Whilst the Scottish Women’s Premier League (SWPL) 1 has been largely dominated by the trio of Glasgow City, Celtic Women and Rangers Women in recent years, one team that will always hold a special place in the hearts of many fans of the women’s game north of the border is Hibernian Women, with them being arguably the first superpower from the nation and helping to establish Scottish football as a key player in the European game.
When looking back at their success, the constant behind it all has been their ability to either produce or to attract outstanding footballing talent, with former goalkeeper Gemma Fay (Scotland’s all-time record cap holder), current Arsenal Women captain Kim Little, Everton Women utility player Lucy Hope and Real Madrid Femenino playmaker Caroline Weir just some of those to have worn the famous green shirt at one time or another, and their ability to keep developing players continues to this day.
One of their more recent successes has come in the shape of midfielder Michaela McAlonie, who joined the club in 2021 from league rivals Spartans Women and who has quickly established herself as a favourite among the Hibernian faithful, with her ability to pick passes and to give everything each time that she steps out onto the field always appreciated. Yet, she doesn’t often get the credit that her performances have merited. So this tactical analysis will look to put that right, highlighting just what she brings to her team’s play and showing why she is such a key player for them as they strive to close the gap between themselves and the main title contenders.
Midfield control
When watching Michaela McAlonie play, what immediately becomes clear is that there is so much composure in her game, and she rarely gets flustered or rushes things, and that is one of the reasons that she has become such a central player in Hibernian Women’s midfield.
From the team’s point of view, having players who can bring that quality has been vital this season, with returning head coach Grant Scott introducing a style of play that leans heavily on wing-backs or attacking full-backs, so he needs players in the central third who can connect the dots and who can ensure that the ball is transferred around the field at a high tempo.
This is where McAlonie has, more often than not, thrived, and what really stands out is her ability to always think two or three steps ahead of those around her. In this case, she has received the ball from her back line as Hibernian launch an attack and has already noticed that left-back Shannon Leishman is making a run up the far side wing to give her a passing option. Therefore, once the ball arrives at her feet, McAlonie already knows what she will do with it and sends it towards the wing, allowing Leishman the possibility of accessing the territory behind the Hamilton Academical Women back line before they can get back into their shape.
