Hibs boss explains shock Elie Youan selection for Ibrox clash - and identifies key failing in loss to Rangers
Injury and illness forced hand in starting XI - but toothless visitors fail to put bite on hosts
Frustrated Hibs boss David Gray believes his team showed a lack of cutting edge in their 1-0 loss to Rangers – despite controlling large swathes of the game at Ibrox. And he’s explained why Elie Youan was thrown into just his second start since Boxing Day last year.
The Easter Road side lost out to an Emmanuel Fernandez goal from a Dujon Sterling delivery recycled after a corner. Having seen a Warren O’Hora header cleared off the line just before conceding late in the first half, the visitors then struggled to put Rangers goalie Jack Butland under any sustained pressure.
Gray confessed: "I'm very frustrated. I asked the players to be brave, be aggressive, get after Rangers and go toe-to-toe and I thought they did. I thought they won the ball back well, in good areas and had a lot of control in the first half.
“But the bit that let us down all night probably, which has been really unlike us, is the final third. So, for all the control I felt we had, considering this was a difficult venue to come, their keeper didn't really have a save to make.
“So it wasn't as if we had chance after chance and I think that was down to a lack of decision making sometimes and a lack of quality. The final third let us down, we just lacked that little bit of cutting edge tonight and it wasn't for getting into good areas, it was just the final bit and it probably summed up our night, to be honest.
“But then, when you're having nights like that, we lose a goal from a set-piece, which is the bit that's really tough to take. Because, firstly, we give away the corner that's avoidable, but these things happen; that's just a genuine mistake.
“But in those moments, you need to make sure that you don't concede and that gave Rangers … not a way back into the game, but gave them a five-minute period after that where we got on top, the crowd got behind them, which happens here, we know that.
“We've seen through that period and then second half I thought Rangers started more aggressive, we didn't really have the solutions to that. I thought we tried to change it, tried to get as many attackers on the pitch as we could to try and get back into the game because it's 1-0,
“But again it was the final bit, whether it be choice across or final pass, it wasn't there and then we probably were a wee bit too open as a result of putting on all the attackers and gave up a few chances at the other end, which was always going to happen
“It wasn't through a lack of effort, it wasn't through what the boys put into the game. It’s certainly something I've not had to say very often this season, but it's even tougher to take probably because I know what's in there.”
Youan made second start since Boxing Day 2024
Explaining how fitness concerns over Martin Boyle and Thibault Klidje had prompted his decision to throw Youan into the fray, the Frenchman lasting almost 70 minutes and showing some fleeting flashes of quality, Gray said: "That was an opportunity for Elie, he's not played for a bit. But Martin Boyle was someone who was ill during the week, so he didn’t take part in training yesterday. Thibault has been out for three or four weeks, so he's had very little training as well, he's trained yesterday and once beforehand.
“So just purely on fitness, it was an opportunity for Elie. And the way we play, he's had to be patient, he's trained really well to get his opportunity because of competition for places.
“It was just a fitness thing that we felt was the right thing to give us the best chance to win the game. Obviously then having Boyle and Thibault to come on off the bench gives you options, rather than starting them and not knowing what you're going to get. So it was a decision based on that.”