Anxiety over a meeting with Aberdeen just days after a superb European result rather sums up the modern status of Rangers. Thursday’s 3-2 win against Real Betis in Seville was sufficient not only for Philippe Clement’s side to qualify for the knockout stage of the Europa League but to do so as group winners. The list of clubs Rangers outperformed to achieve that feat means high praise is justified. Rangers had never before defeated Spanish opposition in their own nation. This competition has regularly witnessed the best of Rangers. What their city rivals, Celtic, would give for swimming so comfortably in a bigger pond. Rangers have the bonus of being spared further Europa League action until March.
The quirk is that Rangers have found European solace while regularly toiling at home. Their domestic trophy haul – two – in relation to spend over the past decade constitutes an embarrassment. Sunday’s League Cup final clash is therefore hugely significant; not only for Clement, who could claim silverware just two months after his appointment, but in respect of whether or not this team can handle pressure. In Europe, Rangers play with a level of gay abandon that suggests they relish being free from Scottish expectancy. The League Cup was last housed at Ibrox before the financial implosion of 2012. The intervening years have witnessed wilting, with Rangers players routinely paralysed when on the verge of achieving something tangible.
Now comes a key test. Aberdeen’s 3-1 win at Ibrox in late September triggered the end of Michael Beale’s error-strewn tenure. Under Clement, Rangers required a stoppage-time penalty to earn a point at Pittodrie. Celtic are clearly the side Rangers would rather lose no final to but they have scores to settle against the Dons. These clubs have a ferocious rivalry of their own; how Aberdeen would love to extend Rangers’ woes.
When Clement speaks of wanting “bravery” and “winners” within his squad, this feels more than soundbite. Rangers have coaxed a serious manager with a serious mindset. “It is a totally different game,” warned Clement of Aberdeen in comparison with Betis. “We are going to go very hard to win this first trophy but we need to be humble, also.” Clement carries presence and clarity which have resonated with the Rangers squad. No player is particularly minded to deviate from the manager’s plan.
As Clement was completing media duties in Seville, Beale was taking to social media to praise the Rangers display. This was of little surprise given the Englishman landed the role at Ibrox partly on account of public posturing. Yet it was also a reminder that Beale assembled what has been castigated as a poor group of players. He will feel justification that Rangers could top a Europa League section. Clement is stuck in that managerial conundrum of being unsure whether the sharp upturn in fortunes he has overseen – and with multiple injury problems – can be prolonged or if he needs to overhaul Beale’s work. League Cup glory would give Clement breathing space to do precisely as he pleases in the eyes of an understandably content support and a board of directors who desperately need a manager to deflect attention.
In a week when Scotland’s Uefa coefficient was handed a timely boost, Aberdeen had a fantastic result of their own. Eintracht Frankfurt had dismantled Bayern Munich before arriving in the Granite City but Aberdeen, albeit already eliminated, rounded off their Conference League campaign with a 2-0 win. This was a head-scratcher in so many ways. Aberdeen started last weekend second bottom of Scotland’s top flight. They began this one in ninth. Their outfoxing of the German side defied all logic.
Barry Robson can grumble and snipe even when being praised. The Aberdeen manager cuts a permanently embattled figure, which is strange given the platform given to him in this, his first management role. Even the 45-year‑old may find little to complain about should he deliver Aberdeen’s first major trophy since the 2014 League Cup. Crucially, Robson and his players know what it is like to topple Rangers.
Aberdeen’s prospects will be harmed if Bojan Miovski does not recover from a hamstring problem to take his place at Hampden Park. The North Macedonia striker carries a threat that would trouble an unconvincing Rangers central defence. Still, even without Miovski Aberdeen can pull upon this season’s irritating of Rangers. If Clement swats those fears aside, Ibrox hope of a break from the old routine will legitimately rise. This is a final that carries broad meaning.
