Source: PA
Smith admits strain telling on players
Rangers manager Walter Smith admits he may have asked too much of his players in recent matches but insists there were no excuses for their 3-0 defeat to Hibernian at Ibrox.
Goals from Liam Miller, John Rankin and Francis Dickoh sealed the shock win for Hibs and inflicted a first Clydesdale Bank Premier League defeat of the season on the Scottish champions.
The reverse follows the recent draw against promoted Inverness at the same venue at a time when Rangers face a gruelling schedule as they attempt to juggle domestic duties with their Champions League commitments.
Asked if fatigue was a factor, Smith said: "You can always use tiredness but it's not an excuse. You have to give credit to Hibs for the manner in which they played. That's the main aspect.
"Over the last four or five games, I've maybe asked too much of too many, I should maybe have changed the team around a little bit.
"We didn't have the required sharpness to break down a Hibs team who were playing exceptionally well. At the end of the day, we've got no complaints. Hibs played very well and worked very hard on the evening and deserved their win."
