John Collins and Michael Stewart clashed over the opinions on today's Edinburgh derby live on-air this evening.
Reacting to Hearts' 3-0 win over Hibs at Tynecastle, Stewart was fulsome in his praise for Robbie Neilson's side.
He said for all that the Jambos were good and working in the right directions, all is not well at Easter Road.
However, ex-Hibees Collins stepped in to defend his former club, insinuating that he felt Lee Johnson's side were the better of the teams despite the final result.
Kenny MacIntyre started the discussion on BBC Sportsound after the match.
He said: "From what you've seen today, is there now a huge gulf between these two squads?"
Stewart responded: "It's not so much a gulf between the squads. You're looking at Hearts which is a club that has a real purpose about them and they know what they're doing.
"They've got a really good manager that gets the best out of the players. It's a club that's working in synergy with each other.
"At Hibs, it isn't happening like that. There is a good team in that squad. But the problem is there's too many players. It's too scattergun, the whole approach to who's coming in and who's going out.
"Everything just feels a little bit rudderless and it's lacking identity and clear leadership. That's from the top.
"In terms of the performance here today, Hearts were good - in particular that first-half. In the second-half, I heard what was being said at the end of the game and look, Hibs started the second brightly, they were on the front foot and they dominated territorially, but there was never really any stage where you thought Hibs were about to get back into the game.
"They got in-behind Hearts on a couple of occasions. All the rest, it was just balls that were being thrown into the box. Kye Rowles must've headed about 40 of them away.
"It felt fairly comfortable even although Hibs were dominating the possession. I can hear John laughing in the background there. But it was.
"I heard that were were a lot of positives for Hibs. I don't know how you can get many positives when you've won two in 11 and have been on the end of a 3-0 defeat away to your rivals. That is not positive. Yes, the second-half was better but they did not look like they were going to hurt Hearts here today."
The ex-Hibs gaffer came in to challenge Stewart. He said: "So, you would say that 3-0 game was a fair reflection on the 90-minutes? Do you think Hearts were the better team?"
MS: "Unquestionably. Unquestionably they were the better side. If you thought Hibs were the better side then that's crazy."
JC: "Hibs were by far the better team in the second-half. First-half, there wasn't a lot in it. Neither goalkeeper has made a lot of saves."
MS: "That sounds like you thought Hibs were the better team over the 90-minutes."
JC: "Not in the first-half, but in the second-half Hibs were."
MS: "You said there wasn't much in it first-half, and Hibs were by far the better in the second. That would mean that they were the better team."
JC: "Well if we talk through the flow of the game Hibs started the game better. Hearts scored a goal from trying to press and not a lot of great football. They cut it back and the Hibs defender's made a mistake.
"The second goal was a penalty.
"Hearts never penned Hibs in during the first-half and controlled the game. Nobody can tell me Hearts controlled and penned Hibs in for that first 45-minutes."
Rory Loy then chipped in to make comparisons between this current situation under Lee Johnson and the scenario where Shaun Maloney lost his job after a 2-1 loss to Hearts at Hampden in April.
Leanne Crichton then also made the point that in five of their seven wins they've had a player advantage. The Motherwell midfielder claimed at no point this season had she found them convincing.
MS joked: "Did you not watch the second-half here?"
JC: "Guys, I'm not saying that Hibs are in a great position. Things are not great.
"What is the solution? Another sacked manager? Another 16 or 20 players?"
Loy: "No. I don't think Maloney should've been sacked. But you would like to see signs of improvement.
"I just don't think 'they were the better team in the second-half' cuts the mustard for Hibs fans."
JC: "I think in the second-half, 2-0 down, they could've got massacared, could've got pumped. Reds cards all over the place. Losing their shape, losing the discipline.
"Instead, the two substitutions at half-time made them better. They worked the Hearts goalkeeper more in the second-half. They had a little bit of momentum. McGeady came on, it looked like him and Cadden had a good understanding. Good combinations down that right side. If Hibs can get McGeady fit I think he can make things happen. That could be a terrific right side of the pitch for Hibs.
"Nisbet has come back, he's been injured. Boyle is out injured.
"As a manager, as a supporter, you've got to look for some positives. It's easy to look at the negatives. They're down the bottom of the league, they haven't won many games in the last few months.
"Agaian, the question the Hibs fans and the media will say is another sacking of a manager."
MS: "For me, Lee Johnson is not the major issue here. It's the club as a whole. I've said this on a number of occasions.
"I find it extremely difficult to turn around and say Hibs were going to get something from this game. Hearts were comfortable.
"You can take small positives as much as you want, but there's a bigger picture here. And that is they've got a huge squad, probably the biggest Hibs have had in a long time, it's costing money. It doesn't really have any clear identity. Their good games are good, their bad games are terrible. Consistency is not there.
"How do you improve? Yes, you could get rid of the manager and bring another in but that's not going to solve it.
"The problem is they have a scattergun policy for bringing players into the club and that doesn't have any real core identity as to what they're trying to do.
"They kept the ball, they kept it okay, they didn't penetrate. That was the problem for me. And defensively they were all over the shop, even as the game was wearing on and they were in the ascendency.
"There's big problems at Hibs off the park and it's filtering through to on the park as well."
