Rankin says Hibs ready to fight for survival

The little midfielder conceded Colin Calderwood's players are living on a knife-edge, just three points clear of basement outfit Hamilton having played a game more, a run of just two wins in 13 league matches under their new boss making them growing favourites to fall through the relegation trapdoor.

A Scottish Cup exit to Second Division part-timers Ayr United hasn't helped the nerves, the fans' anxiety increasing with each passing game and little sign of Hibs pulling out of their downward spiral.

Tonight's visit from champions Rangers, smarting from that defeat at Tynecastle only four days ago, will hardly help soothe their fevered brows, but Rankin insisted the feeling everyone is against them is simply making everyone within the Easter Road dressing-room all the more determined.

He said: "We know it is a case of us against the rest, that everyone is desperate to see us go. There's Hamilton, St Mirren and ourselves down there, we are the club with the biggest stature and it's us they want to see relegated.

"Every time there's a big team in trouble that's the team people want to go down. Looking out we know everyone is against us, but realising what they want is making us stronger. We are a close-knit bunch, we know no-one is going to help us, we want to stay in the SPL and knowing everyone else is desperate to see us go under is giving us the motivation to make sure we stay in the league."

Having said that, Rankin admitted there's been precious little sign of Hibs pulling away from the foot of the table but insisted their stunning 3-0 victory at Ibrox in November was an indication of what they are capable of.

Astonishingly, that match was the last time Hibs have been in front in a game and scoring the first goal, insisted Rankin, was a crucial factor. Referring to Saturday's defeat at Motherwell, he said: "I felt we were on top, didn't look like conceding and then all of a sudden we lose two in quick succession.

"It's disappointing, particularly when you do not feel you are in any danger. Obviously we are struggling and are looking for a lift but we haven't put ourselves in a winning position too often this season. If we can get the first goal then I think we have the players capable of capitalising. Rangers are always going to come at you but when we scored first at Ibrox they had to do so all the more.

"That suits us, we have the players to break very quickly, we have lots of energy and creativity in the side but unfortunately we haven't been in that situation enough. At the moment we always seem to be a goal down and that makes it hard to come back, teams get a lead and then make it very difficult.

"Motherwell got a couple ahead - although they were cheap goals from set-pieces - then brought on another centre-half and a man-marker to take care of Merouane Zemmama. Of course they were happy with what they had, they didn't have to be expansive and try to score a third and most teams, knowing what this league is like, will do the same."

While there was more than a question of offside over Jamie Murphy's opener for Motherwell, Rankin admitted he was left wondering just how the match might have turned out had referee Alan Muir not been so quick on the whistle to award Hibs a penalty two minutes before the interval.

Muir pointed to the spot after Fir Park defender Steven Saunders deliberately handled a Danny Galbraith cross - an offence which only drew a yellow card rather than a red - just as Rankin himself prepared to bury the loose ball.

Instead Zemmama became the third Hibs sinner from 12 yards this season blasting the ball high over the bar, leaving Rankin to say: "I'd been left one-on-one with the goalkeeper but before I even got a chance to take a touch the whistle had gone. Why not delay a split-second and see what happens? That's the frustrating thing, I know we got the penalty but it was disappointing not to get the first chance."

Whether Hibs would have fought back to salvage anything from the game is, of course, now only a topic for debate, the upshot being Hamilton closed the gap with a battling draw against Inverness Caley while St Mirren moved a point ahead as they held St Johnstone.

The weekend events have set up an intriguing encounter at Easter Road tonight, Hibs desperate for the points to ease their worries and Rangers anxious to avoid losing any further ground in the race for the title.

Rankin, however, is clear as to which team is in greater need of three points. He said: "Rangers will say the title is more important, but we are chasing survival and that is massive. We are desperate to get ourselves out of the situation we are in and the only way to do that is to start picking up the three points as quickly as possible. Rangers will be hurting after the weekend, but we are hurting even more.

"They've lost their top striker and their place at the top of the table and while they lost 3-0 to us at Ibrox they also came here earlier in the season and won 3-0 so I am sure, given our situation, they'll be coming no doubt expecting the points.

"But three points for us will help take us away from the danger zone. To us survival is more important than the title, we are fighting for our livelihoods."

Given that 16 of the first team squad are out-of-contract at the end of the season, Rankin accepted it was a legitimate question to ask if the players in that particular situation really care whether Hibs would be in the SPL or the First Division next season given they might well no longer be with the club?

He said: "No offence taken. I'm one of those players and I bust my butt every day I come in here. Along with everyone else, I can see we are trying to get ourselves out of this predicament.

"Obviously contracts are up but I don't want being part of a team which was relegated against my name, I don't want relegation to be on my CV at any point in my career.

"I don't think a single one of us does not care. What we do care about is taking the club out of this situation and hopefully we can do so.

"I know it's frustrating for the supporters, we have been trying to pinpoint what has happened and can't but the one thing I can say is we are all desperate to get out of it."