Speaking post-match, pundit and former Ranger, Kris Boyd, said “boiled or fried, eggs are eggs” when asked if the award of a penalty for Porteous’ trip on Kent in the box was of the “soft” variety.
And his analogy was equally relevant to the match as a whole. It was more scrambled eggs though as we watched a messy 95 minutes in Edinburgh.
It’s clear that Gio and co. want Rangers playing possession football, similar to the last management team, but there are distinct and obvious changes in the new approach straight away.
The directive appears to stick to quick, two-touch passing with the aim of retaining the ball but less acceptance of the square and back passing that became so dominant under the old regime.
There’s also a much more conservative approach from the former wingbacks, with Borna Barisic and James Tavernier focusing on their defensive duties and only venturing forward one at a time, rather than in unison.
The team are taking time to adjust to these new tactics with more than a few stray passes going from the middle of the park to wings where the players were used to their bombing wingbacks advancing forward.
That, combined with some poor link up play from all quarters with passes falling short and Hibs clearly looking to pounce on loose or short passes to hit on the counter, made it a mainly forgettable match.
Jack Ross’ post-match interview hinted that Hibs appeared to have approached the game in a similar manner to that of 10 days ago – look for the spaces down the wings when the left and right backs vacate the defence and advance on the break rather than looking for any sustained pressure or build-up play. They were well-organised and stifling and we’re still missing that spark that will break down 10-man defences.
Gio, having witnessed the success this brought at Hampden, showed some tactical acumen and adjusted his team’s approach accordingly, which is to his credit. It’s nice to have a management team with a plan B!
After a largely forgettable first half, it looked as though Roy Makaay clearly explained to Kent that this was the big stage and not the “big tent” and Kent looked more focused on advancing his team forward rather than on wanting to beat the entire Hibs defence at least twice with twists and turns before trying to get the ball into dangerous positions.
And it was this more direct approach that finally paid off.
Porteous looked like a man seeking an Oscar, treating us to his amateur acting throughout the match but his naturally aggressive approach to defending his goal proved to be his downfall as he stuck his leg out as Kent pushed in from the wing and into the penalty area.
A clinically-dispatched penalty from Kemar Roofe gave us the answer to that age old question: we like our eggs slow boiled and then cracked. Boiled or fried, we’re satisfied as long as we get the 3 points!