Aberdeen’s Ant Stewart made a telling concession indicating that Rangers are firmly on the right track after Saturday’s 4-1 victory for the hosts.
The English central defender saw his team take the lead at Ibrox but it wasn’t enough to seize control of the encounter due to the resolve and determination of Rangers to put down a marker.
There was lots to be positive about in that regard, providing a welcome response to the pressure and unease of recent weeks. Further to that, Stewart stated in his post match comments that the main reason for Aberdeen’s defeat was that they couldn’t match Rangers in a particular area:
“I feel their intensity outdid us on Saturday. I don’t think a goal should have changed our mentality or made us sit back anymore in the game.”
“We should have kept on attacking and kept on getting in their faces. But we are a young squad and we are learning.”
Build
The former Wycombe Wanderers player also bemoaned that his team could only hold on to their lead for six minutes, failing to tap into frustrations from the home crowd but the truth of the matter is that it was what Rangers did that turned the game. There was no slump, no looking around and waiting for someone else to assume responsibility.
Collectively, the team met the challenge head on, taking the game to the opposition and getting their reward.
The intensity that Stewart acknowledged has to be a source of encouragement to Rangers but this can only be the start. Nothing changes on the basis of one game and it only acts as the benchmark for what needs to follow in the coming games.
If such a pattern is maintained through to the World Cup break, then the conversation can start to change.