Shaun Maloney has urged his Hibernian team to show aggression in their attacking when they host Celtic.
Maloney’s side had the majority of possession at Celtic Park last month but lost 2-0 and struggled to create chances in the second half after Kevin Nisbet squandered some good opportunities in the first period.
The former Celtic player has succeeded in instilling a possession-based game in his first two months as Hibs manager. Wins against Arbroath and Ross County in the previous two weeks have suggested they are starting to get the balance right in terms of utilising their possession.
Celtic travel to Easter Road for Sunday’s noon kick-off on the back of a trip to the Arctic Circle, where they crashed out of the Europa Conference League against Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt.
Maloney does not expect his former club to be hindered by the excursion but he wants his team to make life difficult for the cinch Premiership leaders.
“Celtic and Rangers are used to it,” he said. “They have really big squads so no matter who plays, normally they are internationals. So it shouldn’t affect the game too much.
“But we have to make the game as difficult as we can. It’s an early kick-off on Sunday and we have to be as aggressive as we were at Celtic Park without the ball and now this time with the ball we have to attack them with a bit more aggression.
“We had the majority of possession at Celtic Park but possession is not the be-all and end-all. Whatever we do with it, we have to create chances.
“That was a really good step we took at Celtic Park, we can play under pressure. But with that, we have to create chances or else it’s pointless.
“We have to create more than we did at Celtic Park. What we did in the first two-thirds of the pitch was good and then we just didn’t create enough that day.
“We have to have the mindset of winning the game and being aggressive.”
Hibs will be without eight players, with Elias Melkersen and James Scott dropping out through illness to join Demetri Mitchell, Paul Hanlon, Kyle Magennis, Harry Clarke, Paul McGinn and Joe Newell on the sidelines.
Maloney said: “The average age last week was incredibly young and to win with that team, the club should be really proud of that. We have to go with a really young team again.
“Football is like that, it’s someone else’s opportunity. Young players will make mistakes, as they have shown, but last weekend they were very good.
“We have to show what we did against Arbroath and Ross County – the real desire not to get beat and a real fighting spirit. That’s the priority.”
