Rangers rarely got out of second gear against Hibs but when the did, they showed that they had more than enough to see off the third best team in the country.
The capital side caused us a few problems, mainly when we were 2-0 up and coasting, but this hasn’t stopped the BBC’s supreme analyst from identifying how to get at a team that has lost three goals at home all season.
Michael Stewart, speaking on BBC Sportsound and reported by The Daily Record, reckons that John Kennedy changed Celtic’s shape against Livingston in anticipation of the upcoming Old Firm Scottish Cup clash:
“The key to getting at Rangers, and it’s not easy, is to try to exploit in behind the full-backs quickly in transition and Hibs do it very well.
“They’ve got a player in Martin Boyle who works that inside-right channel perfectly. All game they have been able to get in there and exploit. Jack Ross will be very disappointed.
“When you looked at the performance yesterday from Celtic, so many occasions Mohamed Elyounoussi and James Forrest were playing in those inside forward areas and running beyond.
“I’m just wondering if John Kennedy changed that formation yesterday with this game against Rangers in mind, trying to work on that, running beyond. That is what Hibs have done non-stop.”
Remember how we were told that the tables had turned after the last derby when Celtic dominated us to secure a 1-1 draw? Yes, something like that. The thing that Stewart doesn’t reflect on is that Rangers simply won’t set up in the same way against Celtic, and it is a knockout game, the space behind Borna Barisic was targeted at the weekend but the Croatian international has been near faultless in the Old Firm fixtures this season, there is no way he will be as cavalier next time out.
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If Celtic deviate from the diamond formation that has seen them be a lot more competitive in the last two derbies it will be playing into Steven Gerrard’s hands, we’ve had three years working on this formation, they’ve had a three weeks.