Hibs fan voice: 'A great position to be in so close to end of season'
The last game had been dominated by the reaction to VAR's intervention to disallow a United goal after the eagle-eyed operator spotted the ball striking the arm of United's would-be scorer Sam Dalby.
Hibs' performance in that 3-1 win was overshadowed by the hard luck stories, so it was great to see a repeat of the scoreline with no controversy around it at Easter Road on Saturday.
Hibs were tremendous, doing to United what we had done to their neighbours last time out at Easter Road and seeing them off with the minimum of fuss.
We've seen Hibs sides crumble in the past when we've conceded a goal at 2-0 up, but Sir David Gray made sure there was no chance of that when he flexed the quality of his squad with some inspired substitutions.
Hibs were well worth the win that tightened their grip on third place. With Aberdeen coming back down to earth with a bump in Paisley, we have third firmly in our hands now, and while we take nothing for granted it's a great position to be in so close to the end of the season.
Jack Iredale won the PFA Scotland goal of the season award on Sunday night for his wonder strike against Hearts that decided the last Edinburgh derby of the season.
It was a special goal from a player who has enjoyed a great debut season at the club.
With Grant Scott winning the SWPL manager of the year award for a great season with Hibs Women, it was a shame to see Gray miss out on the men's award – he's had a brilliant first campaign in charge, and it would have been fitting recognition for the work he's done.
Matty Fairnie can be found at Longbangers, external
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BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Martin criticises mentality, egos & effort in draw
Russell Martin has managed just 270 minutes of football as Rangers head coach, and already he has left his players without a the Ibrox side's 1-1 draw at Motherwell in their opening Scottish Premiership fixture, Martin said his players were "lucky to get a point".An "extremely disappointed and hurt" Ibrox head coach said the impressive Fir Park side were "braver" and "more aggressive" than his lambasted "two men on the pitch who want to do what they want to do" and said some of his players "have to drop their ego"."The default is to revert to type," he added. "It's not really tactical, it's a mentality problem."It is the third straight season in which Rangers have failed to win their opening league match. But the first time Martin has publicly unloaded on his players. What did Martin actually say? On Wednesday in Athens, Martin acknowledged that performances could have been better across Rangers' two-legged Champions League qualifying win over Panathinaikos, but he said he was "so proud" of his days later, the mood has shifted two post-match interviews with BBC Scotland and Sky Sports, Martin chose not to hold back after his third game in charge of are the key lines from his furious reaction:"I think we were lucky to get a point. We were nowhere near where we need to be. And I'm extremely disappointed and hurt by that. They were braver than us. They were more aggressive than us.""The thing I can't accept is, whatever the tactics are, we got outfought and they were braver than us to play in certain moments."We pick and choose when we want to play properly and when we want to run hard. When the game's not going well, we have too many players that want to do their own thing and slip into self-preservation."This is not me blaming the players at all; I think it's a problem the club has had over the last few years. When it's going well, it's fine, and when it's not, there's a problem. It's not together enough on the pitch."I've said to the players, there is a default here at this football club to revert to type. When it's going really well, everyone's all in. When it's not going well, you protect yourself a little bit. You can't play for this club and just enjoy the really good moments. You have to be all in all the time.""We had two men on the pitch today that want to do what they want to do. When you want to just jog around and do what you want to do, there's a big problem. So some of them have to drop their ego.""There'll be people left behind if they don't want to come because they need to understand what playing for this football club will take and what it means.""The lethargy and all that stuff is not acceptable. So I'm surprised by that. But I'm more angry than surprised.""I will look at us tactically and accept my responsibility in it. But today, it's a mentality problem. And we got more than what we deserved, actually." What did the pundits say? Before Motherwell found their late equaliser, former Rangers midfielder Derek Ferguson has expressed deep concern about his old side's approach."At the moment there's nothing coming from Rangers; it's quite worrying," he said on BBC Sportsound. "I've not got a clue what their tactic is. I don't see it."After Motherwell netted the leveller their play more than merited, Ferguson added: "I've got a real worry after watching that second half. They players still have a lot to prove to that Rangers support."Speaking on Sky Sports, irate former Rangers striker Kris Boyd said: "It's the same things that keep happening time after time after time. "It's early in the season. We know there are going to be players arriving. We know there are going to be players going out. But the alarming thing for is he's calling them out so early on."Despite agreeing with Martin, former Celtic forward Chris Sutton was also taken aback by the Rangers boss' comments, saying the remarks "were extreme"."For him to for him to do that first game of the season, he sees him every day in training, he must think they're rank rotten," he said on Sky Sports."Because why wouldn't there be a bit more balance there? When have you ever seen a manager do that first game of the season? That was extreme as extreme." What do the stats tell us? Former Motherwell forward James McFadden said "a draw was a good result for Rangers based on that performance".The comment was perhaps made with tongue in cheek, but the stats back up it expected goals tally by the end of the match was 2.21 to Rangers' 0.7. Jens Berthel Askou's brave and expansive side finished the game with five big chances, according to stats provider Opta. Rangers had 17 shots Martin's side faced at Fir Park means his team have faced 51 efforts across just three games this those three matches, Rangers have conceded only twice, but their opponents have amassed a total expected goals tally of is simply unsustainable, and Martin will know that more than anyone. What do the fans think? Bill: It's very early, but I would be surprised if this Rangers team put in a challenge for the league title. Very Anyone got paint on a wall drying? Better watch than Russell Martin's boring Brutal. [Martin] does not have a clue. No style, no direction, no Different manager, different team, same guff from Same old Rangers, can't close a game out.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
DROP THE EGO! Rangers boss Martin hits out at his players' mentality after dropping points on the first day of the Premiership season
Russell Martin last night let rip at the Self-Preservation Society dragging down the Rangers dressing-room and vowed to weed out the egos and hiders that were lucky to escape from Fir Park with a 1-1 draw. The Ibrox head coach saw yesterday begin with a £3million fee being agreed with Dutch club Go Ahead Eagles for Finnish winger Oliver Antman. However, it quickly turned into a nightmare with a terrible display at Motherwell seeing home forward Emmanuel Longelo cancel out a James Tavernier opener with three minutes to play – and Rangers keeper Jack Butland then having to save a point in time added-on when denying Tom Sparrow. Rangers have now failed to win their opening-day league fixture for three straight seasons and Martin read the riot act afterwards with a scathing critique of his side and their mental fragility. 'The problem should be tactical. It shouldn't be mentality,' said Martin. 'We have too many guys that slip into self-preservation mode and I think it's been a fact of this club for the last few years, for sure. 'When it's going well, you're all-in, you want to run, you want the ball. It's nice, but, when it's not going well, you don't want to run so much, you pick and choose when you want to run. 'You pick and choose when you want to compete and mark your player from a throw-in or a corner. You pick and choose when to run back, and it's unacceptable for this sort of club. 'For us as a coaching staff, this is not acceptable. We're six weeks in. There will be issues, but the issue today is purely mentality. Too much ego, too much self-preservation, and you're either all in all the time or you're not. 'If you're not, you just won't play very much. I'm very disappointed and a bit hurt and a bit angry at a lot of stuff I saw. 'The problems haven't been tactical yet, really. They've been mentality, about energy, about courage, intensity, aggression, to play. We haven't started games well enough in the first half in the two European games. 'We then showed a bit more willingness to trust the detail in each other and work. Then, today, we go ahead and we're playing some OK stuff. Every time we get in the final third, we turn the ball over and make crazy decisions. 'They're either selfish decisions or they're based on anxiety, so we need to get to the bottom of that - because there was far too much stuff that we haven't worked on or haven't seen. 'I take full responsibility for it, but that hurts me more than anything.' Martin admitted he has not been entirely surprised by the mentality problems which surfaced with a vengeance in Motherwell. 'When I knew I was in for the job, I watched a lot of games where players could do what they want and that's not on the manager,' he said. 'I thought Barry Ferguson did a great job, I could see what Philippe Clement was trying to do. But players sometimes? Yeah, same problems really, want to run, sometimes don't. 'You need better mentality than that to play for this football club and to actually win things. 'We'll work out the guys who are all-in all the time. Lyall Cameron came on, was fantastic. John (Souttar), Nasser (Djiga), Jack (Butland) did great. 'We have to solve it as a group. We've been really demanding with them on certain rules. Not many, just, I think, really basic ones that should be demanded at this football club. 'A little bit of resistance to that from some, not a lot, because they know and understand why and it's best for them.' Martin was aware of an angry reaction from the visiting support at time-up and had no problem with that at all. 'I 100-per-cent understand,' he said. 'I was as angry as they were. So I completely understand the supporters' reaction. We have a point that we didn't deserve. 'We let them down. The mentality of the team, I spoke about it so much since we came in, and it was a big problem.' Antman is expected to complete his transfer in the coming days and Martin is clear he needs more to turn this team around as he prepares for Tuesday's Champions League third qualifying round first leg with Viktoria Plzen at Ibrox. 'We need some better players to help us, for sure,' he said. 'We need some players that we feel will do what we're asking them to do all the time. 'The ones who are here are good enough to do it. They just need to make a choice if they want to do it. 'There's different groups of people at every club. Some are looking and going: 'That's too much for me. It's too much. Demand's too much. Training's too much'. 'They just want to float through a little bit, so they get left behind. That's fine. Then you have the guys in the middle who can go either way but they'll always be attracted to what is the majority. 'I feel we have the majority who want to play in this way and understand it will make them successful. The ones maybe in the middle need to go that way or they'll just be left behind. Asked if bad mentalities can be overcome, Martin replied: 'Yes, because it's a reflection of me ultimately. Whenever I leave this football club in a few years, hopefully in a long time, the problem won't be the mentality of the team.'
Scotsman
2 hours ago
- Scotsman
Rangers move in doubt, Celtic explore deal for 20 y/o, 19-cap Scotland man released
The latest Scottish transfer news from Rangers, Celtic, Hibs and the Scotland national team this Wednesday morning. Sign up to our Football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Here are the top Scottish transfer stories, rumours and gossip on Wednesday morning, including the latest news from Rangers, Celtic, Hibs and the Scotland national team. 19-cap Scotland man released Scotland international defender Liam Cooper is on the lookout for a new club after seeing his contract at CSKA Sofia terminated by mutual consent just 11 months into his deal. The 19-cap centre back moved to the Bulgarian top flight last summer following a 10-year spell with Leeds United, playing 24 times at the Stadion Balgarska Armia. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad A statement on the club's website read: 'Liam Cooper is no longer a part of CSKA. The club and the defender have terminated their contractual relations by mutual consent. The Scot joined the "army" in September 2024 and played 27 matches, scoring one goal. We thank Liam and wish him health, luck and success both personally and professionally.' Meanwhile, Scotland Women youngster Emma Watson is set to join ex-Rangers head coach Jo Potter at Crystal Palace this summer, with Manchester United midfielder closing in on a season-long loan. As per an exclusive report from The Cutback's Conner Roberts, the 19-year-old has interest from several clubs, though it is the WSL2 outfit who have won the battle for her signature. Scotland international Liam Cooper is a free agent following his release from CSKA Sofia. | Getty Images Ex-Hibs man undergoes medical Former Hibs hero Ryan Porteous is edging closer to a move to the MLS after the Scotland international travelled to Los Angeles to undergo a medical with LAFC on Tuesday. The Watford defender has two years left on his current deal at Vicarage Road, having joined the second tier club from Hibs in 2022, but has been deemed surplus to requirements by the Hornets after his underwhelming loan spell at Preston North End in the second-half a last season. According to Sky Sports, the 26-year-old is now closing in on a move to the BMO Stadium this summer, with the two clubs said to have agreed a deal worth around £872,000, with a 50% sell-on clause inserted into the deal by Watford. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Scotland defender Ryan Porteous is in Los Angeles as he edges closer to leaving Watford for the MLS this summer. | Getty Images Celtic explore deal for 20 y/o Celtic head coach Brendan Rodgers is exploring a move for Liverpool youngster Stefan Bajcetic this summer, though he continues to be frustrated in his efforts to land Go Ahead Eagles star Jakob Breum. According to reports, the Hoops boss has 'taken a shine' to the 20-year-old Spanish midfielder, who spent last season on loan with Las Palmas, and is now ready to launch a bid to bring the player to Celtic Park on a loan-to-buy deal. A Spanish youth international, Bajcetic was signed for a fee of £224,000 from Celta Vigo in 2020 as a 16-year-old, but has struggled for first team football at Anfield, making just 22 appearances for the club since his arrival. Elsewhere, the Hoops continue to be foiled in their bid to bring Danish winger Breum to the club, having had a third bid rejected for the 21-year-old earlier this week. The young Dane scored 11 goals and assisted a further six in the Eredivisie last season, and is said to be keen on the move to the Scottish champions, though Celtic appear to have his a stumbling block over their valuation of the youngster. Several reports claim the clubs are too far apart in their valuation of the player, with Celtic 'cautious about overextending their budget' this summer. Celtic have been frustrated in their pursuit of Go Ahead Eagles winger Jakob Breum. | ANP/AFP via Getty Images Rangers move in doubt Rangers head coach Russell Martin's hopes of landing winger Jesurun Rak-Sakyi have been dealt a potential blow after Crystal Palace head coach Oliver Glasner admitted he does not want to lose any more players this summer. The 22-year-old is said to be a key target for the Gers, who are thought to be considering a move after he scored seven goals in 35 matches on loan to Sheffield United last season. Currently nursing a knock, reports claim Rak-Sakyi would be 'open' to making the switch to Ibrox, hower, Eagles boss Glasner appears to have poured cold water on the switch, calling on the club's board to ensure no more players are sold this summer. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad
