Panda

Hibs were so frustrating to watch. Celtic played in second gear but Hibs had no idea how to lay a glove on them, hard to think of any decent ball they put into the box. A very average side who we should be finishing above. Nicky Cadden going off injured is a blow to them too. As for the cup, having Celtic in the last four just takes away a lot of the excitement. They are so far ahead of everyone that if you beat them at Hampden you should get the trophy afterwards, so I'd feel cheated if we actually beat them in a semi and still had a final to play. A Hearts-Aberdeen semi would be electric, that would be my first choice. Would quite like the chance to avenge the 2014 semi-final loss to St Johnstone. Livingston, well you'd happily take that wouldn't you?

See, this is the inconsistency. You've gone from saying Morris shouldn't start to Morris shouldn't have come off. So you've accepted Thelin giving him more minutes than usual was good and beneficial to him and the team. You're then saying Nisbet and Dabbagh should have stayed on, but @RicoS321is saying why didn't Boyd play with Nisbet. So someone would be unhappy here. You were one of the ones saying Dabbagh - despite his goals - didn't play well, so why should he stay on? Does he even have the fitness to play longer yet? Likewise, Nisbet hasn't had much luck with injuries, we've got to be careful not to push him especially when you see his importance at the moment. Ambrose actually did okay when he came on, that's the benefits of giving a guy minutes, and we might need him at some point over the next two months. Others wanted Gueye to play on the left, which they got. Others say Topi should have stayed on. Essentially, Thelin was damned if he did and damned if he didn't. Personally, I think it was a very good day, and Ambrose, Gueye, Boyd, Milne and, to a lesser extent, Polvara all getting a decent run out was a bonus.

The same Morris you didn't want to see start? Now you're saying it was a mistake to take him off? Thelin has spoken previously about how he wants us to play at a high pace, and that it's difficult to do it for 90 minutes week after week. We had Devlin, Shinnie, Nilsen and probably Mackenzie all suffer from being overplayed this season. The job was done, we don't have the squad to keep playing guys we're going to rely on for the next two months for another 30 minutes when we don't need to. We might not get that same luxury again of being 4-0 up with an hour played. You may not rate Ambrose, but if Sokler isn't fit and Dabbagh breaks down in training next week, then we might need him for 30 minutes off the bench against St Johnstone. Thelin did the same as any competent manager would.

Yep, Hibs' bubble should already have burst because Dundee United's goal should have stood which likely would have led to a defeat. Hibs fans I speak to say they're playing no better than at the start of the season when they were bottom, but have cut out the silly mistakes. Very Aberdeen-esque. But, hopefully Hoilett makes the same impact as he did in last year's semi-final, and this time Hibs win the shoot-out. Hearts in the semi, Hibs in the final. Would be delicious.

But the game was won. It was about resting the starters. There wasn't any other forwards on the bench (Gueye appeared to play on the left when he came on, something which a few folk on here had been asking for) so the only option was to let Ambrose have a wee run out, and Boyd got a chance too. If Sokler was fit he would have got the minutes. Thought he made quite a few errors, and if Tobers is injured next week I fully expect Dorrington to keep his place ahead of him.

I'm hoping Hibs with their 7,000 away fans (fair play to them for that) can cause an almighty shock tomorrow. Aberdeen, Hearts & Hibs all in the last four with no Old Firm in sight would be brilliant.

Cup draw on Monday. I want Hearts. Never mind Livingston or St Johnstone, and never mind bloody Celtic again. Hearts, at 3pm in a Sunday, 15,000 reds down the road and let's take them. Hibs in the final.

Just a reminder we won 4-1 and are into the Scottish Cup semi-final. You wouldn't know it by reading this thread

Come on min, he earned his start and he's earned his start in the next league game. He did everything but score (which I won't forget about in a hurry). We were 4-0 up and have some massive games coming up. Of course you take them off, avoid injuries or silly bookings, and let the fringe players have a dance. I don't think not winning 6-0 will have affected the confidence too much. Thought he did okay too. Yeah he's no-where near starting a game for us, but like I said above, 4-0 up against a lower league team is when you throw him on, and rest the guys you're relying on next week.

Really, really poor from Thelin subbing off Morris.

Good call.

We really should have made our offer to Millwall for Nisbet when he was gash. Millwall paid Hibs £2m for him, but with only a year left on his contract I think a deal can certainly be done. His best work isn't actually his goal scoring; he actually links that front line so well. Thelin has found his best position playing him almost as a 10. Keskinen looking so much better on the left. Morris doing okay but as ever he struggles with a final ball. Clarkson looking very good. Shinnie as ever is a wonderful footballer and human being.

Picked up a knock in training

Shinnie at left back, Clarkson and Palaversa the midfield pairing, Morris gets his deserved start, and by the looks of it no Nilsen or Devlin in the squad.

All the quarter finals are on TV, so you should be thankful it's the OGs covering it and not Premier Sports. And you get to watch Andrew Considine as a pundit. They all wish for cup upsets until they realise they're essentially hoping for Queen's Park v Livingston at Hampden, a game no-one wants to watch.

Tobers is out to be fair, Thelin confirming today he won't make it, so Dorrington will probably play. Sokler, Milne and Polvara all fit enough to be in the squad though, but the way he spoke suggested none of them will start.

Thumbs up for the graphics. Thumbs down for the line-up and tactics. Keskinen deep? Nisbet out wide? Shinnie presumably a sitting midfielder? Explain yourself.

There is no bigger critic of Morris on this forum than me, but you can't just decide he can't be trusted to start games anymore - not now, not ever - when he's clearly working his socks off and there is obvious improvement in him, and he's made an impact in recent games. Okkels isn't offering anything, I don't think you start Gueye on the left as likely him and Dabbagh replace each other at one stage as not sure they can go 90 minutes yet, and after that we're running out of options. If you do that you've lost energy from the midfield. I'd say Nilsen and Clarkson probably swap about, and Palaversa and Shinnie do the same. If you play Nilsen and Clarkson together, the pace would be quite pedestrian. Plus, would be odd if we have Mackenzie fit, Jensen who we appear to have signed to play as a left back, and then ignored both to play Shinnie who hasn't regularly played that position since he was at Caley Thistle.

Get that apostrophe to fu... never mind. Shinnie has to play. The "Morris can't start games", well this would be the one to give him his chance.

This is probably the most apt thread to put this in - the battle for third. Only four games until the split. Hibs (43) Kilmarnock (a), St Johnstone (h), Rangers (a), Dundee (h) Aberdeen (42) St Johnstone (a), Motherwell (h), Ross County (a), Rangers (h) Dundee Utd (41) Dundee (h), Ross County (a), Hearts (a), St Johnstone (h) Motherwell (37) St Mirren (h), Aberdeen (a), Kilmarnock (a), Hearts (h) -- Hearts (36) Ross County (h), Celtic (a), Dundee United (h), Motherwell (a) Ross County (35) Hearts (a), Dundee United (h), Aberdeen (h), St Mirren (a) St Mirren (34) Motherwell (a), Kilmarnock (h), Dundee (a), Ross County (h)

I don't think it did wreck our season, I think we just had a manager out of his depth who has admitted he didn't freshen up the team enough. European games might lose you a few points, but not enough to ruin your chances of third on account that no-one else outwith the Old Firm has the consistency to march into an unassailable lead. Hearts might be a bad example to use considering they're in the bottom six, but they were struggling before Europe started so don't think that affected them. However, since then, they've actually kicked on and it's worth noting that even after today's defeat they're still only six points behind us, and if they beat Dundee they're in a Scottish Cup semi-final. That's not a ruined season. I know you're joking, but I'll reply with a serious answer anyway. The new league format would actually do two things. 1. Potentially make it more interesting as it'll be six different opponents rather than three. 2. Gives us a very realistic chance (presuming it's the Conference League which would suit us far more than the Europa) of reaching the knockout stages and earning even more money. Hearts, even being as poor as they were, really should have made the knockouts. Here's some possible opponents (obviously, when this is updated Hibs will take Aberdeen's place, and that likely is the same with the many others too):- I didn't actually have a reply to this, just glad to see someone else appreciates Clarkson's recent improvement. I can see him and Nilsen switching places, and Palaversa and Shinnie doing the same. Where that leaves Polvara I don't know.

Or, take the £5m windfall, and if that affects some league performances then so be it, considering that guaranteed group stage football might not be back for a few years after next season. The ONLY team that worries me are Hibs, and even then they are average and their run will come to a halt soon (much like it did for us). Think after this we generally only have one game a week until the split, which will make a big difference. Plenty of time on the training ground for Thelin.

The emphatic answer to this is "No". We're a better team with Graeme Shinnie in it, and that's two good games at left back he's played now. Kevin Nisbet, four goals in five games. He's beginning to look like someone we should be trying to sign permanently in summer. Morris should have started over Okkels. Even though he was so close to winning the game, I'm glad Jim Goodwin is no longer our manager. Sat back and invited Aberdeen pressure for 45 minutes. And that's the real positive I take from today.

Declan Gallagher, asked if he enjoys going back to Pittodrie, said: “Absolutely not, but it is one that I'm looking forward to. Listen, there's some great people at Aberdeen, even though when I was in the club that wasn't the best of times. I did love the club, it was great, but obviously the fans have got a dislike for me and obviously, I’m not too fond of them either, so that will make for a good atmosphere for me.” That's cute. Personally, I think like most Aberdeen fans, I don't have any feelings for him. If anything I wish him well as I'd rather see Dundee United finish fourth than Hibs or Hearts because I see those clubs as a bigger threat in the long term. He just wasn't good enough for us then and isn't good enough for us now.

This is a first for me, something I never thought I'd ever say. But... I'd start Morris. Think his performances off the bench in the last few games merit a start. Keskinen on the left, Morris on the right, if Dabbagh is fit then him and Nesbit. Who starts in midfield will be interesting. Think there's an expectation Palaversa plays because he didn't in midweek, but I think Nilsen and Shinnie did okay on Tuesday. Yes, Shinnie was wasteful at times defensively, but he drives forward and brings energy in the midfield in a way no-one else in our midfield does. Plus, do you bench the captain for the fourth time in five games?