Hibernian

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At this stage, a change in the dugout has done nothing to ease Hibernian's woes.

If anything, they are worse.

There has been no new-manager bounce following Marink Reedijk's appointment, with two successive defeats in his opening matches against Dundee United and Falkirk.

That leaves them bottom of the Premiership, having won just two of their first nine league games, and without a home league victory in more than six months.

Speaking on the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast, writer Alison McConnell says the club are in "complete and utter disarray".

"I just think they look all over the place," she added. "There's a real lack of conviction, a lack of belief. One point from the last six games. They look rudderless.

"I'm not sure you're seeing an identity within that team. I think if you were a Hibs fan just now, there would be real cause for consternation because it's difficult to see the direction the manager wants them to go in.

"It's difficult to see the light at the end of the tunnel just now."

Patience will be required if new boss Marink Reedijk is to be a success at Hibernian, says Sportscene pundit Richard Foster, but his players currently look "bereft of confidence".

Saturday's home defeat by Falkirk means the Dutchman's reign has begun with two successive losses, leaving the Leith side bottom of the Premiership table, with leaders Celtic up next.

Watch Sportscene highlights of the weekend's top-flight action

Watch all the highlights as new Hibs boss suffered a second defeat in as many games in charge after a home defeat to Falkirk rooted them to the bottom of the table. Available to UK users only.

Hibs fans, we asked for your views after Saturday's defeat to Falkirk.

Here's what some of you said:

John: Marink Reedijk still has to find his best XI but is not helped by players making stupid mistakes, poor passing and having no composure in the opposition box. As long as the players buy into his ideas we'll be okay.

Lee: Let's look at the bigger picture. How many signings and how many managers have actually lived up to the expectations of a club this size over the last few years? What supporters should all realise now, as they vented their frustration part fuelled by the distraction of what's going on at Hearts, is that David Gray wasn't the problem and this club has an issue elsewhere within its set-up.

Tom: It is obvious that recruitment is the issue, can't keep blaming and sacking managers. There are no leaders in the team, just a bunch of average footballers playing as individuals with no structure to their play. So sad for a big club like us with so much history of great footballers and now this rubbish.

Tony: Better performance in the second half. Hoping that Reedijk has seen enough to form an opinion on a starting XI and definitely recognise where certain players cannot play a position. Feel for him as there is a lack of belief, confidence and ability across the team. It's not going to be a quick fix.

Chanaan: New manager but same Hibs. I can't wrap my head around how we can put together a whole new team season after season but still keep playing the same tactics over and over. Negative, "back to the keeper" football at every opportunity. Since when have Hibs been so uncreative, empty in attack, and truly just void of stringing a couple of passes together in succession without handing the ball to the opposition. If nothing changes soon we're in real danger.

Andy: Bottom of the league says it all. Hibs are a shambles from top to bottom. It doesn't matter how many managers are hired and fired, until the basics of squad management and recruitment are resolved there will be no progress. Too many players are just not good enough and aren't trying hard enough.

Rangers (£132m) have the 23rd most valuable squad in British football behind the 20 Premier League clubs and Championship duo West Ham United and Wolverhampton Wanderers, with Celtic (£104m) at 28th, while Heart of Midlothian (£21m) are 49th and Hibernian (£15m) two places below. (Transfermarkt, external)

Read Sunday's Scottish Gossip in full.

Hibernian have slipped to the bottom of the Scottish Premiership after a seventh consecutive home game without a win, after Falkirk ruined Marink Reedijk's home debut as manager with their first top flight win at Easter Road in over 20 years.

Read the match report

Have your say

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Hibernian manager Marink Reedijk: "The summary is individual mistakes. They scored two goals from our individual mistakes. We scored a good goal ourselves and had moments to score again but didn't. The game changes if you do so because then Easter Road is behind us but this didn't happen."

"What I have seen today is a step forward compared to Dundee [United]. That sounds strange but that is really what I think. We took control of the whole match and had some good opportunities but then we have to score these.

"I think we controlled the match more. I think we dominated the opponent and dictated what happened. You can't afford these little mistakes individually. Therefore [Falkirk] come into the match. Yet we keep on stepping forward, we keep on showing that we are brave. We come back into the match at 2-1. If you have 20 shots and seven on target, Falkirk can sit in and block a lot of those balls. So it's a combination of how the matches go and individual decision making in the last third.

"I hate it [Hibs being bottom of the league]. It's something I don't want. I also think that based on the match today, we don't deserve it. But it's a fact and it's up to us to continue what we do, unpack the things we need to really work on and make sure that these little mistakes don't happen and that we create momentum in our matches more for ourselves.

"We need to work hard, stick to the things we do, develop the things we do; make sure that we make fewer and fewer mistakes and make sure that we take our chances. I leave very disappointed with a strange feeling in my stomach because I think the guys worked their guts out. I think we deserved more however we didn't get more. I'm therefore positive but with a sick feeling in my stomach."

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Hibernian welcome back Adam Mayor and Jamie McGrath, but Callum Wright, Nathan Lowe and Jacob Devaney, who is suspended in any case, have all picked up injuries and join Kanayo Megwa (thigh), Rocky Bushiri (Achilles) and Jordan Obita (calf) on the sidelines.

Falkirk are set to be without Aodhan Doherty (foot), Joe Gardner (thigh), Keelan Adams and Ethan Laidlaw (both ankle).

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Josh Mulligan admits he has struggled to find his best form as Hibernian's early-season run of poor form continues.

The 23-year-old was one of the standout players in the Scottish Premiership in the first half of last season, earning him a Scotland call-up a year ago, before an ankle injury halted his progress in January.

After returning to Easter Road at the end of last season, the 23-year-old has started all 16 of Hibs' competitive matches this season but has found it tough to get back last season's levels.

"It's been a bit up and down," the former Dundee player said of his own form.

"I've not been nearly consistent enough, and I think that's a reflection of how we've been playing as a team as well, just not good enough.

"It's frustrating, but you need to keep going. I've always got that belief in myself and I think once the team starts really clicking, the performances will come."

Hibernian are 10th in the Premiership after winning just two of their eight league games so far, and they were unable to enjoy a new manager bounce as they went down 2-1 to Dundee United last weekend in Marink Reedijk's first game since succeeding David Gray.

Mulligan is optimistic, however, that the new manager's philosophy will come good, but conceded their form since the summer has been tough for the players to deal with.

"It's been frustrating," he added.

"The confidence is low, you can see it in the games.

"Everyone is buying into what the new gaffer wants, and I really believe if we do what he's asking us to do, the results and the performances will come.

"But it's been tough and frustrating. You don't want to be losing every week, so we just need to try and get a good performance tomorrow and get ourselves up the table."

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Hibernian manager Marink Reedijk is keen to block out any external noise before Falkirk's visit on Saturday afternoon.

Bairns cournterpart John McGlynn suggested on Thursday that his team could capitalise on the sense that all was "not rosy in the garden" at Easter Road and try to ensure their fans are "not happy" again this weekend.

In Reedijk's first game as Hibs boss, his side suffered a 1-0 defeat by Dundee United, extending their winless run to five Premiership games.

At full-time, some supporters from the away end clashed with police, leading to Hibs announcing the ban of their Block Seven Ultras group from their next three matches.

"They can say whatever they want," Reedijk said. "For me, it's important that we do our job and focus on the things we have to do.

"Then let's see if he's right or not, because I think then it will turn against them."

Despite their loss at Tannadice, Reedijk is adamant Hibs "are in a good way" and added that he was "buzzing" for his first game at Easter Road.

The Dutchman revealed that wing-back Adam Mayor and midfielder Jamie McGrath are back in contention, but Nathan Lowe, Jacob Devaney and Callum Wright have all sustained injuries.

"On Callum, I cannot say yet because it happened late in the week," Reedijk added.

"Nathan and Jacob are mid-term I think, around a few weeks."

• Excluding own goals, Hibernian have eight goals from 131 shots and Falkirk have five goals from 92 shots in the Scottish Premiership this season. Their shot conversion rates of 6.1% and 5.4% respectively are two of the bottom three in the division this term (Kilmarnock the other with 6.1%).

• Falkirk are the only side without an away win in the Scottish Premiership this season, drawing three and losing one of four outings.

• Hibernian are without a clean sheet in 14 league games, their longest run in the Scottish Premiership since going 15 games without a shutout from August to December 2019.

• Falkirk are winless in six top-flight visits to Hibernian (D2 L4) since a 1-0 victory in September 2006.

• Hibernian have only lost one of their last 14 top-flight meetings with Falkirk (W8 D5), a 4-1 away defeat in January last season.

Beveren technical director Bob Peeters believes new Hibernian manager Marink Reedijk will bring success to Easter Road, just as the 34-year-old did with the Belgian club despite a disappointing first season there. (Daily Record, external)

Read Thursday's Scottish Gossip in full.

Matty Fairnie
Fan writer

We didn't get the start we hoped for as Marink Reedijk took charge for the first time on Saturday.

A good opening 15 minutes gave some hope before old habits crept into the team and we struggled to create chances.

These are inherited issues for Reedijk, and we should know that it'll take more than the two weeks he's had with the team to put them to bed.

A "pre-season on steroids", as the head coach described it, can only take you so far, and by Reedijk's own admission there's a lot of work still to do.

The team looked disjointed and this again maybe shouldn't have been a surprise given we started with a new centre-half pairing and a refreshed front four.

With Falkirk up next, Reedijk's priority will most likely be finding a way to improve his side's potency in the final third. He lamented wasted passes, too many touches, and poor decisions when reflecting on Saturday's game.

I'm sure Gray would sympathise as these were issues he called out all too many times post-match during his tenure.

Solving that problem will be a huge step towards to a successful season.

You can find Matty Fairnie at Longbangers podcast, external

Andy Burke is joined by Hibernian Women head coach Joelle Murray and Scotsman sports editor Mark Atkinson to assess the contrasting fortunes of Edinburgh's two biggest clubs.

An early change of manager, a poor summer of recruitment and strife between fans and the Easter Road hierarchy, can Marink Reedijk turn it round?

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Hibernian say they will "take appropriate action as necessary" after they "establish the full circumstances" surrounding the scenes that unfolded in the away end following their weekend defeat to Dundee United at Tannadice.

Pictures showed some visiting fans clashing with police and stewards after head coach Marink Reedijk's first match in charge.

The Leith club say they are aware of the incidents and are investigating the events "in collaboration with other supporters" who attended the Scottish Premiership match, as well as with the police and Dundee United.

"The safety, wellbeing and matchday experience of our supporters is extremely important to us," they add.

"We will provide a further update this week prior to our upcoming match against Falkirk at Easter Road."

Watch the Sportscene panel analyse new boss Marink Reedijk's first game as Hibs manager. Available to UK users only.

Dundee United inflict a debut defeat on new Hibs boss Marink Reedijk thanks to Daniel Bennie's first-half goal. (Available to UK users only)

Hibs fans, we asked you for your thoughts on the 1-0 loss to Dundee United in Marink Reedijk's first game in charge.

Here's a taste of what you had to say...

Martin: Started brightly and if Josh Mulligan scores his gilt-edged chance, things could go differently but after that we huffed and puffed without much quality in the final third. Reedijk has a huge job on his hands as, contrary to belief in the media, this is a poor squad with no decent strikers, no midfielder that can open up a team, and we also have very static defenders.

Bill: Please, national press, stop saying Hibs have a strong squad. We have the weakest, poorest players since before we won the Scottish Cup. Not a new manager wanted, just some quality players, fit for top six. We are facing a trouncing in upcoming semi. Please don't embarrass us supporters yet again.

Jason: Aye, David Gray was the problem! Serious change is needed from top to bottom at the club.

Ringo: I really didn't see much improvement under the new manager, but the players have to take some responsibility. They just ain't good enough. Reedijk will need his own players. Whoever's been signing players for Hibs needs to take a good hard look at himself, it's simply not good enough. The new manager will need time but with these players, who knows.

Ross: Those Hibs players should be ashamed of themselves. There was 2,500 away fans, a new manager - and that's how they turn up and perform. Really? I'm so fed up of being a Hibs supporter, I really am.

Gordon: Another woeful performance, displaying yet again that the blame should not have lain solely at the feet of David Gray, but with this totally inept group of so-called players. Yet again, no goalscoring threat and another poor, amateurish goal conceded. Potentially the worst Hibs team I have seen and I am in my sixties.

George: Hibs were, quite simply, terrible after the first 15 minutes. Three good chances in that period, all missed or blocked. Then, for unknown reasons, we stopped playing. At times in the second half we opened them up but our final ball was too often poor, including numerous misplaced passes.