HibsDave

2 hours ago, villaglint said:

A genuinely astonishing second half performance. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a better 45 min performance from a single player to be honest. That sheer force of will to say this is an important game and I literally refuse to lose. I’m going to win by giving every ounce of heart, athleticism and skill I’ve got. If anyone else wants to come with me great but it doesn’t matter because I’m going to win this for us anyway. 

Amazing, amazing performance. Like that Hibby said the bigger the moment the bigger he gets. Forest, Middlesborough, down to 10 away at Rotherham! Can’t wait to see what he brings to Wembley! 

If you look at page 21 of this thread I think it was me who said that.  I know you won't mind telling you I told you so!

We did tell you he wasn't bad didn't we? 

7 minutes ago, Daweii said:

McGinn is class.. 

Hate to say we told you so but.....

Great result. We love a 3-2 with a last minute winner so SJM will feel right at home already!

1 hour ago, osmark86 said:

really hope that this one goes through now with all the positive endorsements from all the lovely hibs fans. 

Thanks!

How many clubs have you sold players to and then taken a positive active interest in that club's progress? rarely? Never?  I was already biased towards Villa but you'll gain quite a few more fans in Edinburgh if it goes through. That's how much we love the guy and think that a move to Villa is right for him. He was instrumental in getting us back to the top end of the top division after a really bad period. He can do that for you too. The energy and drive he has are amazing

Worth reading that Hibs Forum post about him if you have time as it shows not only that he's a great player but one of the good guys.

Now please let us start our grieving process and sign him!!

15 minutes ago, AvfcRigo82 said:

Anyways, A warm welcome to our friends up north that are the Hibs fans that have joined the board. Howdy fellas.  

 

We'll probably stick around and be like a bunch of fussy aunties. "how's the lad doing? Is he being a good boy? Are you taking care of him" etc etc

4 minutes ago, mjmooney said:

You will be required to despise our unwashed neighbours at Sty Andews in return. 

As a guy with serious soft spot for Villa the last 25 years due to mate's allegiances that's already in place mate, don't you worry  

9 minutes ago, Hibsfan said:

Don't feel too bad for us,  we knew he was away as our business model now is to try and buy young and sell for a profit to reinvest in the team,  he was out of contract next summer so we really need to sell this summer and i think nearly all Hibs fans will be delighted he's got a good move to you guys instead of going along the road to Celtic.

In terms of the player you will be getting,  i think the Hibs fan a few posts above covered it quite well however i will chuck my tuppence worth in as well.

He's one of the last of a dying breed of genuine box to box midfielders,  midfielders now tend to be pigeon hold into defensive or attacking,   I think you'd be hard pushed to tie him down to one role within the midfield although as he moves up levels that discipline may be something he needs to work on.  He could do with working on getting more goals from midfield,  there have been indications that may be coming but if i had one criticism of him that would probably be it.   In our recent European game we were two down at half time,  had it not been for John we would have lost that game comfortably IMO.  Within the first few minutes of the second half he'd clattered one of there players,  won the ball and was a driving force in a match i don't think i'd ever seen before from a Hibs player.  He really set the tempo for that second half performance and that's the kind of player he is,  he's capable of grabbing a game by the scruff of the neck and driving his team mates forward with him.

Something that maybe hasn't been covered too much is what he can bring to your club off the park.  He joined us at a pretty low time in the clubs history but he has been a key figure in improving relations between the players and the fans.  He's just a real likeable character that always does a lot to represent the club in a good light.  Anyone that has kids will probably find he'll be there favourite player within a few months as he really tries to engage with the club and the younger fans will really take to him,  i've no doubt about that.

One last thing i'd comment on is that there is bound to be some scepticism coming from Scotland,  IMO our league is on the up and there is a hell of a lot of good players coming from the so called provincial clubs now.  Within the last week we've put out a Greek side in Europe, Aberdeen ran Burnley very close,  Rangers (who finished 3rd last season) put out there Croatian equivalent and Celtic beat a Norwegian side.  I doubt many would grudge spending the money you will be on a Greek, Croatian, English premier league player or a Norwegian so there shouldn't really be too many concerns about where he's coming from.

Anyway,  starting to waffle now so I'll leave it at that,   All the best for the new season,  there's no doubt i and many other Hibs fans will be adopting Villa as our English side for the coming season so hopefully you get back in the Premier League.

 

Blimey I hadn't realised I was part of a Hibs invasion on here. To be honest Hibsfan has summed up everything I was going to say. SJM can run a game; he's now a complete midfielder. In terms of goals we'd like him to have scored more but check out his two screamers at Parkhead on YouTube, he never scores a dull goal that lad. It's good point about the fact he's a nice guy too. Got a few mates who have gone to youth team games and met him there. He chats to them and is always happy to get a photo with their kids.

We've sold quite a few players to English clubs. He's ten times the player Jason Cummings, who failed at Forest (and was still way too raw for that move) last year is. He's a better player by far than one footed Steven Fletcher who was at various Premiership clubs and got ridiculously large transfer fees paid for him. Scott Brown should have gone down south where he was good enough for the Premiership but went to Celtic and ordered a large trophy cabinet in his house. The only player I can compare him to, not in style but in ability, as a Hibs player bound for greater things would be John Collins.

Pay anything less than £5m and you have a bargain of the highest order. I really hope you get him rather than Celtic.

Oh and I'm not wholly impartial. My best mate is a Villa fan. He was at the League Cup Final in 94 and did a few of the European away trips in 97/98 so always looked out for your results and that won't change.

If John's going , and sadly he is, there's nowhere I'd rather he went than Villa.

It's ridiculous that Villa aren't in the top league and that will change at the end of this season.

Take care of him and when he's mid thirties can we have him back?