Aberdeen 0, Rangers 1
THERE was really no need for Aberdeen manager Roy Aitken to lecture us
at the after-match press conference at Pittodrie on how we should report
the game.
No-one, not even the most committed Rangers supporter, would have said
anything other than that the Ibrox side were fortunate to return to
Ibrox with all three points.
But there was a salient point for the rest of the premier division
clubs, and for his own club, too, that Aitken didn't mention as he
talked of how his team had given Rangers ''a hiding.''
This was a patched-up Ibrox side, with five first-choice players
missing from the starting line-up, two more playing while carrying
nagging injuries, and another forced back into action after an injury
lay-off without the benefit of a run in the reserves.
And, yet, Rangers won the game and remained at the top of the table,
pushing Aberdeen further behind them.
That they could do this without major stars is a problem for the rest
of Scottish football. Aberdeen, in contrast, had been unchanged for nine
games and, therefore, were able to benefit from a continuity of
selection.
This, of course, remains the problem for the Ibrox team and for
manager Walter Smith. No sooner do they get one player back than another
limps out of the campaign.
After the game, midfielder Stuart McCall, whose tigerish tackling and
non-stop running made him one of Rangers' most effective players at
Aberdeen, pointed out the problems his side have faced.
''If you take a look at the defence, where there have been fewer
changes than in the rest of the team, then you can see the benefit of
continuity,'' he said. ''Our defence has been the most effective part of
the team, especially in recent games, while, middle to front, we have
been struggling a little because of the changes we have been forced to
make in these areas.
''Aberdeen have had nine or 10 games unchanged -- I wish we had had
that luxury. If so, then our performance today would have been so much
better. I don't think any of us were particularly happy with the way we
played but the result was tremendous.
''The manager doesn't look too far ahead when he is looking at the
league programme. However, there are times when he sets us three-game
targets, and he did that last week. He spoke to us before we went to
Celtic Park about the importance of the games against Celtic,
Motherwell, and Aberdeen -- with two of them away from home. So, at the
end of that test, we have come out with maximum points. Yet, before this
game we might have settled for a draw with the position we found
ourselves in.''
McCall then praised the performances of the defence this season. He
said: ''We had another clean sheet today and that is down to the way the
lads at the back are playing. Richard Gough has been so consistent and
Gordan Petric and Alan McLaren have been solid alongside him. Then we
have the best goalkeeper in Europe -- Andy Goram -- behind them.
''Andy had one superb save in the second half from Eoin Jess, but that
is what we have come to expect from him.''
The goal which decided the match came from second-half substitute
Craig Moore following a free kick from McCall. The midfielder's curling
kick eluded Petric and Gough as well as the Aberdeen defence and Moore
was there, lurking at the far post, to bend low and head the ball over
the line.
In the remaining 11 minutes Aberdeen did their best to save the game
but, as McCall indicated, they ran into this new Iron Curtain defence
that Rangers have constructed.
Afterwards, when Aitken had finished instructing us on how the various
reports should be written, he declared: ''I'm obviously disappointed
with the result. I would have to be, after the hiding we gave Rangers
this afternoon.
''Football is a cruel game, as my players found out today, but if we
continue to give performances like that then we will win a fair
percentage of our games and will be in there challenging at the end of
the season.''
Certainly, there is no comparison between the Aberdeen of this season
and the disorganised and disgruntled group of players Aitken took over
early this year when they were favourites to be relegated to the first
division.
However, if they are to challenge then they may have to add some of
the grit McCall gives Rangers in midfield, and they must win games like
these when the opportunity presents itself, as it did on Saturday.
The weakened champions would happily have settled for a draw and, when
they are this vulnerable, then teams with title ambitions must kill them
off.
It is the one hope they have of stopping the Ibrox juggernaut.
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article