Stubbs convinced Hibs have had better build-up to final

ALAN STUBBS believes Rangers’ lack of competitive action has hampered their chances ahead of their meeting with his Hibs side at Hampden today.

The Hibs manager, who has repeatedly been accused of playing mind games this season, reckons that in spite of the disappointment his team suffered when losing the Premiership play-off semi-final last weekend, their busy build-up has been more suited to tuning up for the Scottish Cup final.

“I think it’s not ideal for a team,” he said. “If Mark had an opportunity to address it, he certainly wouldn’t have wanted a three-week gap. I wouldn’t have wanted it.

“He managed to get an under-21 game at Tottenham, who have a very good group of players there, but it’s still not the same intensity as a league game.

“It’s a run-around for 90 minutes, but in terms of real competition, you are not too sure whether the players are flying into tackles or don’t want to get injured, or whether Spurs players were the same.

“No matter which way you go about it, it’s not an easy one to try to put a plan together. Three weeks is a long time.”

Stubbs suggested that the quality of this season’s Championship has effectively beaten a system that was designed in anticipation of teams from the top flight getting through to the big day.

“The schedule is more geared towards a Championship team not being in the final,” he observed.

Instead, the finalists will round off what has been a fierce rivalry over the past two seasons with this 12th meeting since Stubbs took charge of Hibs two years ago and the sixth since Mark Warburton became Rangers manager last summer.

Rather than contempt, however, familiarity has bred respect on the basis of Stubbs’ expectations of the final fare.

“The games between ourselves and Rangers in the league are sitting at two apiece,” he said. “We have played with a three against them and also with a back four. We’ve managed to win a game with both.

“We did quite a bit of work today on shape and how we will approach the game. We know Mark’s philosophy is 4-3-3. There is a good chance we know what his line-up is, if everyone is fit.

“It’s been a very good one which has worked for him most of the season. The most important thing is on Saturday, I think you are going to see two good football teams put on a show worthy of a Scottish Cup final.”

“It’s got goals in it, you have two teams who will look to attack.”