LADBROKES PREMIERSHIP RANGERS 1 HIBERNIAN 2

Kilmarnock in Pedro Caixinha’s final game or the losses to Hamilton and St Johnstone on Murty’s watch as hugely significant and costly results. Unfortunately for Murty, Saturday can now be thrown into the mix as a game that was there for the taking but one Rangers never looked like grasping.

The individual errors – the miss from Josh Windass when one on one with Ofir Marciano, Daniel Candeias losing the ball to McGinn before he gave Hibs the lead or James Tavernier’s foul on Scott Allan just seconds after Rangers had levelled – cannot be accounted for by a manager. In that regard, Murty was let down by his players.

BUT there is much for the 43-year-old to ponder, not just ahead of the trip to Firhill tomorrow evening but for the rest of the campaign.

The acquisition of five new players – Sean Goss, Jamie Murphy, Russell Martin, Jason Cummings and Greg Docherty – during the January window has undoubtedly added strength and depth to the Gers squad and given Murty more options.

But doubt remains over what Rangers’ best formation is and what their most effective team is. Against Hibs, neither the setup or the side worked for Murty.

He received deserved praise for his decision to utilise a diamond midfield during his spell as interim manager and he appeared to have found a system that suited Rangers. It is not one that has been used that often more recently, however.

In Marvin Bartley, Dylan McGeough and Scott Allan, Hibernian had guile and physicality, energy and quality, and it was success in the midfield battle that allowed them to emerge victorious overall.

Up against them, Goss and Jason Holt could not be faulted for effort but Rangers had no foothold in the game as Lennon’s side produced an impressive attacking display in the first half.