Hibernian ended 2022 in the same way it started, with defeat to Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic.
Wednesday night’s 4-0 hammering concluded a forgettable calendar year supporting Hibs, with Shaun Maloney’s 2-0 loss at Celtic Park on 17th January kicking off a below par 12 months.
The report card for the year reads 14 wins, 10 draws and 21 defeats. It also shows two managers, dozens of signings and very few memorable moments for supporters. Most concerning is two wins from our last 10 matches.
Saturday’s 4-0 win over Livingston at Easter Road gave fans a sprinkling of festive optimism and some hope that the side had turned a corner and put a stop to our dismal league form.
With Celtic and Hearts to come it was a hugely important victory, but a decent performance against the champions was required to keep momentum high going into the New Year derby at Tynecastle.
What fans witnessed instead was a disappointing 90 minutes where Lee Johnson’s side failed to land a meaningful blow on Celtic, who were allowed to play in second gear for large parts of the match.
In recent years Easter Road has been a difficult place for Celtic to come. It was anything but on Wednesday evening.
We could be here all day going through the problems with the squad, the inability to learn from a 6-1 embarrassment at Celtic Park or the unwillingness to make any changes to the playing side until we were 4-0 down.
What’s most worrying is the sheer apathy around the club’s support at the moment. Win 4-0, lose 4-0 – it doesn’t feel like anyone is getting too high or getting too low, people are beginning to care less.
With 30 minutes to play on Wednesday almost half of the stadium was empty. No one was too angry, with many just accepting of the fact we’d been turned over at Easter Road again. Fans simply stood up, wished those around them a Happy New Year and headed for the exits.
Many were back in the pub long before full time. Many have been back in the pub long before full time on a number of occasions this year.
On the fans’ forums and social media there are very few angry voices. Many are unsure where the blame lies for the current on-field state of affairs and don’t know where to direct their frustrations. Others have just had enough of Hibs putting a dampener on their afternoon or evening yet again.
In a post-Covid world where clubs are competing for fans’ time and money, Hibernian have given the fanbase little reason to prioritise trips to Easter Road over other things in their lives.
As individuals and families grew more accustomed to spending their Saturdays on the golf course, in shopping centres or at home during lockdown, Hibs have a battle on their hands to ensure the masses continue to spend their disposable income with the club.
While moves have been made to make tickets more affordable, with initiatives such as the £10 adults for St Johnstone’s visit to Leith in October and multi-game packs available at a reduced price, this season’s Friday night football was a perfect example of where it’s going wrong.
A first class offer and sales campaign mean little when the show on the pitch is a losing one. 21,000 people packed into Easter Road under the lights was an excellent spectacle, but the big challenge is making sure the semi-regular fans within that number become season ticket holders, it’s making sure those who attended for the very first time are encouraged to come back for a second visit.
In years gone by we might expect a vocal section of the support to be calling for the manager to go following a run of results like the one we’ve seen in recent weeks. The reality is there’s hardly a peep from anyone at the stadium or in the pub.
Supporter conversations seem to be based on an understanding that if we lose X or Y games – either or both derbies – the chances are Johnson will be emptied. But it’s discussed matter-of-factly with people indifferent as to whether he stays or goes.
There’s a feeling that regardless of who is in charge, the football department at the club needs a revamp. We have a bloated squad with many players on long contracts and difficult to move on.
Lee Johnson spoke following the Celtic defeat and said he needed three or four transfer windows to put his own stamp on the squad. How many managers get that long in professional football these days?
With no Director of Football there appears to be an inconsistency in the club’s approach to style of play and player recruitment – which makes Johnson’s unhappiness with the squad unsurprising given the turnover of managers in recent years.
Off the pitch things appear to be in decent shape, with lots of reported commercial improvements at the club, but on the pitch things need to brought into line with the other areas of the business.
In a sport famous for its passionate fans and fiery atmosphere, it feels like much of what makes following football so addictive and enjoyable has been lost around Easter Road way.
We go to Tynecastle on 2nd January in need of a big performance and result – here’s hoping the boys can kick off the New Year in style.
The East Stand 
I took my girls to their first Hibs game last Wednesday and it was embarrassing how little anyone cared about going behind and then how few were left by about 70 minutes.
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