Saturday commences a three game week for Rangers across the next eight days as the next stage of the season beckons.
With the League Cup failure still lingering, there is a need for new momentum to follow in order to push toward a new run of consecutive wins.
The remaining objectives for Rangers have to be to push as far as possible in the Premiership with retention of the Scottish Cup now becoming an essential.
Michael Beale is aware of the expectations with the three games across two competitions ramping things up over the next few days:
“I think it’s really important to show a response and to win. We have three games in a week. It’s a very interesting week. Kilmarnock at home, who are fighting for their lives down there. We know Derek (McInnes) will make it really tough. He has an insight into our club so he knows how our crowd are going to react to the start of this game, and I think they’ll make it difficult. We need to get three points however we get it.”
“We’ll go away to Easter Road where I think Lee’s got them in good form and then we have an important cup game at home.”
React
Beale knows that his team must collect three wins but the midweek trip to Hibs will be a tricky test to overcome.
He is right to demand a response from the players (as well as himself) after the collective disappointment at Hampden and that is as much as they can do just now.
If a trio of victories can be put together in the next week, it will provide an immediate boost which can be further enhanced by finding some consistency in the performance level, as sought by the manager.
An expectant, impatient Ibrox crowd will be ready and waiting for the players to deliver tomorrow, let’s see what the outcome is.