Pressure’s on Robbie in Hibs test
There’s an unnerving quality about Robbie Neilson when he’s facing questions.
It’s the stare. It has such an intensity it’ll have you checking whether you still have some remnants of that morning’s breakfast on your chin.
As a man and as a manager, he’s also consistently impressive.
Press conferences aside, he’s a good laugh and who can blame him for pulling on the straight man persona when fielding questions about his Hearts side.
The late and great Walter Smith was similar in having a glare which shouted that he wouldn’t be suffering fools gladly.
Make no mistake, Neilson’s coaching talent is a story of triumph over adversity. Winning over a fanbase and completing a recovery from that Scottish Cup Brora debacle is some feat.
You wouldn’t want to say it to his face, but the fact remains that he’s still only one slip away from certain sections of the Jambo fans jumping on him. Some supporters just aren’t for convincing.
A new three-year deal was signed last week – a bit premature I’d have said, maybe wait to see how his team do in Europe. And we also reach a managerial impasse at Easter Road this afternoon.
That’s the burden of expectation for you, and it sits heavily on Neilson’s shoulders.
Former Jambo Ryan Stevenson has claimed Hearts are now bigger than the derby, so superior that they should be routinely taking care of a Hibs side which finished in the bottom six last season.
Hmmm. Just two weeks into this campaign, there’s evidence that such things shouldn’t be so easily taken for granted.
The scene is set in Leith for a couple of campaign-defining scenarios.
Having been at Tynecastle last weekend,
Hearts were so far off it against Ross County in the first half that the Staggies were a host of missed chances from being out of sight at the interval.
At the same time, Hibs were picking up a win at St Johnstone and, on paper, the result in
Perth was the more impressive.
Martin Boyle’s now back on the scene at the Hibees, his mere presence inside Easter Road today is enough of a boost to suggest a perfect storm could be brewing.
Hearts haven’t lost at Easter
Road for four years, they are unbeaten in six derby games and last season they consigned Hibs to the bottom six while also confirming their own third place finish. There was also a Scottish Cup semi-final win over their neighbours.
These are stats which are credit in the bank for Neilson.
But watch this space, this is a fixture where the mood music can change at a club in an instant.
Maybe Stevenson is correct and Hearts are now so dominant that they have bigger fights this season than just claiming local bragging rights.
Here is the warning, though. Hibs have more than enough quality to win today, especially if Hearts produce a first half as bad as the one against County.
Neilson’s greatest success is generating that expectation.
But lose this derby and the staring game will be on, it’s a fixture which can become season defining.
Hibs have more than enough quality to win today
Spurs goal hero Ryan Sessegnon reckons ‘ The Godfather’ would have put him in a body bag if he’d blown his big chance in the 4-1 battering of Southampton.
The left- back rattled in the game- changing leveller after James Ward-Prowse had given Saints a surprise early lead at Tottenham Stadium.
Eric Dier stooped low to turn a free-kick from Son Heung-min home to put Spurs ahead before Saints’ hopes were extinguished on the hour when Mohammed Salisu turned the ball into his own net and Dejan Kulusevski’s curled effort put a bow on it.
Sessegnon admitted the wrath of gaffer Antonio Conte was all the motivation he needed to fire in his first Premier League goal for the club.
He said: “If I hadn’t scored that the gaffer would have killed me!
“There was a moment minutes earlier when Dejan cut back and I arrived too late – I knew I couldn’t arrive too late the next time he did it.
“It was a special moment, it has been a long time coming. The manager put faith in me and I’ve had a very good pre-season. He is very demanding but a very good coach and a very good guy.”
Leeds kid Brendan Aaronsen was left grinning as he helped the Elland Road men edge a 2-1 victory over Wolves.
Rodrigo cancelled out Daniel Podence’s early effort before the American teenager played his part in the winner, with Rayan Ait-Nouri attempting to clear Patrick Bamford’s pin-point ball across the face of goal only to hook it home.
But Aaronson claimed the goal as his own and said: “It came off me! I remember touching it with my leg. I hope they give me credit.
“I can’t stop smiling because this is such a wonderful place. The crowd push you on, that’s why it’s a legend here.”
Boss Jesse Marsch said: “The response to going a goal down was really good, we could have had more before half-time.”
It was a miserable start for Steven Gerrard and Aston Villa as they lost 2- 0 at Bournemouth. The Cherries raced ahead inside threeminutes as Jefferson Lerma rattled home from a corner. Kieffer Moore marked Bournemouth’s return to the top f light by nodding home a second with
10 minutes left.