Scott Allan voices derby concerns for former side Hibs as he makes transfer window warning

Former Hibs midfielder Scott Allan believes his former club needs to have a successful January transfer window to lift the mood at Easter Road after a chastening defeat by Celtic on Wednesday night.

An Aaron Mooy double and strikes from Daizen Maeda and Kyogo Furuhashi secured a comprehensive victory for a slick Hoops in the final fixture of 2022 and while Allan felt his old side started well, they were unable to cope with the relentless nature of the current cinch Premiership leaders.

“It’s what you expect from Celtic under Ange Postecoglou – lots of the ball, lots of chances created, and goals from all over the park. I thought Aaron Mooy put on a midfield masterclass: how to take the ball, pass the ball, get it into the box and keep things moving, and a couple of great goals. He’s come back from the World Cup full of confidence and he’s given Ange a headache ahead of the Old Firm game,” Allan told Sky Sports.

“I thought Hibs started the game well but as soon as they lost a goal… it’s always difficult to play against that Celtic team when they get a goal in front and it proved that way on Wednesday night.”

Scott Allan was reviewing the cinch Premiership midweek card for Sky Sports and discussed his former club's performance against Celtic and the upcoming Edinburgh derby

Allan was the architect when Hibs last won at Tynecastle Park, setting up Martin Boyle for a double on Boxing Day three years ago, but he fears Hearts may be too strong for his former employers come January 2, with the form of Lawrence Shankland an ominous sign for those of a green and white persuasion.

“Hibs haven’t won there since 2019 so it’s going to be a difficult task for them. A derby is a one-off occasion but I think Hearts with Shankland scoring goals and the experience they have throughout their team will make it a hard ask for Hibs,” the Arbroath midfielder added.

“I think the transfer window is going to be huge for Hibs and how they come out of it. I know they’re looking to offload a few players and maybe get some in but they need to come out of the window a lot stronger and looking to push on in the second half of the season because they should be doing better.”