Franck Dja Djedje is adamant the arrival of Stuart McCall at Rangers will make little difference in the race for second spot in the Championship - because Hibs are simply too good for their Glasgow rivals.
And Hibs' Ivorian forward is adamant the vast majority of Scottish Premiership are jealous of the squad assembled by Alan Stubbs at Easter Road this term. McCall's appointment is expected to lift the dismal Gers, who won just one of their last seven matches under previous boss Kenny McDowall and have slipped five points behind the Hibees, albeit with two games in hand.
The meeting between the sides next Sunday now appears destined to be a mouth-watering affair at Easter Road as the battle to finish as runners-up to Hearts heats up. However, Dja Djedje insists no-one at Hibs is worried about the prospect of a re-energised Gers side.
The 28-year-old said: "Of course Hibs can still finish second. We have a great squad and it is getting stronger and stronger every week towards the end of the season. I think Hibs have a better team than Rangers. We have depth and a good balance. Of course Rangers have some good players but I believe we are better.
"Even in the Premier League I believe any team would like to have the team we have at the moment. First place is gone but we have the quality to finish second. We have a real depth in the squad and that is important - it is not just about the 11 players on the field, you need to have options - 15 or 16 players who could play very well in the team."
Dja Djedje, a January addition to the Hibs ranks, dramatically pounced to head home an 89th-minute goal in Tuesday evening's 2-1 triumph to ensure Stubbs' side retained their five point advantage over the Gers. Hibs will be seeking to extend their current winning streak to seven in a row against Cowdenbeath this afternoon, while McCall will be in charge of Rangers for the first time at home to Livi. And former PSG forward knows neither side have any room for error ahead of their clash in the capital next weekend.
He added: "It was vital to win on Wednesday night to keep our advantage over Rangers, especially as we are going to play them next week. There is big pressure next week when they come to Easter Road. Any time they drop points or slip up, we need to take advantage, and we cannot stop winning if we want to stay ahead of Rangers and finish second."
Dja Djedje is hopeful his midweek heroics are enough to secure him a place in the starting line-up at Central Park this afternoon, admitting competition for a starting berth against Martin Boyle, Jason Cummings and Dominique Malonga is fierce. He added: "Every time I get the chance to play I want to add something to the team. It is important that if one striker is not playing well, that another one is ready to take his place and does not drop the quality of the team. It shows the quality we have in our squad, if one or two players need a rest or if the manager needs to make a change, the quality does not change the standard of the team."
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