Five-star Hibs are a real factor in the fight for second
AS daring mid-season moves go at Hibernian, booting a two-goal Scottish Cup final hero out of the club and packing the top scorer away on loan for four months in the same week sounds at best intrepid and very possibly entirely irrational.
But when Neil Lennon lost patience with the combination of Anthony Stokes and Simon Murray, worth 25 goals in the first half of the campaign, he reasoned that Hibs could do better. And, since this was the man who does bold statements like: ‘We are the second-best team in the country’ with a Championship side, then some even braver actions really shouldn’t have been a surprise.
When conducting business that looks to be riddled with risk, you’d better be right. It hardly appeared so, even to those within the camp, when one of the replacements set an unsure foot on the Ormiston training ground.
Swiss Under-21 forward Florian Kamberi was on an extended audition of a fortnight before his loan move from Grasshoppers was deemed worth the trouble. For anyone who has watched the 6ft 3in star (right) monster Ladbrokes Premiership defences alongside his speedy and similarly unheralded accomplice Jamie Maclaren, the Aussie snapped up from German second division strugglers Darmstadt on loan, it seems impossible to believe he actually created a poor first impression.
‘Florian was someone we weren’t sure of when he was on trial,’ said midfielder John McGinn. ‘It’s hard for any trialists, I think. You are so eager to impress early on and you might do things that you normally wouldn’t do.
‘He was making mistakes. But, at the same time, he was showing promise. And, thankfully, the manager and staff noticed enough to get him on board. It’s paid dividends. As soon as he first came into a game, he was different class.
‘It was the same with Jamie. He got flung into a game at Ibrox and,
when you handle that sort of atmosphere right away, you know you’ve got a couple of brilliant players.
‘They are so different, which helps them complement each other. Jamie will sniff out chances that he knows we’ll create for him.
‘Florian is a midfielder’s dream because you can get the ball up to him and you know it’s going to stay up the pitch. He’ll run all day for you and I think he is loving playing for Hibs. It’s the same for Jamie. And it was the same as myself, really.
‘When you first join Hibs, you think: “Aye, good club”. But, when you start playing for them, you get a feel for the place and realise how much potential there is.’
Lennon might need to top his miracle work in the transfer market this summer. He has already expressed concern that 23-year-old McGinn, who has one season left on his deal, and Aberdeen target Dylan McGeouch could leave.
The break-up of a team just beginning to click near the top of the table would be a sore one for fans to take but McGinn explained: ‘I think everyone here has got their head screwed on.
‘As I’ve said in previous years, I’ll go at some point and challenge myself at a higher level — but I don’t take what I have for granted. It’s such a brilliant club, training ground, good coaches and an amazing platform for a Scottish player to get better.’