Decisions, Decisions…

The word on the street is that a certain Mr Robertson will be moving back to Edinburgh from Inverness during the summer months.  The purchase of season tickets by the Ewing household (Nitten branch) is on hold for this very reason.  If this is indeed the choice of the Board, and appropriate compensation is agreed, then I will not renew.  Despite the fact he was a Hibby as a kid, he's one of THEM now; part of their folklore.  The pink bus shelter adorns his name in one of their function suites, and he's no' even deid.  He has even branded himself with a Yam tattoo.  Nuff said.

Without wishing to diss the bloke before he's even set foot in the door (OK, I do, but that's beside the point), if it does happen we could witness a fan revolt of unheralded proportions.  Picture the scene; Easter Road, derby day, it's 0-0 with the usual thud and blunder on display, albeit Hibs have the edge on possession.  5 minutes to go.  The former jambo hero decides to make a 'positive' substitution and bring on a striker for a defender.  Before anyone has had time to say 'change to 3-5-2', a fluky winner by our sworn enemies, against the run of play, brings an eerie silence around the home support.  The Gorgie unwashed start chanting OUR manager's name in adulation of their undeserved victory.

Then the realisation sets in.  The wee bassa meant it all; he WANTED them to win.  He's still a Jambo at heart.  Red mist descends upon the Hibs support.  Cue riotous behaviour and the distinct possibility of a pitch invasion by some of the less controlled elements of our support.

In fact, no matter who beats us - and anyone being appointed to the ER hot-seat will suffer defeat due to the lack of experience in the current squad - the above accusation will fly round the stadium, internet message boards and bars afterwards.  The Board will smugly sit back and say it's not our fault - we don't pick the team.  Well, Messrs Petrie et al, it will be your fault, because you pick the manager (indeed you've have made an almighty pig's ear of said process over the past ten years) and will be making the most crucial appointment for many a year in the next few weeks.  If you get it wrong by appointing Robertson, the consequences are potentially catastrophic.

Season ticket sales will be the first casualty.  Although I would not wish to represent the entire Hibs support on this issue, there are a large number of fellow fans I've spoken to with exactly the same opinion as me; Robertson is not the man for the job.  Other reasons have been cited, such as inexperience, no record of tangible success in management and no SPL management experience.  No matter what anyone says, the jambo factor does come into it.  Let me make it clear once more; I will not renew if Robertson is appointed.  No ifs, ands or buts.

It is crucial that we appoint a manger with experience at the top level, or has experience of playing at the highest levels.  Our previous incumbents in the form of McLeish and Williamson had SPL experience with allegedly 'lesser' clubs.  They did prove that they could succeed at SPL level, and indeed both saw Hibs as a step up in their career path.  There are still occasions I get pissed off at the despicable treatment handed out to Franck Sauzee.  If ever there was a worthwhile risk of appointing an inexperienced manager, Franck was the man.  Quite simply, he oozed class, vision and humility in the true spirit of our fine club.  To be given only sixty nine days in charge was an absolute disgrace,  and I for one will continue to wonder 'what if' Franck was given a proper chance.

The REAL crisis we have at present is that there is a fear we will get used to finishing bottom six on a regular basis, with an infrequent cup final thrown in to temporarily appease us.  This is not good enough for a club of our stature.  Hibs are a club with a tradition many of the clubs currently above us cannot even begin to dream of.  We SHOULD be challenging for honours.  Europe SHOULD be a norm, not an exception. One of the few plusses of the March 14th disaster was proof that success on a regular basis will bring at least some of the sleeping support back to life.

To try to end this on a positive note, there are, I'm sure, many good experienced managers whose appointment will benefit both themselves and Hibs. We need not be short sighted and look for someone within Scotland.  And they need not carry any OF baggage either; there are many good managers out there without Rantic connections - all we need to do is find one.  It would be so refreshing to have a manager who coaches and forms his tactical strategies in the spirit of Hibs traditions to play passing football; the Largs Mafioso are of course greatly responsible for mind numbing long ball tactics.  We need to get away from this nonsense.  The new manager will also need time to settle, and he must be allowed some funds to allow him to mould a squad, rather than

The bottom line is that taking risks with the managerial appointment is not an option this time round.  Robbo is a risk too far, not just for the possibility of the nightmare scenario alluded to earlier occurring; he simply does not have the track record we should have as a minimum requirement in the job description.  An even larger majority of fans will reject his appointment before a coaching session has taken place even more than they did with Mogadon and Boaby.  It's recipe for disaster and must not happen.

Our Board of Directors, you have been warned.