Hibernian’s Financial Challenges and Potential Path to Success
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Tam McManus believes Hibernian can find success on a smaller budget by looking to the examples set by St Mirren and Kilmarnock.
Hibernian’s Scottish Premiership campaign has been a rollercoaster so far, with the team winning only once in their first 14 league fixtures before recovering to sit fifth in the table with 33 points in 25 matches. However, the club’s financial situation has been a significant concern, as Hibernian has incurred an £11m loss over the past two years, leading to several cost-cutting measures.
According to former Hibernian attacker Tam McManus, the poor financial situation will force the club to be more selective in their player signings, opting for lower-wage players who may not have the same caliber as those the club has previously targeted. McManus, however, believes this doesn’t have to mean Hibernian can’t enjoy success on the pitch.
In his Daily Record column, McManus wrote: “David [Gray] is going to be shopping in a market that previous managers have turned their nose up at and the fans are just going to have to get used to players of a lesser calibre coming in on lower money. There’s going to be some real hard decisions and players are going to have to accept lower salaries to stay at the club.”
However, McManus believes this doesn’t have to mean the end of Hibernian’s success, pointing to the examples of St Mirren and Kilmarnock, who finished above Hibernian in the Euro spots last season despite having far smaller budgets.
Lessons from St Mirren and Kilmarnock
- St Mirren and Kilmarnock have demonstrated that it’s possible to achieve success on a smaller budget than Hibernian is accustomed to.
- Both teams finished above Hibernian in the Euro spots last season, despite having significantly lower budgets.
- This suggests that Hibernian can find a path to success by adopting a similar approach to player recruitment and team building.
Hibernian will have the opportunity to test this theory when they face St Mirren in an away clash in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday, as they aim to close the gap on fourth-placed Aberdeen.
By learning from the success stories of St Mirren and Kilmarnock, Hibernian can potentially navigate their financial challenges and find a way to achieve their goals on the pitch, even with a more limited budget. This will require a strategic and innovative approach to player recruitment and team management, but the examples set by their fellow Scottish clubs suggest it is a viable path forward.
Call to Action: Fans of Hibernian should keep a close eye on the team’s performance in the coming weeks and months, as they look to emulate the success of St Mirren and Kilmarnock on a smaller budget. By embracing this challenge and learning from the examples set by their rivals, Hibernian can potentially emerge as a stronger and more resilient club in the long run.
