Hibs drawing first blood leaves Rangers hit for six

Steven Gerrard may be gone, but the same issues that have blighted his season to date persist.

Once again, their opponents drew first blood with the Ibrox men losing the first goal for the sixth game on the spin. It's a trait that will further devastate their season if allowed to continue, already depriving them of a tantalising Old Firm cup final in December. Hibs showed their aggression and fight from the off with Paul Hanlon and Joe Newell deservedly yellow carded within the first three minutes. Set up in a 3-5-2, the Leith side threatened throughout with Martin Boyle’s pace proving too much for Connor Goldson and Leon Balogun to deal with. Soon he’d racked up a remarkable first-half hat-trick. And while Boyle will be the subject of the headlines, Rangers' defending in the lead up to all three of his strikes was lamentable. The dip in form that has afflicted this Ibrox back four, who were all cornerstones in a rearguard that conceded just 13 league goals last term, is as remarkable as it is unexpected. Goldson topped off a shaky display by blasting a sitter over the bar with the goal gaping in the closing minutes. It summed up his, and indeed Rangers' evening.

Jack Ross wins the tactical battle

The Hibs boss clearly noticed Rangers’ woes against teams who play a back three in recent months. Slavia Prague and Malmo both used the system to good effect, utilising their wing-backs to exploit the space in behind the advanced full-backs. Ross was brave to push up Boyle and Nisbet right onto the shoulders of the central defenders, knowing that it would leave his team open to being dangerously overwhelmed in the middle. The gamble paid off spectacularly as Boyle pierced their breaches seemingly at will. Ross' side was on the rack from the moment Scott Arfield brought Rangers back into the game late in the first half but they defended like lions, putting their bodies on the line with a succession of last gasp blocks, interceptions and headers. Hanlon, Paul McGinn and Ryan Porteous were as tough and defiant as their opponents were brittle and vulnerable. It was essentially the story of the match: a tale of two defences.

Alfredo Morelos doesn’t justify place

While the Colombian is not at fault for the haphazard nature of the goals lost, defending goes start from the front and the Colombian did nothing to justify his selection ahead of Fashion Sakala after the Zambian’s decent recent performances. While the signing from Oostende is still settling into life in Scotland, he always guarantees, at the very least, consistent pressing and movement in the final third. Morelos does not and looks miles off the figure that terrified Scottish football in 2018/19. There’s no doubting his ability, but Morelos should be at his peak at 25 and tearing up the Scottish game with the talent he has. That he’s not doing the business will be a huge concern to Giovanni van Bronckhorst and fixing his poor form will surely sit at the very top of his Rangers to-do list.