — and all the more so when the shutdown has ensured that revenue streams have almost ground to a halt.
Perhaps with the exception of the 10,000-plus season tickets which have been snapped up by punters at a time when nobody knows when they’ll be permitted back inside stadiums.
That speaks of an immense commitment to the cause by Hibs fans during a period when they would be perfectly entitled to view every penny as a prisoner.
As for how the public utterances of owner Ron Gordon will be viewed inside the dressing room, however, well, that remains to be seen.
When you’ve just had your salary slashed in half and the club splash out on a new striker, you might feel like you’d been treated with all the respect a dog would show to an unsuspecting lamppost.
These feelings can sometimes fester in a dressing room — and that’s the delicate nature of what Jack Ross has on his hands at the moment.
If nisbet hits the ground running and scores a few goals in the first few matches, then it’ll go a long way to easing the controversy that surrounded his signing.
If he starts to struggle, however, whilst the rest of his team-mates are on reduced wages, then the questions will only grow louder.
Speak to anyone who has worked with the 23-year-old and you’ll hear nothing but positive reviews.
The fact he rattled in over 50 goals across the past two seasons for Raith Rovers and dunfermline speaks of a born poacher.
But that was in League One and the Championship, respectively. now comes the step up to the top flight and nisbet will know that it’s time to stand and deliver.
It will fall to winger daryl Horgan as one of the men to supply the ammunition — and he feels enthused by the strength in depth Hibs now have available to them.
‘Everyone wants to play every week — and we have a very strong squad now,’ said the 27-year-old.
‘The two starting XIs in the last two (pre-season) games, everyone did pretty well. To have that strength in depth is good.
‘Every footballer wants to play every game and every 90 minutes, but probably that won’t be realistic.
‘For myself, when I get in, I just want to try to create goals, score goals and make chances. That’s my job and, if I can do that, then I will play more in the long run.’
Key to how Hibs fare will be if Ross can settle on a preferred system. He chopped andchanged at times last season after replacing Paul Heckingbottom last november. There were days when it was a flat 4-4-2, others when it was 4-2-3-1, then he found himself 2-0 down inside ten minutes against Rangers on a cold night in Leith last december after opting for a diamond set-up in midfield. Ross may well look to revisit that system and find a way of making it work if it allows him to utilise the playmaking talents of Scott Allan at the tip of the diamond, behind a strike pairing of nisbet and the revitalised Christian doidge.
We can safely assume that Flo Kamberi won’t be in the building much longer after Ross made it clear after Monday’s pre-season defeat to Celtic that the Swiss striker should find himself a new club — and sharpish.
Martin Boyle should also have a new lease of life after some horrific injury problems. If he can stay fit, his pace will terrify defenders across the country.
Perhaps the most astute piece of business by Hibs this summer, however, will be the acquisition of Alex Gogic from Hamilton Accies. With his shaven head and socks rolled around his ankles, he’s a throwback of a player. A warrior who could become a cult hero as he anchors the midfield, a problem position for Hibs in recent times. Allan and Stevie Mallan will look to provide the creativity from midfield for the Hibees, who begin their campaign by hosting Kilmarnock on Saturday. ‘The preparations have been good,’ added Horgan. ‘It’s been a bit different to what you are used to, playing friendlies against the other teams in the league and things like that. ‘It’s been good though, we’ve made the most of it and I think we’ve got a lot out of it. Everyone is ready for Saturday. ‘It shouldn’t be a problem for anyone, even though the atmosphere won’t be the same. It would be great to have full houses again.’