Rangers are just 90 minutes away from the first cup final of the season and have lost only once in their last 14 games. At this time of the season, when in recent years it has usually been time to sack their manager, it is not bad going at all. Yet there is still a feeling of negativity among a section of the Rangers fans following Wednesday's draw against Hearts.
Derek McInnes is only a few months into the job and knows only too well that it comes with the territory as Rangers manager. The fact Celtic also slipped up and were held to the same 2-2 scoreline by Dundee United as Gers were at Tynecastle means they got off the hook a bit. But, following a draw at Dundee in their last away game, there is certainly room for improvement going into Saturday's clash at Hampden with Aberdeen.
Makhanya Criticises Lack of Character
Last-action hero Olwethu Makhanya was the one player who could hold his head up high due to his overall display and not just his goal which rescued Rangers at the death. The classy South African pulled no punches in his post-match interview to Sky Sports, where he accused the Light Blues of lacking character.
“I feel in the second half there was a lack of character,” he said. “I feel they showed more desire than us. They were almost out-working us. That's why I'm saying there was maybe a lack of character. It's something we need to fix as a team.”
That is something Derek McInnes' sides have rarely been accused of, at every club he has been at, and it is something the Ibrox boss will be eager to put right.
Left Side and Midfield Concerns
There were plenty of contenders but Djeidi Gassama was arguably the worst performer for the visitors after his inclusion in the starting XI by Derek McInnes raised eyebrows. However, the Rangers boss did admit prior to the game that Algerian Badredine Bouanani had fitness issues after being taken off with cramp in the previous game, the 4-0 romp at home to St Johnstone where the attacking part of the team worked so well. But playing Gassama on the left has a knock-on effect with Minsu Kim then shifted out of his natural position and on to the opposite flank, with the South Korean also having an off night. Gassama was hooked early in the second half.
Dan Neil and Nico Raskin were overrun in the middle of the park, and losing that engine room battle will be a concern for Derek McInnes. It is a system that worked well in the previous game at home to St Johnstone but trickier in tough away games. If McInnes is adamant he wants to stick with the front two of Kevin Kelsy and Ryan Naderi, then he might have to sacrifice a winger to deploy an extra man in the middle to help Neil and Raskin. Neil was flying high after his Old Firm double last month but has toiled since, with his mistake also costing a couple of points at Dens Park. Raskin, with continual speculation over his future, needs to rediscover the kind of form that got him into the Belgium team.
Defensive Worries and Favourable Fixtures
Ben Godfrey must be wondering what it will take for him to get a run of games. Yet again he watched Emmanuel Fernandez turn in a shaky display, with the big defender picking up a booking shortly after he was lucky to escape a yellow card. It was a surprise to see Fernandez last 90 minutes at Tynecastle, and Godfrey could well find himself in for Hampden.
Now, before anyone starts shouting the dreaded C word there is no conspiracy here. Rather, it is the poor early season form of Motherwell and Hibs. However, the stats guru behind the Scotland's Coefficient website pointed out that Rangers are the first team in the 27 seasons of the Scottish Premiership split format to have faced all of the other top six teams away from home. Champions and rivals Celtic are the opposite, having faced none of the top six on the road. So it means, in theory, the next block of fixtures should be easier for Rangers. Celtic, of course, hold that four point advantage over Martin O'Neill's side.
McInnes Must Seize Trophy Chance
The one accusation levelled at Derek McInnes throughout his managerial career has been the lack of silverware, with that sole League Cup success at Aberdeen. But in his defence, for much of his time at Pittodrie he was up against one of the best Celtic sides in history under Brendan Rodgers. And then he just fell short of an historic title in his one season at Hearts. There can be no excuse, though, for not lifting the Premier Sports Cup this season, and certainly not for failing to reach the final. Rangers face an Aberdeen side in disarray at Hampden on Saturday, and defeat is unthinkable for McInnes and his team. The Ibrox boss said he wants Rangers to be relevant again when it comes time to silverware, and they cannot blow this chance.
