Rangers v Hibs reaction: Adam Devine “targeted”, the Morelos-Colak conundrum and Michael Beale already has one over legendary manager
Hibs #Hibs
Reaction from Ibrox after Rangers came back twice to win 3-2 against Hibs in manager Michael Beale’s first competitive match in charge. It means the Ibrox side are now six points behind leaders Celtic, who play Aberdeen tomorrow.Hibs, meanwhile, have now lost seven of their last eight league games. They have home games against Livingston and Celtic next.
Devine ‘targeted’
Goodwill to all at Christmas and all that but when there’s three points on offer and a desperate need to get back on track then such benevolence can take a backseat, even if a teenager is involved.
Michael Beale noted that part of Hibs’ game plan against Rangers was to “target” 19-year-old left back Adam Devine on what was only his second league start for the Ibrox side. He has been pushed into the team earlier than planned because Borna Barisic is still at the World Cup with Croatia and Ridvan Yilmaz, the obvious deputy, is sidelined for another six weeks at least with a hamstring injury. The visitors duly tested Devine with some aerial balls and it was noticeable that Hibs goalkeeper David Marshall very deliberately aimed goal kicks in the young left back’s direction.
Why not? He was after all playing out of position – he is normally a right back – and his rawness identified him as a potential weakness. It would have been a dereliction of duty had Hibs not tried to hunt him down.
The problem they found was that Devine was not cowed. In fact, he grew into the game. Beale praised the youngster afterwards. “This year is supposed to be about him being back-up to James Tavernier and pushing him, just like young Nathan (Patterson) did a couple of years ago,” said Beale afterwards. “We’ve got high hopes for him but it wasn’t easy tonight, when the team is struggling, to put a second half performance in like that.
“I asked him to play higher up and play with more energy,” he added. “But everyone watching that can be proud of a young Scottish boy. It’s early days but as far as tonight goes, ‘well done son’.”
Johnson’s second press conference
Handball or not handball? It’s a familiar debate, more so now with rule changes having been compounded by VAR. But Lee Johnson was understandably perplexed as to why one incident seemed to pass by with a modicum of fuss. It wasn’t mentioned in the post-match press conference as no one had seen the moment in the first half when the ball seemed to fall out of the sky onto James Sands’ arm while the Rangers defender was being put under pressure by Kevin Nisbet. Clips which circulated later seemed to suggest Hibs had a very valid claim.
Unusually, Johnson returned to the media room having completed his post-match interview duties to alert journalists to the moment, which he had only just been briefed on by his Hibs staff (he hadn’t mentioned it when he was in the room earlier). The score was 2-1 to Hibs at the time and a penalty, if scored, could well have proved decisive although the visitors did pass up a golden chance to extend their lead anyway when Elie Youan was straight through on Allan McGregor a couple of minutes before half-time. The veteran goalkeeper made a very important block.
Pittodrie ready for Colak-Morelos show?
It is clear things are going to be different under Beale, who is an open book compared to the more guarded Gio van Bronckhorst. The new Rangers manager revealed that he would have started both Antonio Colak and Alfredo Morelos in attack against Hibs had the former not suffered a tight calf at the end of training on Wednesday. Fashion Sakala stepped in instead and did well supporting Morelos. As for Colak, it doesn’t sound too serious – but will Beale be as prepared to pair Morelos and Colak together in an away game against Aberdeen on Tuesday, when Rangers will expect to be put under more pressure than at home against Hibs? It’s one area of intrigue ahead of another huge fixture.
Symon outstripped
Michael Beale has already got one over Scot Symon, the legendary Rangers manager. Before last night, only one previous permanent Ibrox manager had faced Hibs in their first league match in charge and that was Symon in September 1954. That game finished 1-1 at Ibrox. It’s therefore an auspicious start for the new manager. Of course, Beale will be doing well to even match Symon, who won six league titles at Ibrox and much more besides during his 13 years in charge.