Michael Weir: Hibs were right to be tough with Rangers - but they didn't cross the line

Old Firm should expect a physical game when they come to Easter Road
Hibs defenders Ryan Porteous and Paul Hanlon look on as Rangers striker Alfredo Morelos argues with referee Don Robertson. (Photo by Craig Williamson / SNS Group)Hibs defenders Ryan Porteous and Paul Hanlon look on as Rangers striker Alfredo Morelos argues with referee Don Robertson. (Photo by Craig Williamson / SNS Group)
Hibs defenders Ryan Porteous and Paul Hanlon look on as Rangers striker Alfredo Morelos argues with referee Don Robertson. (Photo by Craig Williamson / SNS Group)

The way Hibs approached the game against Rangers on Sunday was spot on and all credit to the manager and players because a draw was the least we deserved.

I listened to Steven Gerrard's comments after the game saying the referee should have taken more action, but they've got to realise – like any team – that's the way it's got to be at Easter Road. We want teams to come and know they are going to be in a game.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Do they expect players to just sit down and say, 'it's okay, just come in and run over the top of us today'? No, the big boy Porteous and Hanlon stood up to it. You've got no divine right to win any football game. You've got to earn it.

I think that reaction was just because they've lost a goal late on, which you can understand, and it's one they thought they might have won. But that's the way I want to see it at HIbs. You want teams to know they're going to be in a game, and physically we were in amongst it. We were tough with them and made it hard for Rangers, and you need to have that.

You can't have them coming to Easter Road thinking they're going to have an easy day of it. They certainly never had that on Sunday because from the first whistle Hibs got in amongst them and made it difficult for them, and that's what you have to do against the Old Firm.

The one with Porteous, I think it was a booking, I don't think it was a sending off, and I don't think Hanlon's was a sending off either. And if you go further in the game no-one has mentioned that one with Defoe when he's elbowed Boyle. If you look at that one, that was a bad one as well.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

We don't want to be a team that are easy to play against, and Porteous has that bit about him, and a few of the others have it too. If you don't do that against the Old Firm you'll end up losing so I've nothing against it. It's a physical game and you've got to get on with it. It's part of football.

The players can be well proud of themselves. The manager takes great credit as well because tactically he got it right. Hibs had a go at Rangers but they picked their times to do it. We carried a threat and made it hard for them.

I just felt Rangers overplayed at times and that suited us because we could get behind the ball and hit them on the counter, which we’re very good at, and we were maybe unfortunate not to win in the end.

We'll need a similar approach against Celtic on Sunday, show a bit of steel and make sure that we're organised and a threat on the break, which we are. It's just whether we can sustain the Celtic attacks, but the draw with Rangers will give them confidence.

It's a tough one going to Parkhead but if there's any flaws in Celtic then Hibs are more than capable of finding them out.