Advertisement

'No way back for Montgomery' - Premiership fan views

Your View graphic
[BBC]

We've already brought you fan reaction from Saturday's Old Firm derby, but there's plenty of passion from fans of the other Scottish Premiership clubs after another eventful weekend of fixtures.

Among the headlines, Kilmarnock clinched a European place, while pressure mounted on Hibernian head coach Nick Montgomery after a dismal 4-0 home defeat by Aberdeen.

Here's a selection of your comments:

Hibs fans are almost unanimous that Montgomery has to go, but the board and players are also the subject of their wrath after defeat by Aberdeen meant they slipped to ninth in the table behind the Dons and Motherwell.

Will: Complete restructure needed. Manager has to go - chief executive too probably - and major overhaul of how club is run and recruitment made.

Disco: In the last few games, we've conceded almost every shot we've had against us. I've been willing to have patience with Nick Montgomery, but we're in freefall. I'm not sure I trust him to spend the money. There's not been any encouraging reading in the gossip column, which is usually at least an indicator of intent. What is the secret master plan?

Aldo: That was a total embarrassment and completely unacceptable. I was 50/50 on Nick Montgomery as I'm sick of the chopping and changing of managers, but he's completely out his depth and has to go. What a mess we're in. So easy to play against and totally lacking in spirit.

Scott: Board are now under the microscope. It's not where they want to be, but they keep making the same mistakes and continue heading towards a dead end. Awful appointment and a totally unnecessary risk. Should have put David Gray in charge on a temporary basis for remaining games when they failed to make top six.

Kevin: Nick Montgomery has been well and truly found out at this level. Wrong team, wrong formation, just the wrong man, so yet again we have to go through the process of finding a gem. Tony Mowbray and Alan Stubbs seem an age ago now. Perhaps time for the tried and trusted.

Mark: There's no point in sacking Nick Montgomery if we don't have anybody at the club who has a clue who to replace him with. For me, we need to look within Scotland for our next appointment and for most of our summer signings as well. We need a safe pair of hands and more players from Scotland who will settle better and put the required effort in.

Darren: I don't want us sacking yet another manager, but it's quite evident that the players have downed tools. The manager can say whatever he likes, but ultimately he needs to take responsibility and fall on his own sword.

George: Lessons not being learned. Same formation and same "pass, pass, pass" regardless. Disgraceful performance after a promising start. Gutless from most in green out there. Suspect that none of the quality in the squad who are on loan will want to stay, so next season will be a big test. Nick Montgomery seems unable motivate players.

Danny: Partly our problems stem from repeated chopping and changing managers. There's an ingrained culture of underachievement at Hibs and yet another change won't solve that. Give Nick Montgomery time to revamp the squad properly and remake the culture at the club.

William: Enough is enough. Manager is clueless. He has to go or we will same again next season. The majority are not bad players, but he cant get much out of them. I don't think I have seen him smile since he got here. Very dull personality rubbing off on the team.

Allan: I was fortunate to have a chat with the gaffer earlier this week and witness the effort behind the scenes. Statistics suggest we're doing okay in the final third but must be more clinical. Too many players let him down despite a team selection fans supported. A good summer window, I think, will allow him to bring in his defensive players at this standard.

Tony: I have deep worries for the team I've followed all my life. At the moment, the club are investing more in hospitality bars than in the squad and management team.

Ray: I have a suggestion. Pay big money and get David Moyes to restructure the club and forget all those wannabe managers.

Stephen: Nick Montgomery needs to go unfortunately, along with quite a few players too. This has been by far the worst season I've witnessed and this investment needs to drastically improve the team for next season, otherwise we will continue to be a laughing stock.

Jack: Embarrassing result. Same story. We start well then concede a soft goal and all plan and thought goes out the window. Rocky Bushiri is one of the worst players I've ever seen and I've seen some dross at Easter Road and Jon Obita has cost several goals this season. Defence has been a major issue for years and never been properly addressed.

David: It's over to the owners now. They stated results must improve. They haven't. Last five games versus teams ninth and below - one win. Nick Montgomery is out his depth and has been for months. We are miles of the team Lee Johnston had at the same point last term, winning eight points in the top six and almost clinching fourth.

Brian: Dreadful performance, but typical of those for most parts of this season. A root and branch clear-out is required urgently. Starting with Nick Montgomery and then with the goalkeeper, defence, large parts of midfield and by signing two actual strikers.

Kenny: Embarrassing. Looks to me that Nick Montgomery has lost the dressing room. The fans also voted with their feet as the stadium was half empty. Our best players will head for the exit door if the chairman doesn't act now. Bring in Neil Lennon now and hopefully get a team sorted for next season.

John: Nobody with any sense expected Nick Montgomery to take last year's squad and be fighting for third place, but fans expect to see progress. We are a worse now than in his first few weeks and that's simply not good enough. Hibs need to stop sacking managers, but the best way to do that is by hiring a good one, not by keeping a nice guy who's out of his depth.

Colin: Gutless performance and the players have thrown another manager under the bus. Nick Montgomery needs time to root out the problems at Hibs. It was never going to be a quick fix. We can't keep sacking managers and hoping for a magician to solve our deep-rooted problems. Let him clear out the under performer's and start afresh.

What a contrast for Aberdeen fans, who are in greater heart under caretaker manager Peter Leven as they await the arrival of new manager Jimmy Thelin this summer.

Kieran: What a result, totally unexpected. I just wish we could keep Bojan Miovski, but he'll probably leave in the summer. Give Junior Hoilett a new contract - he is looking classy now.

Jim: Let's be honest, if Hibs had scored first, it would have been a different game. The Dons played well. What a difference a wide left player makes when he has skill and pace. Junior Hoilett and captain Angus MacDonald have made a world of difference.

Dick: Peter Leven has changed the Aberdeen system to have wide players on both sides of the pitch, plus a defensive system that is organised with only two central defenders. The defence has stopped leaking goals, while the midfield has started scoring them. It's so much better to watch and Leighton Clarkson has found his form at last.

Lindsey: A great result, albeit not our best football. Thankfully, we were able to capitalise on some shoddy defending from Hibs. As our players gain confidence, the performance improves. Peter Leven continues to get things spot on with team selection and tactics/formation.

Duncan: Can't make up my mind if Hibs were terrible, Aberdeen brilliant, or if it was just our day. Fantastic result, but incoming boss Jimmy Thelin will still have to prune a lot of dead wood.

Mike: Starting to click under Peter Leven. Wonder if we'll come to regret not giving him the job permanently.

Daniel: Give Peter Leven a tidy bonus at the end of the season, keep him happy as a coach and hope we don't need him to step into the breach again any time soon.

Paul: Where has team been, seriously? So frustrating knowing they can play like that but just haven't the vast majority of the season. Hopefully the new manager can bring this out in them next year.

Alasdair: The recent performances under Peter Leven have been encouraging and I truly hope that this will continue into next season. We need to keep Bojan Miovski - we would be in the Championship without him.

Iain: Peter Leven has made a huge difference. Playing four at the back was a no-brainer, but Barry Robson couldn't see that. We've stopped losing stupid goals.

Stuart: A brilliant performance. No other team this season has won 4-0 at Easter Road.

Niall: A stunning display and four classy goals. Peter Leven must take huge credit from what he's managed to get out of this squad. The creativity and team play was full-on and Hibs just couldn't handle the intensity. Two more wins will give the Dons much more belief, with Jimmy Thelin handed a squad in a much better place than much of this half of the season.

Mark: Thank the lord that Peter Leven will still be a part of our first-team coaching next season. No-one knows what to expect from Jimmy Thelin arriving, but I am somewhat comforted in the knowledge that Peter will still be here.

Dave: Definitely still work to be done, but we can't let that take away from a brilliant result. Aberdeen are going places and, if we can have a rebuild and have Peter Leven supporting into next season, we'll be flying.

Justin: A great result for sure, but I think it highlights we should have been top four with the squad we have.

Fans down Tynecastle way are also in good heart after their side's 3-0 defeat of Dundee.

Anon: Steven Naismith has got us in a good place. Goalscorers up front and a secure defence. We are able to field a good side and still have a quality bench. Financially secure and a European campaign to come.

Steven: A really good performance. Steven Naismith deserves a real amount of credit because this current squad is looking like it's going to become a proper football team. They can play well and win and they can play poorly and still get a result. For years, we've been a soft touch at times, but this side really looks the real deal.

David: The ball-winning efforts of Beni Baningime and Cammy Devlin are so important to the team. I hope they both get new contracts.

Don: A nice easy win and it was good to see youngsters getting a run out. James Wilson showed why some English outfits have had their eye on him in the past. Altogether, a good day for Hearts.

Dundee's chances of qualifying for Europe took another blow as form and results have tailed off after making the top six.

Brian: Showed we can play but also showed we are in dire need of a stronger striker who can score regularly. We came out strong for 10 minutes of the second half but then did zero. Luke McCowan is playing too deep, as is Jordan McGhee. Roll on next season.

Alister: Don't know what match Tony Docherty was at, but sadly I was at Tynecastle and we were shocking. Sixty-two goals conceded this season speaks volumes about our defence. Zero tactics yet again. To stay up next season, we require a new back five with pace.

Steve: I get that the manager is also on a learning curve, but it should be patently obvious given our goals against column that he has a terrible defence that needs protection in front of it. Even against a team who were playing a friendly, the result was clear before kick-off with the team and set-up.

St Mirren supporters also haven't had much to cheer since Stephen Robinson's side made the top six but are being philosophical about Saturday's 1-0 home loss to Kilmarnock.

Alistair: Sometimes you just have to tip your hat to a team who were better. We made some good chances but never looked that threatening. Hopefully we can make a fist of the next game against Hearts.

William: I certainly hear and agree with Stephen Robinson's comments about Kilmarnock being a very good side, but let's reflect on Scott Tanser and Toyosi Olusanya's magnificent efforts, which could have taken this match away from Kilmarnock. We were really unlucky not to have taken something. A performance to be proud of.

Ross County remain just above the relegation play-off place, but a 4-1 home loss to Motherwell means there are plenty of jitters ahead of a potential decider against St Johnstone in midweek.

Alistair: I was shocked by their performance. They let themselves and their manager down badly. Wednesday night is the real relegation play-off because neither St Johnstone nor the Staggies will survive games against top Championship sides. Last chance saloon is in Perth.

Ron: A frustrating day in Dingwall. Ross Laidlaw's errors for the first two goals gave Motherwell an advantage we struggled to overcome. A shame as he has been so good recently. Still, at 1-2 it was quite tight with no shortage of chances that were passed up. Blair Spittal killed the game with his class strike for their third - the best player on the park by far.

St Johnstone manager Craig Levein is unsurprinsingly getting it in the neck after a 2-1 defeat away to relegated Livingston.

Anon: Craig Levein needs to do the decent thing and walk away. The team has no fight and it looks like we are headed for the play-offs.

Ally: I would like one of your reporters to ask Geoff Brown what he thinks about appointing Craig Levein as manager because he has set Saints on course back to where they were when Brown took control of the club. The club's current predicament lies fair and square with the Brown family.

Brian: Craig Levein has done little to assist St Johnstone in their travails - and for big money.

David Martindale's Livingston side were praised for the way the survived early Saints dominance to record a rare win.

Neil: Rode our luck after a quite awful first 20 minutes, when Shamal George kept us in the game. Good performances from George, Jamie Brandon, Stephen Kelly and Bruce Anderson. Good to see us fighting back when it would have been easy to chuck it. Defence needs an overhaul though.

John: Livi were dreadful in the first half apart from Shamal George, who pulled off some amazing saves. Second half was much better and the substitutes brought width and energy. It silenced the grumbling from the home support - until the next time we aren't winning.