The Levitt puzzle: where does he fit into Montgomery's Hibs?

In a dramatic derby littered with talking points, the quiet effectiveness of the returning Welshman was somewhat lost in the entirely understandable delirium. His 78th minute introduction was the first time Nick Montgomery has broken up the Joe Newell and Jimmy Jeggo partnership upon which he has quickly become reliant. 

That midfield pairing has provided the foundation for Hibs' fluid front four to roam in search of goals, and have been among the manager's most consistent performers. They are key in establishing control of the ball, and are tasked with covering a rather daunting amount of ground as the security backing up Hibs' expansiveness in attack.

Rotation, injuries, or suspensions will come around eventually, however, and when they do, Levitt looks ready to contribute.

The 22-year-old's start to the season has been a stuttering one. He picked up an injury following the Europa Conference League qualifier away at Luzern, and former manager Lee Johnson had previously revealed he arrived at the club from Dundee United already behind on pre-season training.

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His first leg showing against Luzern displayed plenty of promise, partnering Newell in Hibs' 3-1 victory. It's been a waiting game ever since, both with fitness and with spaces very limited in the middle of the park. But throwing Levitt on at a crucial moment in the derby suggests Montgomery feels he is someone he can now rely upon.

What he can bring in possession became quickly evident. 

Levitt primarly operated closer to Hibs' right-hand side, and made a number of simple yet intelligent passes that either relieved pressure or put his team on the front foot. Indeed, despite his comparitively limited minutes on the pitch, Stats Bomb rated Levitt as providing Hibs' second-highest On Ball Value (OBV) of the second-half, behind only Elie Youan and his already famous double.

There was one pass round the corner that took several Hearts players out of contention at one time, a suggestion that Levitt can be the progresser passer to link Montgomery's midfield and attack. Where Hibs have occasionally toiled  under the new management has been in finding the passes to bring the forward players into the game - the first-half against St Mirren in the Viaplay Cup being the prime example, as well as periods of the win over St Johnstone.

The primary question then, it seems, is how do you fit Levitt into the team?

Given he's wearing the captain's armband most weeks with Rocky Bushiri frequently preferred to Paul Hanlon, it feels safe to declare that there won't be many games Newell does not start. In Montgomery's preferred shape, that would leave Levitt competing for the spot currently occupied by Jeggo.

His is the more defensive of the current pairing, and the 31-year-old tends to stay behind the ball - of the 38 passes he attempted against Hearts, only six were played from inside the opposition half. This role is clearly required in this side, which would find itself regularly exposed without it.

You will often see Jeggo dropping between centre-backs to receive the ball, and this has become a key tenet of how Hibs build up the play, and how effectively they can do it will be a key indicator of success this season given we've already seen Premiership sides tend to sit off them.

This is an area where you'd expect Levitt to thrive. He is assured and fleet-footed in possession, with an eye for passes others would not often see. Even playing in a dreadful Dundee United side last season, his numbers in areas such as open play passes, deep progressions and throughballs were better than that which Jeggo has posted this season to date.

Levitt is not a midfielder battler by any means, but an impressive performance alongside Newell in the 3-1 win over Luzern, in which Hibs played something closer to the 4-4-2 since introduced by Montgomery, suggests he can operate in that role. In a much more positive 2021/22 season at Tannadice, Levitt was among the league's best performing midfielders for interceptions, albeit he was not as effective in other areas, such as recoveries and pressing.

Jeggo, by contrast, is defensively reliable, and it is clear why Montgomery has relied on him in every match since he took over. The Australian is among the Premiership's highest performers for interceptions and pressure regains (these stats are possession-adjusted, to account for the fact that teams which enjoy more of the ball will have to make fewer defensive interventions). The stats show he is a not a 'tackler' as such, but that his strengths lie in reading the game.

Jeggo is not the most progressive passer, but his 81 per cent pass completion rate and high league ranking for turnovers show he can be relied upon not to give the ball away, especially important traits for a deep-lying midfielder to possess. He certainly seems like a player who has benefitted from an extended run of games and full trust from his manager. I must stress, we're not looking for reasons to drop Jeggo to accomodate what would probably be considered a more fashionable player in Levitt, but scrutinising how Hibs can maximise their midfield options.

There is an case to be made for Levitt alongside Newell in games where Hibs expect to vastly dominate the play. He may not be naturally defensively minded, but he's not a liability off the ball, and would arguably offer more in-possession than Jeggo. With matches against Rangers and Celtic on the post-international break horizon, however, it would certainly be a bold moment for Montgomery to change his trusted midfield setup, so it seems more likely Levitt could be made to wait a bit longer.

He has, though, shown his value as a substitute offering a different skillset to others around him. It's not a role he would be satisfied playing long term, of course, because although it is true that football is more of a squad game than ever, no player would choose to start on the bench every week. But it does give Montgomery one of those 'good problems' you hear managers go on about.

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One way of fitting in Levitt would, obviously, be a change of shape to incorporate a midfield three. We're yet to see if Montgomery is willing to be flexible, or if he is wedded to the 4-4-2 - there's been no overwhelming need to change, thus far. It would almost certainly involve scrapping the front four which has become Hibs' calling card under the new manager. Certain situations may require it, but unless results and performances fall off a cliff, it's probably here to stay. And that makes competition for places in midfield all the more fierce.

Add Jake Doyle-Hayes upon his return from his injury, Josh Campbell and Allan Delferriere, and it's clear Hibs do have a nice blend of options in the engine room.