WON’T BE CASE OF NOTHING TO BSC HERE
McGregor fears mindset of minnows
Darren McGregor knows Hibs face a rough ride this afternoon from a team 40 places below them in Scottish football’s pyramid.
Because he has been in the shoes of the BSC Glasgow players.
He has been the invisible man in the shadows at Arniston Rangers and Cowdenbeath, trying to get noticed just once. Trying to make the most of that single opportunity.
So he’ ll be taking nothing for granted when they face the Lowland League dreamers live on TV for a place in the Scottish Cup quarters.
The 25/1 outsiders have nothing to lose against a side McGregor insists have genuine Hampden ambitions.
But the veteran stopper said: “Our incentive is just as big as theirs is.
“Hibs have had a lot of success in the latter stages of the Cup recently and we want to be there again.
“It will be a difficult game though. I don’t profess to know much about BSC as a team but I’ve been in the lower echelons of Scottish football.
“I know what their players will be thinking.
“When you are playing against bigger teams you’re always out to prove yourself in the off chance that you might get a move or someone might notice you.
“I remember thinking that even in a pre-season friendly for Cowdenbeath against Hibs and even though I was playing in centre mid, which was strange in itself.
“Listen, they are going into the game probably looking at us and knowing us from afar, watching us on Sportscene, assuming we are all on thousands of pounds! And they’ve got aspirations, of course they have. When I was at Arniston Rangers and Cowdenbeath it was always a privilege to play the big teams.
“A lot of these guys on the pitch, if they’re confident, will be thinking: ‘I could play at that level. I want to show what I’m all about.’
“We need to bring our ‘A’ game. Hibs can’t afford to be the shock story of the weekend.”
McGregor doesn’t have too many fond memories of the Indodrill Stadium where they face BSC either, having been in the Rangers side who gave up a 2- 0 lead to lose 3-2 to Alloa there five years ago.
He winced and said: “I had made that game disappear from my memory, to be honest.
“But it shows what can happen when you get complacent. We’re well aware of that.
“Which is why Hibs will be going there with exactly the same head on that we had going to Ibrox on Wednesday night as well.
“Obviously the two games will be worlds apart but our approach has to be exactly the same.”
The 34-year-old was crestfallen at the Hibees’ late Premiership defeat to Rangers in midweek.
Ianis Hagi’s 84th-minute winner unravelled a disciplined and determined effort from Jack Ross’ side. But he believes a decent run deep into the Cup can inject a confidence boost straight into their veins.
McGregor said: “It’s human nature, your mind can wander for games like this – but we know about how important the Cup is to the fans and to this club.
“We know how a run can generate money and also a feelgood factor.
“There could be really positive repercussions for the league as well from a cup run and just the whole morale around the place.
“We’re well aware of where we are placed.
“We’ve been spoiled the last few years with trips to Hampden. There are quite a lot of guys in our dressing room now, though, who haven’t tasted it.
“But games like this are the reason we’re in the competition, to play in these spectacles – semi-finals and finals. The Hibs fans always turn up in numbers.
“So it’s up to us to try to get our foot in the door, get through to the next round and I am sure a lot of the guys will be in the same frame of mind.
“Hampden can only be good if you win. I had one of my worst games at Hampden against Aberdeen, partly because I was at fault for a couple of the goals. That was horrendous.
“It’s only enjoyable when you win. There are lads who have come up from down south who probably don’t understand the magnitude of it and hopefully over the coming weeks they will.”
We need to bring our A game. Hibs can’t afford to be the shock of the weekend