Hibs need key men fit and flying as resurgent Rangers visit Easter Road - talking points from Saints stumble

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Failure to see off 10-man hosts brings winning run to end

Like most Scottish Premiership teams, Hibs are not good enough to rely on quality alone to get the job done. If they’re not out-working, out-hustling and out-thinking their opponents, they run a real risk of being mugged.

In common with most of their nearest rivals in the league, David Gray’s men also lack the strength in depth needed to cope with key absences. Without Elie Youan and, especially, club captain Joe Newell, they lack the composure and energy to dominate teams.

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As they prepare to welcome a resurgent Rangers to Easter Road on Sunday, however, a little perspective should be applied to this afternoon’s disappointing draw in Perth. Picking up just a single point against St Johnstone only feels like such a retrograde step because they’ve been moving forward at such pace of late.

They were still stuck to the foot of the Scottish Premiership table as recently as early December’s 3-0 loss at Celtic Park. Yet a little more composure in front of goal today would have seen them move into fifth place.

As they look to recover and reset for a game that has suddenly become a lot more interesting, to the wider watching public, what did we learn from a cold day in Perth? Apart, that is, from the importance of base layers …

The festive fixture schedule is a torturous test

Hibs looked more than a little leggy in spells at McDiarmid Park, as guys who have crammed a lot of football into the Christmas and New Year period were asked to go to the well again. It shows in the little things – the touch, the anticipation, the mental sharpness – that often decide a game.

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It’s not as if rookie head coach Gray has a lot of options heading into a fourth game in just 11 days, with the need to maintain momentum forcing him to stick with a winning formula, minor alterations notwithstanding. The good news is that the overall formation and game plan still looks solid enough.

Gray will now hand over to the sports science department, trusting in their ability to nurse his key men through the next couple of days. And get them ready to go again at lunchtime on Sunday.

Hibs need their skipper

The absence of Joe Newell was keenly felt in the centre of midfield today. No harm to Hyeokkyu Kwon, but the Celtic loanee is no like-for-like replacement for someone who does so much work on both sides of the ball.

Newell spent over six weeks sidelined after hernia surgery earlier in the season. The fact that he wasn’t able to face St Johnstone after limping out of the weekend win over Kilmarnock at half-time is, despite Gray’s encouraging words on the club captain’s readiness, a concern.

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Hibs will find it very hard to contain and confront Rangers without a bit of composure in the middle of the park. Kwon lacks that quality, at this stage of his career. And Nectar Triantis always looks better with Newell alongside him.

Fronting up

Elie Youan is another player who has become more valuable in his absence, with the French attacker not seen since picking up a foot injury in the Boxing Day win over Hearts at Tynecastle. As good a footballer as Junior Hoilett may be, the veteran obviously lacks the raw pace and direct running power of Youan – and that allows opposition defenders to focus more on Martin Boyle as the lone threat in behind.

Youan and Boyle as a front pairing works, especially with Josh Campbell in the attacking midfield role, because both of them can stretch defences. Together, they’re greater than the sum of their parts.

At least Dwight Gayle remains in fine scoring form, with another superb finish salvaging a point. If Mykola Kuharevich is fit, do you add him to the bench as a different sort of option?

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How good are Rangers?

We’ll dig deeper into this over the next day or so. Do our best to figure out whether scudding Celtic 3-0 at Ibrox is evidence of some new rising among the Light Blue ranks – or the sort of fluke result that masks a whole load of unresolved flaws.

The visitors are always box office, though. And the fact that nearly 3000 Hibs fans travelled to Perth yesterday suggests that, when Gray spoke recently about rebuilding a connection with supporters, he was certainly onto something. It’s going to be a lively one, isn’t it?

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