Shaun Maloney acknowledges his mistakes during his brief tenure at Hibs as he reflects on his time in charge. Now the Wigan boss, Maloney lasted just four months at Easter Road, with the team struggling in the bottom half and suffering a defeat to rivals Hearts in the Scottish Cup semi-final. Despite initial promise, the team’s performance declined, leaving fans disappointed.
Maloney noted that defensively, his team was the third best in the league after Celtic and Rangers, but their attack was lacking. After analyzing his time at Hibs, he identified areas for improvement to make the team more efficient and clinical in the final third.
In an interview with Coaches Voice, the 41-year-old said, “After we left, my staff and I spent many hours reviewing everything before we met up for three days to reflect in detail on our time there. There were so many things to discuss, but I was very clear on the team and players.
“I knew why we were one of the best teams in the league defensively – behind only Celtic and Rangers – and why we were really struggling in attack. I was also really clear on where we were headed. The big thing I had to take away was about how I could have made the team more efficient and clinical in the final third – the areas we could get into, and the numbers we could attack with.
“We had some really young attacking players – we’d sold Martin Boyle, our best attacking player, and our number nine Kevin Nisbet, a Scotland international, suffered a season-ending injury – but that could happen to me again. So the level and detail of the work will always need to keep improving to keep whichever team I’m managing even more creative and attacking.
“Once the club made their decision, my biggest concern became the staff I’d brought with me. My assistant Gary Caldwell, for example, had left Manchester City, and I was disappointed for them all that they never got to see how good Hibs could be. They needed a lot of work, but it could have been a really enjoyable club to work for.”
Despite the outcome, Maloney has no regrets about taking the Hibs job and believes the experience has been invaluable for his managerial career.
GET MORE NEWS HERE