(Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
Hibernian boss Shaun Maloney has warned his players they’ll need to be at their best if they are to avoid a Scottish Cup elimination against flying Arbroath as he recalled his own part in Celtic’s Scottish Cup humiliation against Clyde in 2006.
Maloney was part of the Celtic side knocked out by the Bully Wee on Roy Keane’s debut in the Hoops and the Hibs boss knows “anything can happen” when his side head to Gayfield.
The Hibees have been in dismal form recently and with Dick Campbell’s side sitting top of the Championship, there’s the real prospect of an upset in Angus.
“That’s what makes these competitions what they are, when you play against teams in the league below,” Maloney said.
“Although, Arbroath at the moment look like they’ve got a really strong chance of promotion.
“It’s just a brilliant challenge and that’s what the cup brings. We know the difficulty of the task and it’s just a very difficult Cup match.
“As a player, I had some positive experiences and I’ve had less positive days. (Clyde) can happen to any team.
“Anything can happen in cup competitions and that’s the beauty of it. That’s what we have to prepare for.”
Hibernian have failed to score in six of their last seven games and Maloney’s side need to start performing soon as the pressure builds on the rookie manager.
Defeat this afternoon might well see some fans turn on the Hibs boss after a woeful start for the former Belgium assistant manager.
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