Ditch 4-4-2 or Hibs will get thrashed 4-0 again

Montgomery's approach simply will not work against Old Firm

- TAM MCMANUS

A BELATED welcome to Scottish football Nick Montgomery and to some painful Premiership facts of life for any manager outside of the Old Firm.

If you have the audacity to go toe to toe with either of the Old Firm then more often than not you'll get a sore face.

After a five-week honeymoon in the hotseat, it's reality check time and with Celtic arriving in Leith on Saturday, lessons will hopefully have been learned.

On the evidence of the manager's post-match remarks from losing 4-0 at Ibrox, the worry is there could be a few more cracks in the jaw and upper-cuts about to come their way.

He said: "I am not going to change the way we play." Someone should have a wee word in his ear.

The gulf between Hibs, Hearts and Aberdeen to where Celtic and even an underperforming Rangers sit is far too wide to bridge by playing them at their own game.