HIBS kid Paul Hanlon today claimed the long-term gains will far outweigh the short-term pain currently being felt around Easter Road following the InterToto Cup defeat by IF Elfsborg.
The encounter with the Swedes gave the teenager his first taste of European competition and, if it ended in disappointment, Hanlon is convinced it can only benefit his career in years to come. Now the young defender has his fingers crossed he can con
tinue his education by featuring in the second leg in the Boras Arena on Saturday, accepting Elfsborg's 2-0 win in Edinburgh makes it tough for Mixu Paatelainen's side to progress but, at the same time, refusing to admit the tie is completely over. A veteran of just nine first-team games, the 18-year-old said: "I've only ever played in the SPL and the Scottish Cup so it was good to play a team from a different country and to see how they play the game.
"I only learned the day before the game when we were shaping the team that I'd be playing.
"There was a bit of relief for me when we learned Stefan Ishizaki, who was one of their dangermen according to the gaffer, wouldn't be playing but it was always going to be hard regardless of who played.
"For me, it is a case of trying to learn from every game I play in and aiming to be a better player.
"It was a great experience to be on the pitch playing against the likes of Anders Svensson and Teddy Lucic, who have almost 200 caps for Sweden between them.
"It was always going to be tough for us because Elfsborg are halfway through their season and are streets ahead of us in terms of match fitness.
"Svensson dictated the game in the middle of the park but they were very well organised with the wingers getting back to make sure we couldn't get in behind them or down the sides.
"They were well disciplined and hard to break down but we didn't create enough chances to win the game but I feel with a bit of match sharpness and a few more games under our belts we could have caused them a bit of bother."
While Elfsborg boss Magnus Haglund rightly pointed to the chances his side created but didn't take, Hanlon pointed to just how close Hibs came to cancelling out Emir Bajrami's early goal, Swedish goalkeeper Johan Wiland throwing himself full length to his left to touch away a low shot from Scotland striker Steven Fletcher.
Having survived that scare, Elfsborg took full advantage as Andreas Augustsson's deflected drive beat Yves Ma-Kalambay to leave Hibs needing to score three goals without reply to keep their Euro dream alive.
Given that Elfsborg have conceded just three goals in the league this season and none at home it is, as Hanlon admitted, a tall order. But the left-back said: "It was a brilliant save, had it gone in it might have changed the game. But you never know. Every game is different and if we can sneak an early goal in Sweden we'd give ourselves a chance but we have to admit it is going to be difficult as they are a very good team which is doing very well in their own league at the moment."
The fact Elfsborg play on a plastic pitch swings the tie even further in their favour but Hanlon insisted there would be no moaning about the surface from him.
He said: "It's not great but we have to play the best we can."
Boss Paatelainen has made much of the fact that he's regarding the two matches against Elfsborg as very much part of Hibs pre-season schedule, his stated aim being to have his players hitting peak condition for the opening SPL match on August 9 and believing that competitive games can only help that process.
And, with further games against Catalan giants Barcelona and English Premier League outfits Middlesbrough and Wigan Athletic to come, Hanlon agreed he and his team-mates face a tough programme – but it's one which meets with his full approval. He said: "All the hard running has been done over the past couple of weeks, now we can start concentrating on games and getting our match fitness up.
"As in playing Elfsborg, facing the likes of Barcelona, Middlesbrough and Wigan Athletic, teams you aren't going to play every Saturday, will give us tough opposition and for me to be playing against opposition such as them will be terrific and can, surely, only help me develop as a player.
"Tough games will stand us in good stead when the serious action starts and, for a youngster like me, the experience of playing competitive matches in Europe can only benefit me in future when, hopefully, we can qualify for the UEFA Cup on a regular basis because a club like Hibs should always be aiming for top three."
After making his debut in Paatelainen's first match as Hibs manager, a 3-0 Scottish Cup win over Inverness Caledonian Thistle, Hanlon appeared to drop down the Easter Road pecking order a bit with the arrival of Abdel Zarabi. The Algerian internationalist didn't last long, however, Zarabi striking a deal to bring his contract to a premature end as he failed to settle in Scotland, opening the door for Hanlon to stake his claim to the No.3 jersey.
Delighted as he was, though, to play the full 90 minutes against Elfsborg, Hanlon insisted he was taking nothing for granted. He said: "There are others who can play in that position, Ian Murray and Lewis Stevenson for instance. "I thought I did okay on Sunday but I know I'm going to have to keep impressing the boss.
"I want to play in as many games as I can and hopefully if I play well enough I will keep my place. The gaffer will undoubtedly rotate the squad around during the games we have before the season gets underway to make sure everyone is match fit and in good shape and there will be others just as desperate as me to play so competition for places will be tough."
The full article contains 1050 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
