This is how it feels (The Rangers 11 08 19)

[GreenCastle]

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We had some really experienced players on the pitch who took no responsibility. The back four for the majority of the second half was Gray, McGregor, Hanlon and Whittaker. The players chucked it in the second half and that is totally unacceptable. Third goal was the prime example. Doidge simply couldn’t be bothered tracking Davis, the manager can’t run for someone.

The team is boring and at the moment which I think reflects the manager. There are serious questions needing asked of the players as well though. When it all went wrong last year it was all down to the manager. Are we just going to blame the manager again? Not defending him in at all, I have serious doubts about him, but the players were every much as big to blame for that yesterday IMO.

David Gray has had 0 minutes of game time since last season.

His substitution was desperate and slightly crazy due to the chance of him becoming injured again.

He brought on Murray yesterday instead of Slivka last week who actually came on and changed the game.

It was the worst 40 minutes I’ve seen for a long time from a Hibs team get battered. We got a lifeline at 2-1 but didn’t make the changes needed at half time.

Sadly the Celtic are the Huns are in their own mini league this season to see who wins the league - we are playing for 3rd against the other 10.

But it would be nice to not cave in like old times at least against them both as even though with their resources they should beat us every time we have proven an upset is possible with the right game plan and attitude.

Hecky says we have better balance - well we don’t have a defensive midfielder - Vela isn’t that role.

Hecky said pre-match the Huns were the same as last season shape wise etc - maybe similar but they have added better players and if it wasn’t for our keeper it would have been 10.

High press - can’t do it when you have a slow back 4 (well 2 out of 4). The midfield don’t have the energy and Newell definitely doesn’t have the energy to press from the front. We left holes all over the place and looked like a team (individuals) who had been put together 10 minutes before kick off.

[basehibby]

There wasn't much right about Sunday. Starting two creative midfielders not known for their defensive qualities along with two winger types just resulted in the huns running riot in midfield and down the flanks. Even if the lot of them were on good form this would have been a doubtful formation for a visit to Ibrox, but with Newell and Vela both struggling to find their feet it was quite predictable to see our pace free defence being run ragged from the off with little protection in front of them.

I think I would have rested both Mallan and Newell for this one while giving Murray and Slivka a start. Murray especially has looked the business whenever called upon this season and is deserving of a start. I would still have started Horgan though - he's been one of the few players who's been firing on all cylinders from the start of the season - a certain starter at the moment.

Starting Doidge ahead of Kamberi up front was also a head scratcher. Kamberi has looked increasingly in the mood this season while Doidge missed two sitters only last week. Strikers are unlikely to get many opportunities at places like Ibrox so it's imperative they make the most of their chances.

Counter intuitive selections - it's not as if Lennon was not capable of producing some bamboozling team sheets - but I cannot recall he or Stubbs before him putting out a side so comprehensively outplayed in any competition regardless of formation.

[Haymaker]

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Sorry Haymaker but I dont buy into that, Ive seen hearts play teenagers at parkheid and Ibrox and they didnt seem fazed by the experience, in fact hearts have a 16 year old as their established left back this season, a player who held his own in front of 52,000 in a national cup final. These players who **** it at Ibrox are established players, not raw teenagers, if they dont have the balls to play at places like that then they are in the wrong job.

My tone in the quoted post was probably too aggressive.

You do get players who are kids who thrive off it, porteous recently, however some players who are older but have played for bull**** teams with 0 expectations suddenly appear in Scotland and bottle it.

Yes, some of our senior players were posted missing, I won't defend that, as I also believe the coaching staff set the tone.

[Real Emerald]

It’s depressing because it’s taken us years to get to the level we did with record ST sales, 18k average attendances, completes stadium and training ground. Rather than push on and use this momentum and extra income we’ve somehow managed to go back to Fenlon type signings and an uninspiring boring manager. It will be a sin if we tumble back into mediocrity after the hard slog to get to where we were. I can’t even bring myself to watch the highlights and as a ST holder for many years I’m giving the Morton game a miss as I’m bored and angry that we’ve managed to turn this around so poorly in such a short time 😕

[Haymaker]

Rotherham averaged 10,000
Yeovil town is 2,900
Forest Green Rovers have 4,836 as their highest EVER attendance.

Put players from those teams in front of 18,000 at home to 50,000 away at Ibrox with the expectation to win...

[Dalkeith Boy]

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Sitting in the car park after the game and waiting impatiently to get on the road, I took time to reflect on what I’d just witnessed and think of what word would best describe those feelings. Disappointed, embarrassed, angry or worried? I came to the conclusion that it was a bit of each. Disappointed that we’d put up such a poor show; embarrassed that we’d folded so easily in shipping six goals; angry that the substitutions left us wide open to attack and worry that those people on the messageboard who predicted a hammering were scarily correct. I’ve read Hecky’s comments to the press and for once I wasn’t overly impressed as, to me, the introduction of a second forward when we were down to ten men was a major error of judgement. Yes, it worked against St. Johnstone last season when we won 2-1 but this was Ibrox and the Rangers, a whole different kettle of fish.

To the game itself – we started with a 4-5-1 with Whittaker and Mackie flanking Hanlon and McGregor in defence; Horgan, Mallan, Vela, Allan and Newell were strung across the middle with Doidge on his own up front. On paper a good choice but it soon became apparent that our full backs were getting little or no protection from the wide midfielders and the Rangers took full advantage. Time and again they exploited the fact by doubling up against our full backs and it took them less than ten minutes to secure the lead their play deserved. A shot from outside the area was palmed out by Rocky but into the path of Defoe who couldn’t miss. I felt the keeper could have made a better job of dealing with the initial shot by pushing it round the post but in fairness the original effort came through some legs and may have unsighted him slightly.

It was soon 2-0 with Ojo slipping his marker on their left before he provided a low cross which our defence couldn’t deal with, allowing Defoe another tap in. That goal was as a direct result of Whittaker being left to mark two men again with Horgan nowhere to be seen. In a rare foray upfield, Hibs created a chance for Mallan but his effort sailed over the bar whilst the Rangers continued to dominate and Defoe might have had a hat trick but was denied by a fine Marciano save. Moments later Defoe hit the side netting and then Rocky had a wonderful flying save to put the ball over the bar.

I remember thinking that if we could keep it to 2-0 until half time Hecky would get the chance to reorganise. In fact we went one better than that by grabbing a goal after Horgan beat McGregor in a one on one. The chance was created by the one sublime piece of football we played all day as Scott Allan picked Horgan out with a lovely reverse pass that left the Rangers defenders for dead.

As we limped to half time I found myself praying that Hecky would replace the totally ineffective Newell with either Kamberi or Shaw in the wide left berth as someone had to stop Tavernier having the freedom of Ibrox. Half of my prayer was answered in that Newell did not reappear but his replacement was Fraser Murray.

Ironically I felt that in the first ten minutes or so after the break we looked much more composed and actually enjoyed decent possession but the whole picture changed after Sean Mackie inexplicably used an arm to block a pass and as he’d already been booked his second yellow card offense meant John Beaton had no choice but to dismiss him. The necessary reshuffle saw Horgan sacrificed with Gray coming on to play right back and Whittaker switched to the left.

It was the hosts dominating the game again before Hibs took the chance to make another change. Scott Allan had picked up a knock and from the subs available I’d have expected Slivka to get the nod but instead it was Kamberi which meant we had two strikers and a considerably weakened midfield. I know that Hecky later said ‘you’ve got to go for it’ but I don’t share that view. We were already under the cosh and that change simply made the Rangers stronger, not us.

A string of fine saves by Rocky kept the score at 2-1 but not long after Tavernier had rattled our crossbar the smallest man on the park managed to outjump two of our defenders at the back post. Defoe got his hat trick but I doubt he’ll score many easier ones. Defoe was immediately replaced and that brought Morelos into the equation. It didn’t take him long to make his mark as he picked the ball up just inside his own half and sped off at pace, leaving a trail of Hibs players in his wake before crashing a shot past Rocky at the near post.

It seemed to me as though Rocky was being left to keep the score down almost on his own but following another couple of good saves he was beaten again by Morelos and then in time added on, Ojo found the net after a deflection sent Rocky the wrong way.

Going back to my initial comments on how I felt, I need to add humiliated because that performance was not befitting our football club. Manager, coaches and players all share the blame and they really need to get their act together quickly.

The players

Marciano – It seems odd to say this, given he’d shipped six goals and could have done better regarding a couple of them but Rocky gets my man of the match award.

Whittaker – I felt, especially in the first half when he was regularly outnumbered, he put in a decent shift.

McGregor – A central defender in a team that’s shipped six goals is not going to earn any plaudits for his performance.

Hanlon – See McGregor.

Mackie – Left horribly exposed at times in the first half I cannot fathom out why he used an arm when he knew he was already on a yellow. I understand some on twitter are saying it hit his shoulder but from my vantage point at the other end of the park it looked to have struck his arm.

Horgan - Credit to the laddie for making the run and scoring the goal but apart from that he was largely anonymous and no help whatsoever to Whittaker.

Mallan – Part of a centre midfield that was continuously overrun and so offered little of any note in a positive sense.

Vela – I actually felt a wee bit sorry for him because with the wide men failing in their defensive duties he was pulled left and right to try and help the full backs.

Allan – The lad must be helluva frustrated because other than that peach of a pass for the goal he had pretty much zero movement ahead of him for the most part.

Newell – I’m going to resort to an old football cliché here. It was like playing with a man short. I don’t know if the massive crowd got to him but he was like a rabbit caught in the headlights.

Doidge – Another who failed to impress and the Rangers central defenders didn’t give him a sniff.

Murray – Made more of an effort to help his full back but the dismissal of Mackie gave him little opportunity to offer anything going forward.

Gray – It was good to see him back but he looked a mile off the pace if truth be told.

Kamberi – Shouldn’t have been on because the appalling weakening of our midfield meant he didn’t even have scraps to feed off.

Hecky – Sorry PH but you got that one very wrong and saying the shape didn’t lose us the game, rather losing the balls in silly areas, doesn’t sit well with me. We could have shipped double figures today and our shape and substitutions would have been high amongst the reasons for doing so.

The fans – Deserve an award for, mostly, staying to the bitter end.

John Beaton – A number of daft and baffling decisions but otherwise what you’d expect from him – admittedly those two things are one and the same!

Thanks John , another excellent and honest report which I always look forward to reading. It gives me a real pulse on things. Being in Canada and watching on HibsTV I know it's not the same as being live at a game , but you were very respectful and kind in your reporting. I agree with everything you said but I am a little more critical. I went through the emotions like most of us.... I am now in that camp that is very concerned about what I see. We've seen a lot us Hibby's but that was awful...I hope it truly is a case of allowing a few weeks for the new guys to gel etc...but I already have my doubts

[Big90inOz]

Just watched the "highlights", were we wearing lead boots ? The one thing which I noticed time after time was how our players had a yard start and were beaten to the ball time after time, and sad to say but there were many times when the Hibs player simply gave up.

We were out muscled, out fought, out thought, over ran and out played. There is always an over the top reaction to losses by some on Hibs.Net but this performance looked absolutely awful.

[BILLYHIBS]

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Just watched the "highlights", were we wearing lead boots ? The one thing which I noticed time after time was how our players had a yard start and were beaten to the ball time after time, and sad to say but there were many times when the Hibs player simply gave up.

We were out muscled, out fought, out thought, over ran and out played. There is always an over the top reaction to losses by some on Hibs.Net but this performance looked absolutely awful.

[Shrekko]

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It’s depressing because it’s taken us years to get to the level we did with record ST sales, 18k average attendances, completes stadium and training ground. Rather than push on and use this momentum and extra income we’ve somehow managed to go back to Fenlon type signings and an uninspiring boring manager. It will be a sin if we tumble back into mediocrity after the hard slog to get to where we were. I can’t even bring myself to watch the highlights and as a ST holder for many years I’m giving the Morton game a miss as I’m bored and angry that we’ve managed to turn this around so poorly in such a short time 😕

You do realise that that fans who desert the team at the first sign of trouble (which they're entitled to if they so please- so not an uber fan debate) will be partly responsible taking us backwards towards mediocrity? If we have folk jumping off the wagon after 2 league games it doesn't show a lot of resilience. We're all in this in some way.

[Speedway]

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I’d like to see that, purely because a marquee signing would presumably be a massive improvement on what we have.

Mulumbu would improve our team immensely.

We stopped signing the higher profile players that are available when Lennon left.

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I just can't believe he started Newall in the first place. Everything that we have heard about him, and everything we have seen so far, suggests that he won't put in a power of work. A sort of Matt Le Tissier type player, only without the 30 yard volleys into the top corner.

Never the type of player to start yesterday and it worries me that Hecky thought otherwise.

Newell = Matt Le Tissier just without the pace, touch, eye for goal or flair.

[ben johnson]

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It’s depressing because it’s taken us years to get to the level we did with record ST sales, 18k average attendances, completes stadium and training ground. Rather than push on and use this momentum and extra income we’ve somehow managed to go back to Fenlon type signings and an uninspiring boring manager. It will be a sin if we tumble back into mediocrity after the hard slog to get to where we were. I can’t even bring myself to watch the highlights and as a ST holder for many years I’m giving the Morton game a miss as I’m bored and angry that we’ve managed to turn this around so poorly in such a short time 😕

The SC win has changed many things within the Club and that includes the supporters expectations. After we stumbled , blinking , into the sunlight of the SC winners promised land we have dreaded returning to the role of also rans. The Club will have to act quickly but at least they know now that a successfull team on the pitch means people will come to support the the club
I don’t want an indoor training pitch I want better players