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Hibernian 3-3 Rangers: Seen enough?

  • Writer: Adam Bortkiewicz
    Adam Bortkiewicz
  • Jan 6
  • 4 min read

Our questions have finally been answered. After a win on Thursday against Celtic seemed like it could be a catalyst for Clement to push on and maybe get some success. We immediately threw away 2 points, after leading the game twice, at Easter Road.


That's made it clear for me that no matter how many one-off results and performances his team can produce. Philippe Clement is not good enough to be Rangers manager and needs to go.


Even if we'd won yesterday, I was still waiting before I changed my opinion on his future at the club. To drop points in that manner is ridiculous. But it's what we've come to expect of Clements time in charge.


Onto the game itself, we were unchanged from our win against Celtic. This was fair given the performance.


We started in a similar vein, good intensity, forcing the opposition into mistakes and carrying alot of threat in transition. Our goal came from Igamane robbing the Hibs defender. The ball finding it's way to Hagi out wide, who played a brilliant cut back with was finished comfortably by Igamane.


The second came after we recycled the ball well from a set piece, found Bajrami in acres of space. He clipped the ball in, Igamane rose like a salmon and headed in his second goal of the game despite the best efforts from the Hibs keeper.


2-0 going on 10 and Rangers were in control. I'd just started to relax and enjoy myself when the intensity really dropped from our game, passes started going astray and Hibs grew in confidence. They scored from their first effort on target after a wide free kick was laid off by Rocky Bushiri and finished by Martin Boyle.


Even after the concession of a goal and a rocky end to the half. I felt like we could easily score a few more in the second period.


As the second half began we looked a lot more comfortable in possession, tried to control the pace of the game. Bajrami should have done better when Cerny found him between the lines.


This new found composure didn't last long. Hibs began to press and wait for us to play ourselves into trouble. I'd be here all day if I was talking about who was sloppy on the ball, it's safer to say everyone. After another give away under minimal pressure (who told Ridvan and Jefte to switch it so often?), Hibs ventured forward and Hagi gave away a penalty attempting to stop the Hibs attack. It was soft and similar to the foul on Hagi last week which was deemed to not be a penalty, but I think I'd be annoyed if it was down the other end and not given.


Boyle scored the penalty and it was 2-2. We truly seemed to be all at sea following the equaliser. Hibs began having chances and I was waiting for the goal to make it 3-2.


Rangers had been crying out for some changes and eventually Clement obliged, although his hand was partially forced as we've lost Sterling to injury.


Hagi and Bajrami made way for Cortes and Danilo. Leon King appeared for his first senior minutes in a long time as he replaced the stricken Sterling.


The subs were the correct choices as I thought Hagi had been very poor since the opening goal. He was excellent on Thursday, but his touch was poor all game and his lack of care in possession really set the tone.


We finally had some pressure after that, and Hibs really struggled to defend again. After holding the ball well at the edge of the Hibs area, Diomande found Cerny who went outside, played a low cross into the area that Igamane gobbled up to complete his hat trick.


There's not a lot of positives from this game, but I'd be remiss not to talk about the incredible talent that we have on our hands in Hamza Igamane. It wasn't just his goals, but his work rate and endeavour on and off the ball never dipped or wavered.


3-2 and that should have been game over. Cerny was flagging so the manager introduced Connor Barron. It felt like the wrong move, Hibs had struggled to get up the pitch once we made our attacking changes and adding an extra midfielder handed them the attacking onus again.


With around 7 minutes left, Hibs won a corner after good pressure. Kelly was weak under pressure, and Bushiri rose highest to head in the equaliser. It was a poor goal to concede and completely unsurprising given the way we'd approached the second half.


Igamane had a chance to steal the game late on. All from his own work, he chased down Rocky Bushiri, won the ball, bore down on the Hibs goal, and saw his left footed effort hit the post.


Aside from that we didn't really look serious about getting a winner. That's probably what stings most of all, I would have had alot of my doubts return watching us struggle to victory. But atleast if we'd got that winning goal it would have been a sign of character. Instead Hibs looked more lively and we were passively waiting for something to happen, a theme of this side under Clement.


I really hope that's the end of this fiasco. Clement lurches from one game to the next, there's mitigating circumstances around the injuries in the team. But we've not seen any consistency since that first run of games under his stewardship.


If the club moves fast we can atleast do some January business with a few to the team having a good platform for next season. Hope everyone has a good week.


Komen


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