Hibernian might gone down to a narrow 1-0 loss to Premiership league leaders Rangers this afternoon, but manager Jack Ross can be pleased with many aspects of his team’s performance.
The Easter Road side controlled much of the second-half, and perhaps could consider themselves unfortunate not to leave Glasgow with a point.
An excellent performance
One player who shone brightly for Ross’s side at Ibrox was midfielder Joe Newell. Newell was excellent in the middle of the park. The 27-year-old was at the heart of many of the positive aspects of Hibernian’s performance, as he probed the middle of the park. Some of his passing was also excellent.
The player was arguably unlucky not to earn a penalty when he was challenged by Ianis Hagi, but it was not to be.
If any club’s scouts were watching the game, they would no doubt have been impressed by Newell. Interestingly, his contract expires at the end of the season. Jack Ross and Hibernian will want him to agree to a new deal as soon as possible, as he will be a player that Ross will be desperate to keep at the club.
Only time will tell what happens with that, but for today at least Newell can be pleased with his performance, even though Hibernian did lose.
Some fans were impressed
Some Hibernian fans on social media were certainly impressed with Newell’s performance. One fan went as far as to compare him to Juventus and Italy legend Andrea Pirlo. Another fan claimed that Newell was currently the best midfielder in the Scottish Premiership.
Here are some of the best reactions from Hibernian fans on Twitter to Newell’s performance: