Opinion: Rangers Aftermath

The harsh reality of a thin playing squad was brutally exposed by Rangers on Saturday and despite starting so well the question needs to be asked: Where did it all go wrong?

If Hibs are to challenge for the Championship, conceding six goals at home to anyone is unacceptable. The defensive performance was atrocious.

Significantly however, perhaps the biggest loss was when Dominique Malonga had to leave the field after 24 minutes.

Although he’s often slated the striker knows how to link up play, offers an outball and generally lead a line. When he went off it left youngsters Allan and Cummings up front and no disrespect to the two but from there on in, Cummings penalty apart, the strike force was easily marshalled by the Rangers defence.

The exclusion of Scott Allan was always a potential mistake although it looked like Hibs had got away with it in the first half, it was ruthlessly exposed in a second half where youngsters Martin and Stanton were completely overrun.

Neither were able to get on the ball and influence proceedings and both stood off the opposition that often they could comfortably take two touches on every occasion.

As a team Hibs were very stand offish. There was no closing down of note after the first half hour and dare I say the Rangers were superior in fitness by a country mile despite a much vaunted spell in the sunshine of La Manga to supposedly improve our stamina levels.

Defensively we were atrocious. Mark Oxley never made a save – conceded two which should never be goals at Sunday amateur level and failed to command his area. He was caught deliberating on at least two occasions whether to come for simple through balls, both of which led to throw ins for Rangers in the final third.

Lewis Stevenson was as poor as he’s ever been at left back. Cross balls were plentiful from his side of the park and Paul Hanlon’s poor decision making led to the equaliser.

It was a sorry state of affairs for the last hour of the match.

Yes, Hibs missed Allan’s influence from the start and there were players such as Keatings and El Alagui missing who conceivably may have started alongside Marvin Bartley, yet he’s an unknown quantity thus far, but improvements on that performance are certainly required and quickly.

To capitulate so quickly and easily will no doubt disturb Stubbs and his backroom staff who probably thought they’d seen the back of horror shows like this after last season’s good run but now is the time for them to earn their collective money.

It’s imperative they get the Scott Allan saga finalised one way or the other quickly and they need to restore dressing room morale following the heavy defeat.

The next clash against a Rangers outfit, far from being world beaters themselves, is a month away and another performance such as Saturday’s simply won’t be tolerated.