Rangers or Hibs?

Saturday lunchtime should be interesting.  In the olden days, a Hibernian v Rangers game would have been a very decent curtain-raiser for a new Scottish football season.  And I suppose it still is...except rather than being a league clash, it's a game in the first round of the Petrofac Training Cup.

Whilst both teams will surely have designs on some silverware - I don't for a second believe Mark Warburton's comments about it being an extension of pre-season - it will also be a useful early indicator of which team might be strongest ahead of their second consecutive Championship campaigns.  Yes, I know there are eight other clubs in the division, including a St. Mirren side who have just dropped out of the top flight, but these two are very much favourites.

Which is in better shape?  Well, you decide.  I've done my best to showcase the squads below.  The formations are little more than a guess, based on Rangers' tactics in pre-season and Stubbs' previous predilection for a midfield diamond (so there are various players who are quite obviously out of position), but it's a pretty good guide.  I've also jumped the conclusion that Jason Holt's move to Ibrox is just a matter of time.

So, Rangers or Hibs?

The Rangers squad ahead of the new season


There's been lots of change at Ibrox, with eleven players (plus five Newcastle loanees) punted and Mark Warburton given enough cash to bring in three guys from Wigan and to attract Danny Wilson back to the club.  The arrivals of Wilson, Rob Kiernan and James Tavernier, along with keeper Wes Foderingham, should vastly improve the quality and depth at the back.  Andy Halliday and Jason Holt (assuming he joins) should add creativity, but the only obvious holding midfielder is young Andy Murdoch (Halliday played in that role vs Burnley this week).  The hardworking Martyn Waghorn will surely convert plenty of the chances that come his way, but if he gets hurt can Rangers really rely on Kenny Miller and Nicky Clark up front? (a wee caveat - Tom Walsh isn't mentioned above, while Fraser Aird is at left-back because he played there in pre-season!)


The Hibs squad ahead of the new season


Alan Stubbs would surely have preferred to hold on to Scott Robertson and Dylan McGeouch, and he may have to ditch his preferred midfield diamond as a consequence.  A 3-5-2, with Jordan Forster as an extra centre back, is a potential option.  Marvin Bartley should be a good acquisition to sit in front of the defence and Scott Allan and Fraser Fyvie provide midfield quality that most Premiership clubs would envy.  In Jason Cummings, Farid El Alagui and Dominique Malonga they are spoiled for strikers too.  Martin Boyle and new boy Danny Carmichael should give them wide options if required.  The obvious weakness is a lack of defensive depth with a paucity of options should anyone get injured.


Lawrie Spence (LS) has ranted and spouted his ill-informed opinions on Narey's Toepoker since September 2007.  He has a life outside this blog.  Honestly.