Revealed: The tactical 'tweak' that gained Hibs a foothold against Rangers as Gray's men fought back for point

David Gray called it a tweak. A slight realignment of one player’s positioning and a collective move away from “gung-ho” thinking in specific situations.

Did it work? Absolutely. Against a Rangers team already two goals up and dominating possession, the decision to give the visitors even MORE of the ball turned out to be something of a master stroke.

Behind the headline drama of yesterday’s 3-3 draw at Easter Road, a fascinating tactical contest was played out between rookie head coach Gray and veteran Ibrox boss Philippe Clement. Both will have walked away from the high noon showdown with mixed emotions.

As Gray puts it: “There are lots of things we can improve on. I mean, we’ve conceded three goals.

“So there’s plenty of room for improvement. But the desire and the togetherness, the work rate, all of that was clearly there.”

The problem, as Rangers raced into a two-goal lead in the opening 20 minutes, was fairly obvious to Gray, who said his team had tried to be “too expansive” at times, the former full-back explaining: “We were a little bit gung-ho, a little bit trying to really get on the front foot and get after Rangers.

“We tweaked the shape a wee bit, which definitely helped. We gave up a lot more possession to Rangers – but at that stage we just had to stay in the game.”

To get specific, the problem could be explained by left wingback Nicky Cadden constantly trying to jump forward whenever the ball was played to Rangers right back Ridvan Yilmaz. His intentions were good, following the popular “Just go and take it off him” school of front-foot defending (see Photo 1).

Photo 1 - Hibs' attempts to pinch up on Rangers were just off in opening stages. | Wyscout

The problem? Cadden couldn’t quite get there quickly enough to prevent his opponent from using the ball. In this instance, it’s moved on to winger Cerny, Jack Iredale has to shift across (see Photo 2) to cover – and that leaves the back three stretched, allowing Diomande to make a run from midfield through the huge gap created.

Photo 2- With Cadden caught upfield, the back three are stretched - leaving room for Diomande's run from midfield. | Wyscout

Cadden was given instructions to play just a few yards deeper, forcing Rangers to find a different way through the lines. They did not find that easy.

Because they were trying to be expansive in possession, as Gray put it, the back three had been working hard to create width on the ball (Photo 3) in those early stages. The risk associated with that reward, though, lay in being caught in the wrong place following a turnover (Photo 4).

Photo 3 - Hibs looked to be expansive in possession. | Wyscout

Photo 4 - The Hibs back three were left looking ragged in transition. | Wyscout

Another area of concern for the coaching staff will be defending at set pieces – specifically in the second or third phase, after the initial delivery has been cleared. It’s one of the most chaotic elements of any game, with virtually nobody in their ‘right’ positions, and Hibs benefited from simply keeping the ball alive to score their own first goal yesterday.

But Photo 5 – just before Bajrami crosses for Rangers’ second – should set alarm bells ringing. More clarity is required on who should be closing down a player given far too much time and space to pick out a delivery.

Photo 5 - Far too much time and space to pick his cross for the second Rangers goal, as Hibs scramble to recover after clearing a corner from the opposite flank. | Wyscout

There were, of course, as many positives as negatives for Hibs in a game where they pressed effectively and used the ball to good effect, with the front two of Martin Boyle and Dwight Gayle especially effective.

Nicky Cadden’s deliveries from wide were typically threatening. And it must have been heartening for the wingback to look up and see so many potential targets in the penalty box (Photo 6).

Photo 6 - Nicky Cadden had multiple targets to pick out with his crossing. | Wyscout

Nectar Triantis, meanwhile, came onto a very strong game – mainly by exploiting some obvious gaps in the Rangers lines. Photo 7 is from the build-up to Triantis winning the free-kick that produced the first goal for the home side.

Photo 7 - Triantis drives into space to win a free-kick that led to a first goal for Hibs. | Wyscout

The midfielder has collected possession, played the ball wide – and is now driving into space behind the Rangers midfield, eventually forcing a foul. The Aussie’s athleticism and willingness to run with the ball proved invaluable at times.

Hibs genuinely looked the better side for long spells, despite an obvious imbalance in possession. And a special doff of the cap goes to everyone involved in the penalty award that allowed Boyle to make it 2-2 from the spot.

It’s such a textbook move, executed to perfection, with Photo 8 showing the trio of Chris Cadden, Gayle and Josh Campbell in full flow. Cadden has done brilliantly not merely to drive infield but to pick out his centre forward with one of those passes that invite invention.

Photo 8 - A trio of Hibs players combine to win the penalty. | Wyscout

Gayle’s ball around the corner is perfectly weighted. Campbell, having won possession initially, is already on the move into that danger area just inside the box. And poor old Ianis Hagi, doing the right thing by trying to track his runner, is already done for – he just doesn’t know it yet.

There was still more drama to come, of course. A sloppy third conceded. Big Rocky pulling on the Superman cape to score a third for the home side. And plenty of shouting about not very much at full-time.

A day that started so badly for Hibs had been salvaged, to a large degree, by all of those intangible qualities – mentality, spirit, composure – cited in the aftermath of every game. And by a clever tactical retreat in one very specific corner of the battlefield.

All the better to contain and counter high-flying visitors who must, despite their grumbling about decision, know that this game could easily have ended with more than two points dropped.

Hibs Correspondent John Greechan is a UEFA qualified coach with a Certificate in Advanced Tactical Analysis from Barca Innovation Hub Universitas.