Hibs star makes Europe admission as he gives 'difficult' assessment on new-look Rangers

Europe should always be the aim for Hibs at the start of the season. Even in a season of transition, as this has been at Easter Road, it should be how the team is judged.

Encouragingly, neither manager or players have tried to play down that expectation. Qualification for European football can be viewed as a positive step forward in what will be the evolution of the team under Lee Johnson. Midfielder Jimmy Jeggo agreed, admitting it would be “massive”.

"A club like Hibs has to be in Europe,” the Australian said. “We are all well aware of the expectation. As players that’s where we want to be. We know there are two really big games coming up and it is going to be difficult. But the gaffer is clear we are building and there is another window coming up. It is a big advantage to the club having European football and also us as a team. It provides us with more chances to grow and more chances to get better.”

It has been a curious season in Leith, one of peaks and troughs. Since the start of the year there have been encouraging signs, positive performances and impressive results. Yet, realistically, after a fairly lacklustre performance in Sunday’s 3-1 loss to Rangers at home, there will now be a hope Celtic emerge victorious in the Scottish Cup final, a result which means fifth-place enters the second qualifying round of the Conference League. To finish higher would likely require wins at home to the Scottish champions on Wednesday and at Hearts on Saturday, a tantalising final-day encounter.

‘Want to keep building’

"We are still in with a chance of European football, which is our aim," Jeggo said. “It is about taking the positives from Sunday, looking at the things we need to improve on and then taking them into the game on Wednesday night, which will be a similar game.

“We know where we are as a team and we want to keep building. We feel that over the last couple of weeks we have taken a step forward and it is about continuing that. We know we have to go out there in the next couple of games and do a job. We know it is going to be difficult, but we are ready for that. There is still an overriding sense of confidence in the team that we can do what we need to do to get a European place.”

The combative Jeggo had his hands full against Rangers, Michael Beale’s men flooding the midfield. “Look, it is difficult,” he admitted. “We knew to an extent what they were going to do. We worked on it, we had a game plan and I think we did it well in terms of I can’t remember them really carving us open, especially in the first-half. In the main, both defensively and tactically, we did quite well. They are a very good team, they are going to have chances. But I think if you look at the performance compared to the last time we played them at Easter Road there is a definite improvement. But there is still evidence that there is a lot more we need to do as a team. As individuals we are well aware of that.”