Lee McCulloch shares ‘not being up to scratch’ verdict after Rangers 4-0 win v Hibernian
Hibernian were not “up to scratch” in their 4-0 defeat to Rangers, according to former Gers midfielder Lee McCulloch.
The men in blue ran out easy winners in Philippe Clement’s first match in charge of the Glasgow outfit, having taken over from Michael Beale.
Abdallah Sima netted twice, with Nicolas Raskin and Cyriel Dessers also scoring in the Scottish Premiership win at Ibrox.
“In your first game, it’s just about getting the victory,” said McCulloch, as quoted by BBC Sport (21 October). “They’ve played well. He asked for dominant attacking football and that’s certainly what it was.
“Albeit, in my opinion, it was a little bit of Hibs not being up to scratch. But Rangers, the players, the fans and the togetherness, yes, it was certainly there.”
Dream debut
As far as managerial debuts go, this one from Clement was right up there with the very best, with his players putting on a show at Ibrox.
Hibs’ impressive run of form going into the league clash, coupled with the managerial turnaround at Ibrox, may have worried the home supporters.
But their woes were quashed with a perfect display from the players, who really turned on the charm in front of their new manager.
The new manager bounce may be the reason behind the performance, but the new man in the dugout will be keen for it to last for the entire season rather than dropping off soon.
The former Monaco and Club Bruges boss has set the bar very high for the coming months, and that really should have been the case under his predecessor Beale.
Hibs may not have been at their best, but the Blues will only be focusing on what they did right during the 90 minutes, and indeed how they can improve.
In other Rangers news, Clement has already taken a big risk as a behind-the-scenes Ibrox decision is made.