Finn needs more time to sort team out, says Stanton

Stuart Bathgate
OUT of the Scottish Cup and only just inside the top six of the SPL, Hibernian are in danger of seeing their season peter out prematurely. Yesterday's 2-0 home defeat to Hearts may have been brought about in large part by the first-half dismissal of Steven Fletcher, but the result will nonetheless increase the pressure on Mixu Paatelainen.
The manager, who began his second year in charge of Hibs just yesterday, has already attracted criticism from some of the club's supporters. A common complaint is that there is no discernible development to the team, that players are not used as effe ctively as they could be, and that in some matches they do not look like they know what their game plan is.

As a former player and manager, Pat Stanton is well aware that Paatelainen has his critics. But, while accepting that Paatelainen may not have done everything right, he takes issue with anyone who says the Finn has to go.

"I think it's far too soon for that," Stanton said after taking part in the draw for the fifth round of the Homecoming Scottish Cup.

"In the last few years Hibs have lost a lot of good players. When Mixu came in he steadied the ship, and he's made some good signings – Sol Bamba, for example, has been a really good signing. I hear supporters complaining about him, but you've got to give the manager a chance.

"He just needs a wee break here or there, and he didn't get a break today. So no, I think it would be a bit premature for that sort of talk." Having defended his successor in the Easter Road hot seat, Stanton suggested that the derby defeat could not be attributed simply to Fletcher's sending-off.

"There's no doubt the sending-off was a big change, but to me it looked at times like Hibs were down to eight men, not ten," he continued. "Sendings-off do influence the game, but it was really noticeable that Hibs looked like they had more than one man missing.

"I never felt at any time that Hibs looked like they could win it. Maybe Fletcher could have scored when he was through on the goalkeeper early on. He should have played it sooner, but perhaps he's just lacking a wee bit of confidence at the moment."

Stanton declined to criticise Paatelainen's team selection, arguing it is all too facile to claim an omitted player would definitely have made a difference. As it was, with Dean Shiels and Steven Thicot reported to be injured, the manager had few options. He could have brought Fabian Yantorno and Ross Chisholm off the bench instead of Colin Nish and Alan O'Brien, but that would hardly have been guaranteed to get Hibs back into the game.

However, while refusing to claim wisdom in hindsight about the Hibs line-up, Stanton did highlight the odd point where he thought Paatelainen could have done better.

"At the start of the second half Hibs had Jonatan Johansson up front, and it would be safe to say he's not the quickest player in the team. When you're down to ten men and playing one up front, you'd expect it to be the quickest man in your team."

He concluded, however, by saying that the result was not solely attributable to the shortcomings of the home manager or his team, and that Hearts deserved a lot of credit for the disciplined way in which they went about the game.

"Hearts work for one another. They're not the showiest team in the world, but they're steady, they keep going, and they're determined. Their attitude was good, whereas I felt at times we were waiting for things to happen for us instead of trying to make them happen.

"You've got to gain a victory. Nobody's going to hand it to you."

The Hibs board are sure to agree with Stanton that Paatelainen deserves time to continue reshaping his side, but their patience is not without limit. Like the club's supporters, they will want to see evidence of coherent team-building over the rest of the season.

That means not only bringing through some of the promising young players, but also getting the most out of those established first-team members who are currently underachieving.

Derek Riordan, for one, has to be reminded that Hibs were once the team for whom he would give the last breath in his body. Yesterday, he looked like he did not give a flying futile gesture – except, of course, for the one he directed at the Hearts end as he was substituted.

Taken from the Scotsman