Rangers captain Dan Neil has rejected suggestions that his team lacks character after they surrendered a lead to draw 2-2 with Hearts at Tynecastle, and insists the squad will show their true mentality in Saturday's Premier Sports Cup semi-final against Aberdeen at Hampden.
The Ibrox skipper was responding to comments from defender Olwethu Makhanya, whose last-minute goal rescued a point for the Light Blues in Edinburgh on Wednesday night. Makhanya claimed the team had "lacked character" and that Hearts showed more "desire" after the interval, when goals from Claudio Braga and Calvin Miller put the home side ahead.
Neil responds to Makhanya comments
Asked whether he had addressed the remarks with his teammate, Neil said: "I don't think I've addressed it so much. Listen, it was an emotional game. Obviously Maka has scored late in the game and we could have won it at the end. It definitely wasn't a lack of character. You've seen multiple times in the season the character this squad has."
"We're trying to improve every single day, so I think it was just the emotions of the game why he's come out with that comment. There's no doubt about the character in this team. Listen, the Hearts match is done now. All we can do is focus on the game coming up on Saturday."
Focus on Aberdeen test
The midfielder acknowledged that the semi-final represents a significant test of the team's mentality. "The full focus has been on that and [winning trophies] is a big reason why I have come here. But to have any chance, we have to win the game on Saturday and that's what we're focusing on. Is this game a good test of the team's mentality? Definitely. It's a completely different occasion and feeling to this game."
"It's certainly not going to be an easy game and Aberdeen want to get to the final just as we do. If you want to win silverware, these are the games you have to get a result in. We'll prepare as best we can."
Neil conceded that his side did not deal well enough with the physical intensity of Wouter Vrancken's team at times, but backed his players to be ready for the clash with the Dons.
Duels and momentum
"I totally agree about the duels and that's something we spoke about at half-time, that we weren't doing well enough. We didn't in the first 15 minutes of the second half either and it's a massive part of the game," he said.
"Listen, it's not going to be perfect every single game but we have to hold ourselves accountable for that. It's massive in every game, not just a semi-final. Over the last few weeks, it's something we've been really good at, which has seen our results turn, since Aberdeen away. The duels we've won on this run has been brilliant and against Hearts, we didn't win enough. But we managed to get ourselves back in that one and we have to keep on top of that."
Rangers are aiming to take a major step towards their first trophy since Philippe Clement's side lifted the League Cup in 2023. Neil believes a victory this weekend could give the team a platform for further success.
"It's really important for momentum," he explained. "Any time you have a chance to potentially get your hands on silverware, it's a chance you have to take. If you talk about there not being many medals in the changing room, but every single player in the world who has won something hadn't before at some point."
"It's getting over that hurdle of getting it and we've got a really good chance of doing that early in the season. That could be a springboard and keep momentum in our favour. But we have to get through Saturday's game before we even think about silverware."
Stephen Robinson's Aberdeen arrive in Glasgow on the back of a poor run that has left the manager under pressure, having lost three of their last four games. Neil, however, is not reading anything into that form.
"Any team can be dangerous on their day. They've got good players. At their place it was a really tough game. We walked away with the three points, but they definitely gave as good as they got that day. It's a bit of a one-off game, because league form goes out the window. It's a big chance for them to get into a final too, so league form doesn't come into it. We have to respect their qualities."
