Filling the void has kept Dylan onside with fans
PLAUDITS from fans are warmly appreciated by players. But it is something that the Hibernian faithful have not mentioned that has most pleased Dylan McGeouch.
At Easter Road, it has been a case of Scott Who? Scott Allan’s much-documented switch to Celtic in August left the club’s fans fearing that the creative void he left would not be filled.
However, the collective efforts from the likes of McGeouch, John McGinn, Fraser Fyvie and on-loan Parkhead playmaker Liam Henderson has ensured last term’s Championship Player of the Year has not been missed.
The Leith outfit are 10 points better off than they were at this stage last season and a run of 10 victories from 11 matches has given them great hope that they can cut Rangers’ lead at the Championship summit to five points today.
‘I’m good mates with Scott, he’s a great player and deserves everything he gets,’ said McGeouch.
‘But the Hibs fans are now just concentrating on the squad we’ve got.
‘It’s just as strong — if not stronger — with the players the manager has brought in. It’s great to see that and the fans are mostly talking abut the players we’ve got instead of the players we’ve not got any more.’
McGeouch, meanwhile, has rubbished suggestions that the title race will be over if Hibs are defeated today.
He added: ‘I wouldn’t say it was finished if we lose. We proved ourselves last year when we came from a good few points behind Rangers to finish second, so we’ve always got confidence.
‘Even if we don’t get the best of results, we’ve got the togetherness to come back from it and kick on.’
Both Hibs head coach Alan Stubbs and Rangers counterpart Mark Warburton have assembled formidable squads this season.
Former Celtic defender Stubbs believes today’s combatants would more than hold their own in the Scottish Premiership.
He said: ‘We are where we are and we have to get on with it. Yes, I think both of our squads would adapt and be competitive in the Premiership.
‘I think we would be right up there.
‘I also know that we have played three Premiership teams (Ross County, Dundee United and Aberdeen) since I have been here and we are unbeaten.
‘I think that is a reflection of how we would do and that is where we want to be.’
Stubbs, whose side have been beaten by Rangers in the Petrofac Training Cup and league already this season, insists there is no bad blood between himself and Warburton.
The pair appeared to fall out when Stubbs claimed in August that it was ‘very easy’ to assemble a good squad when you have money to spend.
He added: ‘My door is always open to any manager. Listen, I am paid to win games of football. Managers are very rarely the best of friends — we have a job to do. I want to beat him and he wants to beat me.’