Hibs can wrestle title from the Old Firm

Has the time finally come for a non Old Firm club to lift the title?

By Matthew Harold

After Hibs dramatic win at Celtic Park on Wednesday, could not only this year but next year be Hibs years?

John Hughes squad are all under 30 and most of all Hughes has made a team that are hard to score against. Although they look like they are a team designed for all-out attack, they have a formidable backbone which has only conceded 19 goals in their league campaign, the second best record in the league, behind league leaders Rangers.

The main problem that was faced by Hughes when he arrived home in Leith was that of the goalkeeper position. A position that has been somewhat of a poisoned chalice with previous incumbents Yves Ma-Kalambay, Andy McNeil, Zibi Małkowski and Simon Brown having been seen as failures for some of the incredible clangers they have dropped which have dented Hibs chances for years.

To have someone between the sticks like Graeme Smith has done wonders to help both the confidence of both the Hibs backline and the Easter Road faithful. That coupled with the strength of defenders Chris Hogg, Ian Murray and Sol Bamba has been a main reason why the Hibees are doing so well.

One of the main philosophies of the Hibs manager when he was at Falkirk was to play expansive football, allowing his playing to express themselves on the pitch. That is what he has done with not only the players that he has brought in, but the players he inherited from the previous regime.

He is allowing his attacking players to only have to worry about attacking, such players as Derek Riordan, who would not be the first man you would want making a last ditch challenge does not need to worry about doing such a thing. Because under Hughes new regime the burden of having to help his defence is lifted and therefore is helping him express himself more than in previous times.

Hughes signings have also been a key to the Easter Road sides success, players like Anthony Stokes and Liam Miller would no doubt be welcomed by any other side the SPL, including the Old Firm. These players have been the catalyst for the immediate success seen at Easter Road, with Hughes also bringing Patrick Cregg and Kevin McBride over from Falkirk with him to stiffen up the midfield.

So as long as Hughes can both keep his side fit and keep the predators from England away from some of his star players, then it shouldn’t be third place that Hughes and his side should be looking at, it should be top spot.

With Rangers in financial ruin currently, with no white knight coming to the rescue to save them and Celtic in a state of flux with Tony Mowbray changing his squad from a Scottish backbone to a Scandinavian backbone, there has never been a better time in the last 25 years when a Scottish team could not only make a challenge, but to topple the Old Firm from the stranglehold in which they have held the Scottish title hostage.