AS a former Celtic player, Alan Stubbs wouldn't expect to have rose petals thrown at his feet whenever he visits Ibrox but he may find the reception chillier than normal when he takes his Hibernian side to that particular corner of Glasgow on Monday night.

It would be cranking it a touch to describe it as a "war of words" but Stubbs' reference to the red card shown to his player Danny Handling in the last match between the sides, as well as talk of the need for a "strong referee", certainly rankled Ally McCoist, his opposite number, who did not hesitate in offering a response. The little back-and-forth certainly adds spice to a meeting that, given Rangers' recent drop-off in attendances and Hibs' poor start to the season, may have been otherwise relatively humdrum.

"I don't have a problem if Stubbsy wants to referee the game himself," said McCoist. "Or if he wants to pick someone to referee it. I thought some of his comments were laughable. He was even commenting on our game against Falkirk on Tuesday night. I don't know why he's getting himself involved in that.

"We've all got enough problems with our own teams. Contrary to what Stubbsy is saying, I'm delighted with the referee [Calum Murray]. He's one of the best ones. He'll make mistakes on Monday but we all will. We just have to get on with it."

The reference to Handling's dismissal in the sides' Petrofac Training Cup tie in early August also irked McCoist. "Stubbsy mentioned that as well and they did have a player harshly sent off. But listen, I remember a decision up at Raith Rovers in 1996 that I was really despondent with! How far back do you want to go?

"We just need to get on with it. I don't know if his comments have been taken out of context but his comment about Peter Houston's comments after the game the other night . . . I mean, come on, let's get on with football."

On that front Rangers find themselves in the unusual position of having to chase down another team for the first time in three seasons. Hearts' strong start to the campaign has them three points in front of McCoist's side, a lead that will double if they can beat Livingston at Tynecastle tomorrow afternoon. Both Hearts and Rangers have dropped points at venues many would not have expected them to - Hearts at Dumbarton, Rangers last weekend at Alloa Athletic - and McCoist expects that will be the case throughout the remainder of the campaign.

"[Chasing another team] is not something that's a shock to us," he added. "We knew the league would be a massive step-up from the previous two seasons and when you lose the first game to Hearts chances are you will be chasing them for a wee while anyway.

"We're just six games into it, it's not really started the campaign. There are lots of points to be won and dropped. Hearts drew at Dumbarton and I felt the same way last week after the Alloa game - that might turn out to be a good point rather than two dropped.

"Hearts are at the top. They had a good second half against Cowdenbeath last weekend. For the first time in a couple of years we are looking above us but it's not a major shock or something we're overly concerned with this early in the season."

While Rangers and Hearts look set to duke it out for the title, the picture already looks grimmer for Hibs. A change of manager in the summer has failed so far to deliver the anticipated upturn in performances, with four defeats in their opening six league games telling its own story. Already five points off fourth place - the final gateway into the end-of-season play-offs - Hibs cannot afford to fall even further behind, but McCoist was not of a mind to write off the threat from Easter Road.

"No matter how the game goes on Monday, there is far too long to go in the Championship to start ruling anyone out at this stage. We've seen how difficult it has been and is going to be. With 15 minutes to go at Alloa, we would have taken a point all day to get out of there. I know Hearts had chances at Dumbarton, but Dumbarton had a couple of their own too. There are Edinburgh derbies to play, we've got to go through to Tynecastle and Easter Road, there's a massive, massive distance to go.

"I think [Hibs' poor start] says more about the standard of opposition than anything else. I'm certainly not going to be critical of Hibs who have played better football against us than anyone else this season."