‘Unpredictable’ forward may be sold and leave Hibs undervalued
Youan remains an ‘enigma’ but there are clear problems here
THERE’S very little that is predictable about Elie Youan. The ever-changing hair, what may or may not happen when the ball arrives at his feet, the breathless breadth of opinions his mere presence elicits from Hibs supporters; very few players in the Premiership – a league which thrives on being a bit off the wall – have fitted the “enigma” moniker so well. It probably shouldn’t be that a winger who registers double figures in both goals and assists for an uninspiring side that finished eighth is so polarising, given said finish would likely be even worse were it not for his contribution.
But that’s football, and that’s Youan, a man forever tying people in knots, whether it’s fans, defenders, or, occasionally, himself. The go-to phrase when trying to explain this mercurial Frenchman is “well, if he did it every week he wouldn’t be at Hibs”. There’s certainly truth in that, but it’s perhaps too often used as a stick to beat him with, rather than making a case against magnifying his flaws.
Either way, the endless discourse around him looks increasingly likely to come to an end, with Hibs in possession of a seven-figure offer from an unnamed club in his homeland. It would be a real surprise were he still at Easter Road come August, and when he does depart it will feel as though he was never fully appreciated.
Look, if I was to declare that Youan had never prompted me into a rueful groan or some intense head-scratching in the press box, I’d be a liar, so I can fully appreciate that those emotions are heightened for the paying punter, especially in the heat of the moment. But I do feel his time in
Scotland to be an illuminating case study of what we want from players in this country, in that so much of the discussion around a genuinely exciting talent centres on what he doesn’t do.
Functional, efficient, “6/10 every week in the Sunday paper ratings” footballers are 10 a penny in the SPFL but – outside of Glasgow – there aren’t many Elie Youans. A flair player who also provides numbers, and one whose impact will likely only be appreciated once he is gone. This is not to say that Youan should have been above criticism, and there’s a very valid argument that the only reason he stirred up such fevered emotions is because Hibs fans were all-too aware of his capability, and it heightened the feeling of frustration on those days when he was posted missing.
That feeling was encapsulated on the afternoon of what will probably he his most enduring moment in a Hibs shirt, scoring twice in 83 seconds to haul his team back from certain derby defeat at Tynecastle. What’s often forgotten about that day is that, during the interval, Nick Montgomery had delivered Youan an ultimatum: “Get it together now, or in 10 minutes you’ll be over sitting next to me.”
What followed was a stirring few moments that ensured his previous anonymity became a footnote, and not one of those few thousand Hibs supporters falling over each other in the Roseburn Stand went home thinking about the first-half. That feels like a long time ago now, though, and it’s a shame that Youan’s stay at Hibs seems to be concluding on a sour note, with social media awash with screenshots of online arguments with supporters.
People are entitled to criticise, but some of the vitriol directed at the likes of Youan – and others – has felt unnecessarily personal this season, so much so that at a supporters’ event in April, he felt compelled to thank those in attendance for not booing him.
More than once, of late, he has snapped back at messages he’s received on Instagram, and it all feels rather disproportionate aimed at a player whose very tangible contribution in a poor season has bettered the majority of his team-mates.
Haranguing players online is not
exclusive to Hibs, by any means, but you do hope recent events, and the heartening response of a significant number of fans speaking out against, prompts change moving forward, regardless of results on the pitch.
From a business perspective, it would not be a major surprise if the Hibs board feel that now is the right time to sell.
With a squad rebuild about to commence and funds lost from a poor season that yielded no European football, selling Youan while his stock is high arguably makes sense considering the bigger picture.
Hibs paid £700,000 to sign him from St Gallen last summer, and a fee in excess of £2million would secure a significant profit which could then be reinvested into addressing several positions of need this summer.
It still seems ludicrous to state that a side with over 40 contracted players is full of gaping holes, but that is Hibs’ reality, and one that, unfortunately, facilitates conversations about the need to sell a major asset.
With Myziane Maolida unlikely to return following the conclusion of his loan spell, there will be pressure to replace he and Youan’s combined 21 goals and 12 assists this summer – no easy feat for a recruitment operation that has been decidedly hit and miss of late. If not, Youan’s value to Hibs will only become clearer in his absence.
It should be clear enough already.