Analysis: Are Hibs improving under Shaun Maloney? How big a miss is Martin Boyle? What the stats tell us

At first glance things could be better – but has the side improved under the new boss?

Hibs have managed a total of 298 shots on goal in league games this term, with 92 of them – 30.9 per cent – on target. Just three games have passed without the team getting at least one shot on target. So far the average number of shots on target is 3.5 per game.

In the previous two league matches against Rangers, Hibs registered just one shot on target in each fixture, and four combined shots on goal.

On their third trip they managed four on target, courtesy of Chris Cadden, Ewan Henderson, Sylvester Jasper, and Kevin Nisbet, and 12 shots overall – their third highest number of attempts under Maloney.

It is perhaps worth noting that Hibs had a shots-on-target percentage of 33.3 per cent against Rangers. In the 3-0 victory over Ross County in the second game of the season the team had the same percentage. The percentage of shots on target in the victories at home to Livingston in August, away to St Johnstone in November, Dundee at home in December, and Dundee United away in December was lower.

Hibs have achieved a shots-on-target percentage of 40 per cent or higher in seven league games. Only two of them resulted in wins with two defeats and three draws.

Since Maloney’s arrival, Hibs have registered 83 shots on goal, of which 25 have been on goal (30.12 per cent). That’s just under their average for the 2021/22 campaign so far, which stands at 30.9 per cent.

Pre-Maloney, Hibs managed 215 attempts on goal in 18 games with 67 on target, giving a shots-on-target percentage of 31.16 per cent – not vastly different from current stats.

Near the top of Maloney’s to-do list is ensuring Hibs are still creating chances without the