Hibs approach to Ibrox challenge revealed as Gray delivers surprise 'won every game' Rangers claim
Easter Road side chasing place in last four of Premier Sports Cup against side sitting TENTH in table
Hibs boss David Gray insists his team would fancy their chances of pulling off a Premier Sports Cup quarter-final victory at Ibrox even if Russell Martin’s Rangers had won EVERY game this season. And the Easter Road gaffer has delivered a first verdict on the chances of his two most recent signings breaking into the starting XI.
Rangers are in deep crisis and new gaffer Martin is facing intense calls to abandon a job he’s occupied for just over three months, with his team sitting tenth in the Scottish Premiership after five rounds of fixtures. But Gray is wary of getting drawn into assuming that Hibs will be favourites.
Hibs beat Rangers in Scottish Premiership at Ibrox last season
The former club captain has told players to focus on the prize of a Hampden semi-final up for grabs in Saturday’s live televised tea-time kick-off. And he says the visitors, who won 2-0 at Ibrox on their most recent visit back in April, won’t be changing their approach just because the home side are mired in a slump.
“No, I think it's the same as any time you go to Ibrox, it's a difficult task,” he warned, adding: “What's at stake, though, is that it’s a cup competition and on any given day, anyone can beat anyone. You've seen the cups along the way.
“It's an opportunity for us to try and get in the next round, and the mindset of players every time we go along the M8 is to try to win the game of football. The prize for this one is a trip to Hampden if you get through it. That's going to be the message.
“It doesn't change, whether Rangers had won every game this season or they hadn't won a single game. I think the challenge is still there for everyone to see.
“They're a good side. It's a difficult place to go, but it's an opportunity for the players to try and get in the next round of the cup, and that will be the mindset.”
On-loan Middlesbrough midfielder Dan Barlaser came off the bench for a first appearance early in the second half at Easter Road on Saturday, the 28-year-old helping Hibs to fight back from 3-1 down in their 3-3 draw with Dundee United. Charlton centre-half Mitchell, who spent the second half of last season on loan with St Johnstone, had to wait until after the transfer deadline until clearance came through – and has yet to feature for a Hibs side with strength in depth across the back three.
Gray, assessing the new arrivals, said: “Dan has played at a very high level, he’s very experienced, and a very good footballer. It’s something we thought we needed in there, just another option in being able to control games of football.
“Dylan Levitt does it really well in terms of how he gets on the ball and passes forward; Dan does that as well. On top of that, the type of player he is, and the feedback we had on him as a character and the fact he's played a lot of games at a really high level is a real positive.
Charlton defender impressed at St Johnstone
“Zach was someone who really impressed me when he had a brief spell at St Johnstone last season. It was cut short right at the back end of the season with injury, but when you're looking at teams and preparing for oppositions, he kept catching my eye a little bit with what he was doing.
“He’s really comfortable on the ball; he’s young, hungry, always looking to try to improve all the time, and I've seen that in training as well at the moment. He’s come in straight away and he’s got a bit about him.
“He wants to get involved, he's quite vocal, which is good for a young defender. You don't always get that with young players coming in, so he is vocal, he's good on the ball, he's aggressive, and he wants to learn and he wants to challenge himself at the next level, which is great.
“He’s also got stiff competition in the building because we've got the back three that was pretty settled at times last season, and added to that, we've got Grant Hanley, a full internationalist and the level he's been playing at. Jordan Obita can play in there as well, so I think we've got real strength and depth across the defensive positions, and he certainly adds to that as well.”