McLeish defiant despite record barren spell

Hibernian 2 Rangers 1

The Scottish champions had the ideal opportunity to haul themselves back into the Bank of Scotland Premier League title race, after Celtic and Hearts had both dropped points 24 hours earlier. They should also have been boosted by their dramatic Champions League draw against Porto in midweek.

Instead, the defeat means Rangers have now suffered their longest winless streak in the club’s 132-year history but McLeish insisted: “I wouldn’t say it’s a crisis.

“It looks like a crisis but it hasn’t reached the point of no return. We saw what happened yesterday so anything is possible.”

McLeish’s position will come under review in early December and he knows slipping 11 points behind third-placed Hibs will not go down well with chairman David Murray.

Goals from Derek Riordan and Garry O’Connor secured the win, despite a strike from Barry Ferguson before his 90th-minute dismissal.

McLeish believes any new manager taking over the Ibrox helm would also struggle to transform their fortunes this season.

“If a new coach came in, he would still be without eight players,” he pointed out. “There is no magic wand in this game. Ask Alex Ferguson. Ask the best of them.”

But, when asked about failing to register a win in their last eight outings, he admitted: “It doesn’t make me feel good.”

HIBERNIAN: Malkowski, Whittaker, Smith, Caldwell, Glass, Sproule, Thomson (Shiels 90), Scott Brown, Beuzelin, Riordan (Morrow 88), O’Connor (Fletcher 75).

RANGERS: Waterreus, Hutton, Andrews, Kyrgiakos, Murray, Burke (Lovenkrands 60), Ferguson, Alex Rae (Hemdani 24), Namouchi, Jeffers (Thompson 46), McCormack.

Referee: S Dougal (Scotland).