Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The National (Scotland)
The National (Scotland)
Sport
Ewan Paton

Rangers 'shock' factor after Killie loss detailed by Andy Halliday

The reaction to Rangers' 1-0 defeat at Kilmarnock will "shock" Michael Beale's new players.

That's the viewpoint of Andy Halliday.

The former Ibrox midfielder reckons the likes of Danilo, Cyriel Dessers, Sam Lammers and Kieran Dowell will be well aware of what it means to play for the club now after the weekend's action.

Brad Lyons' goal midway through the second half was enough for Derek McInnes' new-look Killie to run out winners in Ayrshire.

Like Rangers, the Rugby Park outfit have signed upwards of nine new players this summer. 

It was a poor display from the Light Blues though, with Beale's men lacking in tempo and ideas the further the game wore on.

Rangers now face a Champions League tie against Servette on Wednesday night. 

And Halliday believes the opening day Premiership defeat will act as a wake-up call to some of the players.

He said on Clyde Superscoreboard: "I think it's the reaction that will shock them. They might have been at clubs previously where a point away from home was not a bad result.

"Rangers and Celtic, three points is mandatory every week, it's something that has got to happen.

"I think what they also have to realise is Rangers fans are used to seeing a deficit behind Celtic for the best part of a decade. With a lot of hype going into the season, to already have a three-point deficit after the first game, there's going to be a lot of pressure that comes with that.

"They might not get it straight away, but something will happen where they will realise.

"Whether that be getting stopped 30 times walking down the road to Waitrose or losing on the opening day of the season and seeing the reaction from the crowd."

The Insider newsletter is the latest move by the team at the Rangers Review to bring content directly to you. We already have accounts on Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, Tik Tok and Instagram but we will also send exclusive bespoke opinion pieces every day at 5pm direct to your email. Not only will you receive this piece from one of our team of Joshua Barrie, Derek Clark or Jonny McFarlane but you will also get our list of the best content published in the last 24 hours. It's a handy way to keep abreast of what's going on amid all the noise surrounding Scotland's most successful club. You can sign up in five seconds with just an email address here.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.