The batteries weren’t the only thing left feeling drained as Michael Beale’s power Rangers ran flat at Hampden.
Last month’s Scottish Cup semi-final was supposed to offer the Ibrox outfit a fresh zap and set them up for a surge into next season. Instead, they saw the lights go out on their last flickering hopes of avoiding a barren campaign as Ange Postecoglou’s electrifying Celtic side pulled the plug on their trophy hopes.
Nico Raskin admits the pain and frustration of that dispiriting defeat has been rattling around his head ever since the final whistle blew at the national stadium. But Gers’ little bundle of energy reckons his side are recharged and ready to go again next year after finally sparking out their bitter rivals at the seventh attempt. Saturday’s 3-0 win - the Light Blues’ first against their bitter rivals since April last year - showed Beale’s men at their high-voltage best and gave a glimpse of what can happen when Rangers find a little staying power.
There’s no doubt Celtic dropped their own levels at Ibrox too but it’s a performance that has convinced Raskin that his team will be getting wired in about the silverware next year. "The performance is something we can build on for next season,” insisted the Belgian midfield ace. “It's been a long time since we gave the fans a performance like that.
“The atmosphere was crazy. It gave us so much energy. We need them a lot and when we get this energy you can see a big difference for the team and the way we play. In the semi-final, especially in the second half, we were better than them - we just couldn't score goals.
“So now we score goals, it makes a big difference to the team. And when you score one goal, two goals, it gives you trust, more power and more energy.
“We just continued to go. Even in the second half we had some good chances. They didn't create much. We had eight shots on target, they had one. Next season is going to be important for us. I know we have a lot to train on. Pre-season will be hard. We need to be that same team and try to do more and more.
"We have to believe in ourselves. We felt at Celtic Park and in the semi-final that we are not far away - we just had to score some goals. This makes a big difference.”
Raskin’s first three months in Scotland had only provided the former Standard Liege ace with bitter gulps of derby disappointment.
Left out of the starting line-up for February’s Viaplay Cup Final, he was unable to turn the opening showpiece of the season around as Postecoglou's men kicked off their treble charge with a 2-1 win.
Gers were far more competitive in the club’s two head-to-heads last month with their £1.75million January recruit restored to Beale’s engine room. In the end, though, Celtic were still able to fire their way to the brink of another domestic clean sweep as Gers shot themselves in the foot both at Parkhead and Hampden.
But now Raskin has at last sampled his first victorious taste of the Old Firm’s fulsome flavours thanks to goals from Todd Cantwell, John Souttar and Fashion Sakala, he can’t wait to tuck in again. In fact, the 22-year-old already has his eyes on next season and the opening showdown with Ange Postecoglou’s men, a clash Gers hold the the staging rights for.
He said: “We play here first next season so everyone is going to remember what happened here on Saturday. We need to take confidence and make sure we do the same performance.
“Am I excited for next season after this result? Yeah, a lot! We had (the previous derby results) in our heads during the week but when we arrived at Ibrox, it is a new game, a new start, so we were just looking forward to it.
“We knew at home with the fans, the energy, it would be a different game. We knew what to do, the organisation, we had a plan. Stick to the plan and everything can come good. We enjoyed it a lot. The atmosphere was great, the fans were great.
“We scored three goals and kept a clean sheet. We’re all happy and I think we can build on this performance next season. We were at home and we had to give that energy but we also got energy from the fans.
“Everybody was ready from the beginning. We knew if we scored it would be a totally different game.
“The goal from Todd is nice and to score again just before half-time is also nice. Then we scored again in the second half. That was crazy, very good. I’m very happy for Robby. Two games for him and two clean sheets. That’s good for the defence. We knew if we got a clean sheet at home, we’d score goals and we’d win this game.”
Raskin now has three more Gers dates to deal with before he turns his attention to this summer’s European Under-21 Championships. He was last week tipped by former Red Devils boss Roberto Martinez as a future member of the senior Belgian side and Raskin admits that’s another aim for next season.
"I came here to make a step and I think Rangers can help me reach the international team,” he declared. “I think if we continue good performances like Saturday and do something good in Europe, I think this can be good for me too.”
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