I wonder if there is any truth in the rumour that we are to be forced to listen to Jim Reeves and Leonard Cohen songs before matches start at Easter Road? The concept being that nothing the players then proceed to do will make us feel any worse.

As much as I would rather believe that the Hibs v Dundee United game was just a bad dream the reality is that it was the lowest point of the season so far. I could not believe the incompetent and inept display put on by so-called professional footballers. The team selection was a mystery to begin with. For instance, I could not understand why Paul Tosh, a forward, was playing at right midfield. Surely if Crawford and Lavety are playing from the start then there should be an attacker held in reserve rather than played out of position. On the bench we had Dow, Charnley and Chris Jackson - all midfielders. Why? I have only been watching football for thirty or so years therefore I am not the expert that Jim Duffy is, however, I suspect that it would make more sense to have one substitute available from each of the three outfield areas. As for Ollie the goalie, well, words almost fail me. This is probably fortuitous as I doubt if the editor would agree to print the words I would like to use to describe his performance anyway. The fans have given Ollie the name 'Cinderella' due to his unfortunate habit of always missing the ball. Any shot on target seems to result in a goal for the opposition. With the way Ollie is playing surely it is time to give Chris Reid a chance. The role Tony Rougier is supposed to fill is a mystery to me. He wanders all over the park on what appears to be a mission to avoid any involvement in the game or meaningful contact with the ball. It becomes impossible for the team to maintain any shape or consistency with the way Rougier plays and as a result his contribution is negligible. I hope your ears were stinging with the barracking you received that day Tony, you deserved every bit of it.

I have no desire to sit with my head in my hands at a Hibs game. I want to be cheering the team on and responding to imaginative and skillful players who have a confidence in their own ability. To blame the crowd for making the players nervous, as some managers are prone to do, is a weak and scurrilous attempt to deflect the blame from where it truly lies. Football fans are not on contracts to support the team in the way that players are given contracts to perform. The fans quite rightly expect individuals to 'play for the jersey' and will accept nothing less. Under-achieving players would do well to remember that the fans were here before they arrived and will still be here when they are long gone.

Just like last season it is left to the dedicated and the desperate to continue supporting the Hibees. Regardless of the misery 'our heroes' manage to put us through. Finally, I trust you will understand why I don't mention the subsequent games against Hearts and Dunfermline.

Leither column, Dec 97.
Tommy