BY DARREN JOHNSTONE – Capital City Press
Hibs head coach Alan Stubbs insists it is disrespectful to his players to consider that Scott Allan’s high-profile departure will trigger a collapse on the pitch.
Following weeks of uncertainty over the midfielder’s future after three unwelcome failed bids from Rangers, the 23-year-old joined Celtic last week, with Liam Henderson moving in the opposite direction on loan.
Allan played a crucial role in Hibs’ second place finish last season and was even named the Championship Player of the Year.
But as the Easter Road side prepare for their second game without the playmaker in Sunday’s eagerly-anticipated clash at title rivals Rangers, Stubbs is adamant their results will not suffer in the wake of his exit.
Stubbs, who has this week annoyed Ibrox counterpart Mark Warburton by claiming that it is ‘very easy’ to build a good squad when you have money to spend, said: “You have to move on. Scottie was obviously a very talented player but to suddenly think that everything is going to fall down like a pack of cards because one player has gone is wrong and disrespectful to the rest of the group.
“We will get stronger, there’s still two weeks of the window to go and we are looking all the time to strengthen in the right areas.
“There are potentially a few areas we would like to address before the window closes and then we’ll be very happy and content with the business we’ve done.
“They have to be the right players. It would be very easy for me to bring in five or six bodies just to fill the place. It has to be the right player and right quality.”
Stubbs, meanwhile, could request that the September 5 clash at Falkirk is rescheduled as the Leith side are expected to have as many as four players away on international duty that weekend.
Jason Cummings and John McGinn were yesterday named in the Scotland Under-21 squad for next month’s clash in Northern Ireland, while Scott Martin has been called up by the Under-19’s for their trip friendly matches in Bulgaria.
Dominique Malonga has also been included in the 27-man Congo squad for games against Ghana and Guinea Bissau.
SPFL rules state that clubs can apply to the board for a postponement when three or more of their players are unavailable due to international selection.
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