Maurice Malpas, the Hibernian assistant manager, has rejected the notion that the club's new management team have transformed their side into a long-ball team.
Indeed, he is insistent that the playing style is more akin to that which fostered success at Dundee United under Jim McLean.
Malpas was a member of that team and, as such, is fiercely defensive of the tactics behind it. He considers his efforts at Hibs - and those of manager Terry Butcher - to be following similar plans, designed to get the ball forward much quicker than the Easter Road side were previously.
"I have never asked a team to play back-to-front," said Malpas. "We want to get the ball forward quicker. Jim McLean used to hammer home to us that we had to get balls in the box. We are trying to drum that into [Hibs]."
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