match thread (image) [FT] Hibernian 0 - 0 Rangers

[Walterbear 557]

1 minute ago, ian1964 said:

All we can do is keep fighting, tis what it is

When we start scoring which we will and if we keep playing like that we won’t be far away but we need quality goal scoring threat in January window. Whether that’s an advanced midfielder or striker we won’t win the league without it. 

[Gonzo79 13,613]

The head tennis at the end of the match was very frustrating.  I was shouting, "Get it on the deck!".  

[JFK-1 1,671]

Lennon admits Porteous lucky not to see red

 

NEIL Lennon last night admitted Hibernian centre half Ryan Porteous had been fortunate not to be ordered off for his foul on Rangers midfielder Lassana Coulibaly at Easter Road.
 

Porteous scythed down Coulibaly in the second-half of the Ladbrokes Premiership match, but referee Craig Thomson only showed the defender a yellow card.

Lennon, who confessed his team had been fortunate to take a point from the match, conceded the 19-year-old will need to be less reckless in future.

“It’s an aspect of his game that doesn’t please me," said. "It’s not the way we’re coaching him. He’s got good attributes.

 

“He’s maybe fortunate in that on another day that could have been a red, so he needs to take that out of his game. I don’t mind a tackle, but if you leave the ground you’re asking for trouble.

“Some people say it was a good challenge. I don’t know, I’ve not seen it again, but I wasn’t impressed with it."

Lennon was pleased that his team, who had beaten Celtic 2-0 at home on Sunday, came away from the match with a draw.

But he revealed that Ofir Marciano, who limped off early in the first-half and was replaced by Adam Bogdan, had suffered a calf injury.

 

“It was a great point in the end," he said. "I thought we rode our lucky at times. It wasn’t ideal losing our goalkeeper after little over 10 minutes. That sort of affects the way you want to use your substitutions.

"I thought we started the game well and then Rangers came on very strong. Listen, I am delighted with the point. I think we can play better, but you have to give credit to Rangers as well. I thought they were very good.”

“Bogdan made two great saves. They probably had the two best chances of the first-half, then we had two great chances with Oli (Shaw).

"But (Alfredo) Morelos was always a threat tonight. He was very, very good. I was singing his praises before the game and I was glad he didn’t have his shooting boots on because he was a real threat.

"I thought Rangers did the dirty bits of the game a lot better than we did. But that is maybe to be expected with the size of the club they are and the finances they have.

 

"It was a good learning curve for some of our younger players as well. We looked a little bit leggy towards the end of the game and that is obviously a worry for me.”

Lennon added: “Shaw should have scored, but then again Steven (Rangers manager Gerrard) will probably say Morelos should have scored. Rangers I thought were on the front foot a lot more than us.

“We didn’t pass the ball anywhere near enough and it looked like there was a bit of fatigue in there at times as well.

“Too many for me were a bit half-hearted. While I’m delighted with the point I’m not overly satisfied with the performance.

“Under the circumstances to take four points off of Rangers and Celtic in the space of three days is very, very pleasing.

“I can’t expect them to replicate the level of performance they showed (on Sunday). I don’t think we’re there yet in terms of the maturity and the quality in the squad to be able to do that just yet."

Asked about Marciano, Lennon said: “It is a calf strain. He felt it pop. I don’t know how that’s happened. He’s had three games back and has not had a lot to do.

"Then 10 minutes into the game his calf goes. It’s bewildering how that’s happened. I’m getting fed up with the injuries to tell you the truth.”

 

https://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/17309627.neil-lennon-hibs-defender-ryan-porteous-was-lucky-not-to-see-red-for-his-foul-on-rangers-midfielder-lassana-coulibaly/

 

[ian1964 10,415]

1 hour ago, pete said:

I must admit I missed the very beginning and hadn't heard who was commentating  and thought that sounds like Thomson but he is far to much for Hibs. Later he was pretty even though. Craigen is bokeworthy. Every foul for Hibs was 50-50 and every foul rangers commited was a clear foul.

That's why RTV is the only place to watch Rangers!!

[craig 5,195]

1 hour ago, JFK-1 said:

I was watching hubz tv on a pirate stream and at the beginning it was their commentary team and I certainly didn't find them anywhere near neutral. After maybe 30 minutes or so the stream froze and after I refreshed it I was now listening to the Rangers commentary team who in my opinion were completely neutral.

They were actually praising hubz for making it a good game.

The RTV team are definitely not neutral, but neither should they be expected to be.  They are, however, more neutral than most others going by what I’ve heard.  I only ever watch on RTV seeing as I have the online season ticket, unless it was Europa games or the RTV stream wasn’t working well

[craig 5,195]

2 hours ago, RANGERRAB said:

I thought Borna Barasic looked a real class act tonight. Little wonder there’s rumoured interest in him already 

Barisic  is quality.  We’ve got a gem there.  Good both defensively and offensively.  And cool, calm and composed to go with it...

[craig 5,195]

1 hour ago, ian1964 said:

All we can do is keep fighting, tis what it is

If we can still be in touching distance by the winter shutdown and get even solanke (and a creative midfielder) in then I reckon we have a decent chance.

 

Gerrard has only had one window and little time to work with his squad due to Europa - were in good hands.

[craig 5,195]

1 hour ago, Walterbear said:

Absolutely. Worral plays like s youngster. No composure and constantly giving the ball away or passing to players who are marked. Maybe he thinks iniesta is in our midfield. 

I watched a 17 yr old play for Man Scott last night and he played really well.  Did the simple things right but was more than happy to play vertical passes to break the lines.

 

Unfortunately we don’t shop in the same markets as City.  Barca were pissed they lost Eric Garcia- boy will eventually be a superstar.

[JFK-1 1,671]

Living in a time zone 6 hours behind the UK i'm often limited in the matches I can see so have seen maybe 6 or 7 league games this season. I saw the Hearts game which was praised as a good performance but I though this one lack of goals aside was even better.

If we can just hang in there for the rest of this month while performing like that consistently then have a good window I see us pulling away from the chasing pack and challenging.

[buster. 4,808]

Last night was very much one of those games you have to win if you want to maintain a challenge.

It turned into a condensed illustration of where we currently are.

 

We have improved markedly but are still an important step away

 

#Hope&Frustration