Hibs remain winless in the Premiership after Celtic eased to a 2-0 victory at Easter Road.

Goals from Nicholas Kuhn and Callum McGregor inside the opening 20 minutes were enough to see off David Gray's side, on an afternoon where the home side never looked like troubling their visitors. After a torrid opening period in which Celtic could have notched more than the two they did, Hibs shored up and gained somewhat of a foothold in the second half.

Overall, though, it was flat and lacking in quality, with the defending for both Celtic goals well short of what the head coach will expect. Things do not get any easier, either, with a trip to Parkhead in the Premier Sports Cup now on the cards next week.

Patrick McPartlin and Liam Bryce were in Leith to provide the instant analysis.

Too easy for Celtic

Celtic are the best team in the country, no doubt, and while it would be naive to expect Hibs to match them for quality, they could still have made life far more difficult for them than they did here. The first 45 minutes here felt like more of a training exercise for Brendan Rodgers' side than a league visit to a venue where he has not enjoyed much success down the years. The reigning champions were very good for a prolonged spell, and they left Hibs chasing shadows. After McGregor pinged the second goal high into the top corner, the following few minutes had that ominous feel where it seemed like Celtic could score at will if they really wanted. Hibs did eventually weather the storm and halt a potential humiliation, but Gray will still come away from this defeat alarmed by much of the defending on show, and his players' inabilty in that first half to do anything more than chase shadows.  The last time Celtic came to Easter Road, they were lucky to leave with anything at all. Here, it must be said, they tied up the three points at little more than a canter.

Liam Bryce

A new gear in the engine room

Hibs’ need for an overhaul in midfield hasn’t exactly been a secret in Scottish football circles this summer but despite an abundance of players to choose from, it feels like David Gray might have picked the right midfields but for the wrong games. Energy and dig would have been a better pick for Celtic at home while St Mirren away would have surely been the time for ball-players and a bit more quality over scrapping. 

It is no coincidence that, despite having an abundance of midfielders, Hibs are keen on Dundee captain Luke McCowan. They lack a certain type of player in the engine room which was an obvious crutch last season and in the first two league games of the current campaign.

The pursuit of McCowan may well come down to the final hours of the transfer window if Hibs are successful in getting their man but should they fail to add personnel in the middle of the park, it could be another long season, with several other teams looking better equipped in midfield. 

Patrick McPartlin

A tale of three strikers

It’s impossible not to read too much into David Gray’s selection decisions - despite looking a little rusty during his substitute appearance against St Mirren, Mykola Kukharevych’s promotion to the starting line-up was no real surprise given Dylan Vente’s struggles and likewise, the Ukrainian being replaced by Kieron Bowie was the type of switch you could have predicted. But it was a slight surprise to see Vente come on for Rudi Molotnikov, taking up his usual centre-forward berth with Bowie, who had been leading the line since replacing Kukharevych, dropping back into the attacking midfield berth vacated by the 18-year-old. 

On paper, having Bowie, Kukharevych, and Vente as centre-forward options is decent and with Bowie having that versatility to play out wide, Gray has flexibility.

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The former Fulham man was desperately unlucky to see an effort from a seemingly impossible angle come back off the woodwork and he lived up to his pre-game promises about liking to ‘bash and batter people about’. 

He looks like a good addition to the forward line and gave Hibs a bit more presence in the final third as they began to claw their way back into the game. 

Having three centre-forwards all capable of starting should give Gray that competition for places he was craving and, ideally, get the best out of each player. 

Patrick McPartlin

Where to from here?

Celtic Park, unfortunately. And, on today's evidence, it will take an almighty effort - and improvement - from Hibs to ensure they are not consigned to a third defeat in three games. They will, of course, be considerable underdogs going to Glasgow, and Celtic will carry added motivation into the game as they seek to avoid a second early exit from the Premier Sport Cup in consecutive seasons. But Hibs need to do something to raise a collective mood that feels fairly pessimistic at the moment. Gray's squad remains a work in progress, with new signings still getting up to speed, and the expectation is that they will bring some improvement. But that improvement still does need to come quickly, lest Hibs risk being sucked into a prolonged run of poor results. As we saw last season, a poor start to the campaign was no small factor in Hibs failing to make the top six. Next week is cup competition, but a better display is needed to try and kick the season into life.

Liam Bryce