Rangers is our next challenge and we are ready for it
TALK about adding insult to injury. Having buried Celtic’s hopes of a comeback with a thunderous finish, Flo Kamberi felt sufficiently brave to back up his action with tough talk.
‘Of course, if you look at past years and how Celtic were, then Celtic were definitely the (title) favourites. But nobody has to be scared of them,’ he said.
Rangers are next up at Easter Road on Wednesday night. What price Hibs dealing double damage to the egos and reputations of the two biggest clubs in the land?
As Kamberi admitted, you would still bet sizeable sums on Brendan Rodgers ending this season with a third straight title to show for his remarkable efforts since taking over at Celtic Park.
But opponents do not fear them as they once did. As Hibs demonstrated with devastating effect here yesterday.
Kamberi, singled out for criticism by Neil Lennon’s assistant manager Garry Parker for some of his recent lacklustre performances, said: ‘If you look at them as a club, the team and the players, Celtic are of course the favourites to win the league.
‘But being favourite doesn’t mean anything — it’s the performance on the pitch that is relevant.
‘I have not played against Rangers yet but they’re on a good run, Kilmarnock are also on a good run.
‘I think everything is possible because everything is so tight.
‘For people watching from the outside, it’s much more interesting now.
‘It’s not like Celtic are dominating the whole league and nobody cares about the others.
‘This season it will be tough for everyone, everything is very tight, anything could happen, everybody can beat everybody.
‘So we have to look game by game and take as many points as possible.
‘I think we are ready for Rangers. With the performance we showed today, we proved that.
‘We’re back on a good run, now we have to recover and be ready for Rangers.
‘Because, when the game starts on Wednesday, nobody cares about the Celtic game. It’s a new game, a new challenge, a new chance to win three points. It felt like a great win.
‘It’s not easy to win against Celtic but we were, by far, the better team — and we deserved the three points.
‘It’s always special to score against them.
‘Every goal is special for me but, against the big clubs, it feels extra special to score goals — even more when you get the win.’
Kamberi had not scored since netting against Celtic in Glasgow back in October, his all-round play drawing serious ire from the management.
The Swiss striker said: ‘They are the coaches, so they can say what they want.
‘But I never lose my focus and I knew my time would come again.
‘It was a difficult time, not just for me but for the whole team.
‘With two wins now, if we’re successful against Rangers on Wednesday, all of that will be forgotten.
‘We have to look to the future, not the past.
‘I just needed to be patient because it’s not easy. With patience, everything will come.’
Lennon admitted to being left ‘annoyed’ by the performance of his team — simply because it was in such contrast to what he had been forced to watch for the previous couple of months.
This was only Hibernian’s second win in nine games and they were missing seven potential starters.
Yet they did not look remotely cowed by the visitors.
Even allowing for the boost they got from the earliest of goals, this was a stunning showing.
‘It’s a remarkable performance under the circumstances, considering the omissions we had from the squad,’ said Lennon.
‘I’m proud and delighted — but I’m also annoyed because two weeks ago against Kilmarnock we were pathetic and now we’ve put together two back-to-back wins playing well.
‘That should kick-start our season now and, if we overcome Rangers on Wednesday, we’re back in the top six and things look healthy again. I think it is down to the way we played, rather than Celtic struggling.
‘I think they were flat and I know from European nights that there can be a hangover.
‘But we scored after a great flowing move and I look at my watch and there’s 89 minutes to go! You think it’s going to be a long 89 minutes and you are waiting for the tidal wave to come.
‘We had chances in the first half and more in the second — and that’s not me being disrespectful to Celtic in any way.’
On Kamberi’s return to form and the scoresheet, Lennon said: ‘He can’t save the performances for the big games.
‘He’s been half there for a few weeks. He was more like it last week and was outstanding today.
‘That’s his marker and he has to find that consistency.
‘The team were great. We knew Emerson Hyndman and Vykintas Slivka had good athleticism in midfield, which is what you need against Celtic. ‘Daryl Horgan was not well yesterday but we took a chance with him. ‘And Lewis Stevenson and Steven Whittaker — that’s the best they have played this season. Everything came to pass today.
‘But we are not getting carried away, with a big game on Wednesday.
‘The signs are there that we are getting back to where we were before.’
Lennon refused to make too much of the Scott Brown tackle that forced Slivka to be replaced at half-time, saying: ‘It was a bit reckless.
‘I don’t think it was deliberate, it’s sort of a scissor motion but, at match pace, it did not look a red card. Look at it again and it may have been.
‘Slivka’s a doubt for Wednesday, his foot is in one of those (protective) boots.
‘We ended the game with three academy players on the park, which augurs well. They showed great mentality to come through the stiffest of tests.’