LIAM CRAIG insists new head coach Alan Stubbs has ensured Hibernian will face Rangers tonight having shed the negativity that dragged them down last season.

The Petrofac Training Cup first- round tie will give the Easter Road club an early opportunity to prove they have overcome the hammer blow of relegation from the SPFL Premiership under Terry Butcher in May.

Stubbs has only made four new signings and has put his faith in the likes of youngsters Alex Harris and Sam Stanton, Scott Robertson and Craig, who had been told by Butcher he was free to leave just a matter of weeks ago.

And Craig, who insists he wanted to stay to prove his own ability and make up for last term's bitter disappointment, believes Stubbs and his backroom team have transformed the outlook of the men in green and white as they travel west looking to cause an upset.

"I think if you speak to anyone, the atmosphere has totally changed," the Hibs captain said. "The manager has come in and spoken to the players and told us what he wants to do.

"He has just lifted the place along with [coach] John [Doolan] and [assistant] 'Taff' [Andy Holden]. There is a really good atmosphere about the place again. When the manager came in he would have been well aware that was his first job - he would have to pick the players up. We had to pick ourselves up as well, but it helps when you have a manager who does what he has done.

"Now, it is up to the manager and the players together to pick the fans up. They have been during pre-season, and this is a great opportunity for us to show them that this is a different team to last year, and a team that wants to be more inventive than we were last year."

Hibs have been made third favourites for the Championship title this season, well behind front runners Rangers and city rivals Hearts.

However, the doubters do not concern Craig and, although he is happy to fly under the radar, the former Falkirk and St Johnstone midfielder insists he and his team-mates will still be under the strain of their own weight of expectation.

"There is always pressure when you play for Hibs and we fell well short last year," he said. "So, I think there is pressure on us to go to Ibrox and put on a performance to show the fans we are here because we want to put right what happened last season.

"Rangers and Hearts will have pressure on them from their supports as well. They'll feel they have got to go and win the league, along with ourselves. Our attitude going into the game against Rangers will be the same going into Livingston on Saturday. It doesn't matter who we play, we showed last season we are not good enough to turn up and expect to win.

"We have got to be at it week-in, week-out. And the feeling in the camp is we can have a successful season if that's there."

Stubbs, meanwhile, has urged his Hibernian team not to be beaten by Rangers' "aura" before a ball has even been kicked. "I think when you're a big club like Rangers there will always be a fear factor," he admitted. "Maybe it's not the same as it was 10 years ago but there will still be an aura about the place.

"Big clubs very rarely lose that. Rangers will always have a fantastic stadium, with a fantastic support, they'll never lose that.

"My players are under no illusions. I don't want them to be pushed into playing a different way just because we're going to Ibrox.

"The players will go there and, first and foremost, give 100% and I want them to express themselves. I want them to really have a go."