Hibs need to be 50% better to beat Rangers, says Alan Rough
After Hibs beat Hearts 2-1 in the Premier Sports Cup semi-final, The Football Show panel weighed up their chances against Rangers in the final.
By Peter Martin,
Alan Rough believes Hibs face a huge task in the Premier Sports Cup final against Rangers, despite their semi-final win over Hearts at Hampden on 1 November.
On The Football Show LIVE, Rough joined Peter Martin, Tam McManus and Alex Rae to look back on Hibs' 2-1 victory and ahead to the final.
A tall order against Rangers
Rough was blunt about what Hibs will need to lift the trophy. "Hibs would have to be 50% better than what they've been all year," he said. The panel also discussed a red card as possibly "the only chance Hibs have got".
Martin questions Hearts
Peter Martin was critical of Hearts. "I think there's a real softness about Hearts," he said. Martin added that it was "the first time I've ever watched a Hibs-Hearts game and thought, by the way, Hibs have got bigger players".
The panel also looked at Hearts' injuries, including the loss of Calvin Miller.
How Hibs won it
The panel noted that none of them had expected Hibs to win the semi-final. Claudio Braga's early header was among the moments discussed, and Martin Boyle was described as "a difference-maker".
On the tactics behind the win, the panel said: "The players were clearly told, when you get the ball at the back, pass forward." Joe Newell played further forward, with Mulligan and Chaiwa behind him.
Sunshine on Leith
The show also turned to the Hibs support singing Sunshine on Leith at Hampden after the match. The panel discussed where the tradition began, tracing it back to the AEK Athens game, and also touched on the Rangers fans' "A Little Respect".
For Hibs, the win sets up a final against Rangers. On the evidence of this discussion, the panel believes they will need to find a level well beyond anything they have shown so far this season.