Hibs prove masters of own downfall as Rangers expose flaws

But by the time the final whistle sounded on a chastening 90 minutes at Ibrox, it became clearer than ever that there's much to do in pursuit of the forward strides he craves. The manager has made plain he has principles and fully intends to stick to them, and perhaps felt justifiably emboldened when faced with a Rangers team which has been enveloped in turmoil since the season commenced.

Hibs’ intent did not stray from the expansive style Montgomery has carried with him from Central Coast Mariners, but for the first time over a full match under his leadership, their execution fell badly short. Rangers may have been mired in malaise of late, but the fact remains that theirs is a side assembled at multiple times the cost of Hibs, and that quality makes error-strewn displays such as Saturday’s a recipe for disaster.

4-0 suggests a thorough, sustained dismantling from the Ibrox side, and yet it was a scoreline that largely reflected what Hibs were not able to do, as opposed to what Rangers imposed on them. Ultimately, Montgomery’s team were far too open, too passive at crucial moments, and it cost them.

‘Transitions’ may be one of those football buzzwords which leaves some fans rolling their eyes in disdain, but they are so significant in the modern game. What you do as a team in the moments after losing the ball is vitally important, and Hibs found themselves ruthlessly punished for doing very little in that regard.

READ MORE: Every word from Nick Montgomery Hibs Q&A after Rangers loss

A team’s effectiveness – or ineffectiveness - in transition can often be measured by how often they find themselves sprinting desperately back towards their own goal. It was a sight Hibs fans laid eyes upon far too often yesterday; players scrambling to cover wide open spaces being swiftly occupied by blue jerseys, the backline put under serious duress by a single pass.

A team that cannot cope well in transition constantly finds itself labouring to close the stable door after the horse has bolted. When Hibs did not win the first or second balls after a routine punt up the pitch from David Marshall, they allowed Abdallah Sima to bolt towards goal and apply a lethal finish.

For the second, Joe Newell had his pocket picked and no one in green and white got out quickly enough to prevent Nicolas Raskin firing low into Marshall’s corner. The Hibs keeper’s positioning could have been better, and yet his team-mates could have done more to prevent the shot ever troubling him.

The timing of Raskin’s goal, too, was a hammer blow, and it quickly became apparent in the second-half that the chances of a Tynecastle-esque recovery were slim. There was a roughly 20 minute spell post-interval where Hibs were simply all over the place, and although they managed to stem the tide somewhat as the half progressed, the damage had already been done.

As they have done under Montgomery, Hibs attempted to build from the back frequently, an approach that was actually somewhat successful in the opening period. Newell and Jimmy Jeggo were, at times, finding ways to escape Rangers’ press, but that was a far as Hibs really got.

Montgomery himself admitted afterwards that there had been a lack of ‘creativity’ in forward areas, his front four of Elie Youan, Dylan Vente, Adam Le Fondre and Martin Boyle all having strangely subdued afternoons. Le Fondre had replaced Christian Doidge in the starting line-up, surely as a means of helping link midfield and attack, but Hibs were unable to bring him into the game with any frequency.

There was a one-paced feel about their attacking play, especially odd since that aforementioned quartet can all carry varying threats. But they simply did not ask enough questions of the Rangers backline, nor could they find an answer to the danger which just kept arising every time the ball turned over.

Even the build-up from the back suffered in the second-half, with the home side applying a more aggressive press and Hibs becoming wayward in their passing. The performance will certainly give Montgomery and his coaching team food for thought ahead of Celtic’s visit to Easter Road next week.

Brendan Rodgers’ side are the best team in the country by some distance, even better equipped than Rangers to punish any mistakes Hibs might offer up to them. The question then becomes: what can be changed?

Does the system require a tweak for these games, or is it simply about fixing the flaws within it? The answer probably lies somewhere in the middle.

Against better opponents, some added solidity to cover midfield gaps would be beneficial. And yet, this is not a squad profile particularly well suited to setting up for a siege, and doing so could ultimately prove counter productive.

Montgomery’s plan B thus far has largely been ‘do plan A better’, and that has worked at times, especially against St Mirren and Hearts. But he will know that Hibs cannot keep on giving themselves mountains to climb, as exhilarating as that 30 minutes in Gorgie was.

There has been justified optimism around Easter Road in recent weeks, but Saturday has tempered it somewhat. That may not necessarily be a bad thing in the long run if Hibs can address the faults which contributed heavily to Montgomery suffering the first defeat of his tenure.

But it will likely require patience, and a degree of squad re-enforcement in January. Hibs are in need of extra defensive options, and it was apparent at Ibrox that game-changing alternatives from the bench are not as in plentiful supply as the manager would like.

There is no need to hammer the panic button after one, admittedly, dreary result and performance – but it is clear there is much work to be done.