Former Rangers attacker Rabbi Matondo found himself on the receiving end of a brutal assessment from Chris Sutton as Hibernian fell to a 2-1 defeat against Celtic on Sunday, 25 October.

Celtic’s victory on Sunday afternoon restored their four-point advantage at the summit of the Scottish Premiership table. For Hibs, manager Marinek Reedijk turned to his bench in search of a late equaliser, introducing Matondo as a 68th-minute substitute for his third appearance since joining the Edinburgh club as a free agent earlier in October.

Matondo, therefore, had a golden chance to do his old club Rangers a massive favour by helping Hibernian snatch a vital point or three from Celtic to keep the title race tightly bunched.

However, rather than providing the spark required to alter the scoreline, the Welsh winger’s cameo encapsulated a recurring frustration that will feel all too familiar to Ibrox supporters who watched him during his stint in Glasgow.

Former Rangers winger Rabbi Matondo lacks ‘football brain’, says Chris Sutton

Speaking live on Sky Sports commentary, Sutton did not mince his words when analysing Matondo’s impact in the final third. He said:

“Rabbi Matondo just lacks a bit of a football brain at times, everything is at 100mph.”

Sutton’s critique was not that the 26-year-old was entirely invisible after entering the fray. During his 22 minutes on the pitch, Matondo managed 13 touches and got himself in dangerous areas, registering 2 touches inside the opposition penalty box and accumulating 0.20 expected goals (xG).

The underlying issue, as Sutton pointed out, is that when Matondo reaches positions where he can genuinely influence the match, his decision-making repeatedly lets him down. Whether taking a rushed shot off target or failing to pick the right pass, his blistering pace is too often undermined by a lack of composure.

As shown in his FotMob metrics, Matondo completed 4 of his 5 attempted passes (80% accuracy), won 2 ground duels, and chipped in with 2 recoveries. Yet his long shot drifted off target, and he failed to create a chance for his teammates during his late run-out.

For Hibs, unlocking consistency from the former Rangers ace will require harnessing his undeniable speed without letting his execution descend into chaos – a hurdle he is still striving to overcome in Scottish football – seven months on from his Ibrox departure.