Hibs 'a better team' as makeshift XI replaced by first-choice starters for Rangers rematch

Jordan Obita at centre-half, Kanayo Megwa making his first league start at right back – and venerable veteran Lewis Stevenson being called out of virtual semi-retirement to man the barricades at left back. All things considered, 3-0 wasn’t the worst result. But it can’t be allowed to happen again, obviously.

The good news for Hibs fans looking ahead to Sunday’s Scottish Cup quarter-final against Rangers is that, on paper at least, Nick Montgomery’s side look stronger than at any time since his arrival during the September international break. The contrast between his best available XI for this weekend’s game, and the line-up thrust into action in their most recent meeting with the Light Blues, could hardly be more marked. To say that Monty’s men are a team transformed would be an understatement.

Of the players who lined up for kick-off in that Scottish Premiership home game against Rangers on the night of January 24, only three outfielders are likely to fill the same starting position at Easter Road on Sunday. One of the starters from that game is no longer part of the squad.

The new faces thrown into the deep end six weeks ago – Myziane Maolida started, while Emi Marcondes and Luke Amos were introduced as second-half substitutes – are no longer suffering from that feeling of dazed confusion that goes hand in hand with being thrown into the chaos of the Scottish game. Although Amos is out injured, Marcondes is now a guaranteed starter in the No. 10 position, while Maolida has bagged four goals in just half a dozen starts for his new team.

So, yes, the head-to-head record with Rangers this season isn’t encouraging. Played two, lost two, conceded seven goals and scored none? Hardly a reason for Hibs fans to put the house on a Scottish Cup victory for the ages. But a degree of perspective, a basic acceptance that the arrival of seven new January signings – reduced to six by Owen Bevan’s injury, admittedly – has lifted the entire group, might stay the hand of anyone tempted to wave aside the possibility of a home win.

“I don’t think we’re different in terms of what we do,” stressed Montgomery, when asked about the metamorphosis of his squad. “But we’re definitely a better team than we were then. The squad is in a lot better shape than it was in for both of the Rangers games this season.

“For sure, I remember the last game against Rangers. It was Kanayo’s debut at right back. Jordan has been our most consistent player at left back all season, and we had to move him to centre-back.

“So it was a real mix and match team because of the personnel that we had. But we still have five good chances, they had five good chances – and we lost the game 3-0. That tells a story in itself.

“We had a lot of good opportunities in that game, didn’t put them away, and were punished for a bit of sloppy defending for the first two goals. So I didn’t think there was much in the game.

“People see the result. But it wasn’t a 3-0 result, even though I had to pull a team together, playing people out of position.

“It was also Myziane’s first game. He had just come in. So it was a period when we were just starting to rebuild, bringing players in, but were still light on bodies.

“I still take a lot of positives out of that game, in how we played. But on the day, we gave away a couple of sloppy goals, which means it’s never going to be an easy task against Rangers.”

Megwa has been loaned out to Airdrie again, the youngster showing enough in his appearances for the first team to suggest he still has a chance of returning to the group at some stage. Young Rory Whittaker has also been quietly returned to a supporting role in the youth ranks, with the return from international duty of Lewis Miller – and the long-awaited recovery from injury of Chris Cadden – giving Montgomery options at right back.

Two other key players were missing because of international commitments in January. Martin Boyle was in the same Socceroos Asian Cup squad as Miller, while Rocky Bushiri was with the Democratic Republic of Congo at the Africa Cup of Nations. All three have added something to the team since their return.

But the change in Hibs is about more than just available bodies. There’s been a tweak of shape, too, with Monty’s tried-and-trusted 4-4-2 replaced by a more solid 4-2-3-1/4-3-3. The extra body in midfield makes a world of difference.

A month or so into his time as Hibs boss, Monty saw his bold plans to dominate possession and territory at Ibrox blown away in a 4-0 loss notable for a momentary loss of possession to concede the opener. And a contentious non-call that still gets the Hibees gaffer hot under the collar.

He said: “Even if you look at the stats at Ibrox, we had 50 per cent possession (47 per cent, but who’s quibbling?). At half-time, we had more final third entries than Rangers. And I thought we played really well for long spells, considering it was not far into my time at the club; we took the game to them.

“But we conceded a really sloppy goal, the first goal. It was actually the first time we’d gone long, Davie Marshall from a free-kick. We went long, didn’t win the first header and it was just a ball in behind.

“So up until that point, we were more than getting into the game, their fans were getting frustrated because we had so much of the ball.

“Then, for me, there is a clear foul on Joe Newell for the second goal just before half-time – and that killed the game. Joe gets hacked at the edge of the box, there is play on, and we concede right before half-time.

“From that moment on, it was an uphill task, and the second half was going to be tough – but we still had three or four good chances to score. If you don’t put your chances away and give away sloppy goals, you’re not going to win. In both games against Rangers, the score line hasn’t reflected the performance. And, like I say, we’re stronger now.”