Three years after being demoted to what is now League Two, in Scotland, Rangers are four games away from returning to the Premiership. The Glasgow club have won the league title in the two seasons previous to this, leading to them competing in the second tier, this season. Things have certainly not been as straightforward form them during this campaign, however, finishing in third placed behind Hearts, and Hibernian. That position meant they faced fourth placed Queen of the South in the first round of what is a rather convoluted play-off system. Rangers won 3-2 on aggregate, a success which means they now face Hibernian with the winner then going on to face Motherwell who finished second bottom in the Premiership. The victorious club from that game will ultimately be playing top flight football next season.
Hibernian are to strangers to these play-offs, as they were the first club to fall foul of them last season, losing to Hamilton in the final and suffering relegation. That disappointment led to a number of changes at the club, most notably the dismissal of Terry Butcher as manager, replacing him with Alan Stubbs. The former Celtic and Everton defender has definitely had a positive impact since his arrival but they simply could not match the consistency of Edinburgh rivals, Hearts, who were well clear at the top of the table. They did finish three points clear of Rangers, and it will be interesting to see how the extra rest will effect Hibs who have not played since the 2nd of May. There is a suggestion that the 18 days will have allowed them to recharge after a long, hard season, but it could work against them as well, facing a team who may well be sharper.
Stuart McCall has only been in charge at Ibrox for a couple of months, having been brought into to ensure the club actually finished in the play-off positions. Having spent a number of years at the club as a player during the 90’s, McCall is only too well aware of the pressure that surrounds Rangers. Even though they will have to get promoted through the toughest possible route, if the club are not playing in the Premiership football next season, it will be looked upon as a considerable failure. Rangers continue to operate with the biggest budget in Scotland – outside of Celtic – in spite of all their off-field problems.
Hibs have mostly fond memories of facing Rangers this season, having won three of their meetings. They did lose the last time they two played each other, though, and will have to turn in a better performance if they are to progress to face Motherwell. A long-standing criticism of Hibs teams is their inability to win the ‘big’ games. The second leg defeat to Hamilton in the play-off final last year and losing to Falkirk in the semi-final of the Scottish a Cup are the two most recent examples of these. There is no hiding from those disappointments and it is up to this squad of players to stand up to that criticism and answer it by winning promotion back to the Premiership.
I would be surprised if this tie is settled after tomorrow, as both teams are very evenly matched, as illustrated by just three points separating them after 36 games. Rangers will have to play better than they managed on Sunday in the second leg against Queens. Hibs have already won twice at Ibrox this season and had the second best away record in the Championship – winning 12 of their 18 games on the road. Their only defeat away from home in 2015 came against Raith Rovers at the end of March. Other than that, Stubbs’ men have won seven and drawn on, conceding only five goals and scoring 17. Rangers have looked vulnerable at home in recent weeks and the supporters have not been slow to voice air their frustration. That fraught atmosphere could play into the visitors arms and I believe they can continue their excellent form on their travels by taking a lead into the second leg on Saturday.
Hibernian 11/5 @ Boylesports
