Being written off before an Old Firm derby is one thing for a Rangers manager.
But being told you might concede TEN goals against Celtic in a Scottish Cup semi-final? That’s taking underdog status to a whole new level. But Mark Warburton says those were the types of crazy predictions being thrown at him in the build-up to a 2016 Hampden showdown.
Despite being tagged as no-hopers, his Rangers team defied the odds, beating Ronny Deila’s side on penalties after a pulsating 2-2 draw at Hampden. No one could have predicted the outcome. That Celtic side boasted the quality of Craig Gordon, Mikael Lustig, Dedryk Boyata, Kieran Tierney, Scott Brown, Stefan Johansen and Patrick Roberts. Current Parkhead skipper Callum McGregor came off the bench, along with Tom Rogic.
They faced an Ibrox outfit who were in a league below and relying on the likes of Rob Kiernan, Nicky Law, Dominic Ball and Nicky Clark. Even Warburton admits Gers had no right to win the tie – but they proved the doubters wrong.
Before today’s last-four clash repeat, Michael Beale’s chances of beating Ange Postecoglou’s champions-elect have also been widely dismissed. But former gaffer Warburton is having none of that and insists the task facing Rangers this afternoon is nothing compared to what his 2016 squad had to overcome.
In an exclusive MailSport interview, Warburton said: “The big difference is that we were in the Championship, not just a place behind them in the top league.The headlines before the game were about how many goals Celtic would win by. I remember one journalist saying that it could be double figures and that type of nonsense. It was a motivation for the players.
“I don’t think anyone gave Rangers a chance at all, outside of our camp. That’s my lasting memory of the build-up. We knew Celtic were a good team but we’d been totally written off. You have to look at the budgets and the squads at the time.
“Celtic were packed with international players. They had Brown, McGregor, Rogic to name a few. All over the pitch, they were a good team and well managed by Deila. Nine times out of 10, Celtic would win that game. We had to be at our very best to win and hope the randomness of the game went our way. But I would never take anything away from our players. We were the better team and deserved our victory.”
Warburton and assistant Davie Weir embraced in the technical area when Rogic skied his penalty in the shoot-out to cement a
memorable Gers victory.
The emotion on the Englishman’s face wasn’t just about the joy of beating his Old Firm rivals. It was a reaction to being angry in the build-up at accusations he didn’t understand what a win over Celtic meant to Rangers fans.
Warburton said: “I had some good friends in Glasgow, people I still speak to now. They made me acutely aware of what that game meant to the blue side of the city.
“We got fantastic support from the fans that day at Hampden, they stuck with us. So to give them that type of result was magnificent. I quickly realised what it meant to the Rangers fan base. That’s where the emotion came from.
“Davie and Jim Stewart have a strong allegiance to the club, they knew where Rangers had been in previous years. As a so-called outsider, I was being told the week before that I didn’t know what it meant. That riled me.
“I knew what the Old Firm was about. But the only way to really understand it was to experience it. That was a fantastic moment in my career and I’ll never forget it.”
Warburton believes the key to his side’s success that day was how calm and composed his players were going into it. Beale’s charges might not be as confident today, especially after losing to Celtic in the League Cup Final and Premiership recently.
But Warburton is convinced Rangers’ current crop can produce a performance at Hampden and book their place in the final on June 3.
He said: “The most pleasing thing was that on the night before our game the boys were so relaxed. No nerves or anxiety.
“James Tavernier was playing in his first Old Firm game and we also had a couple of youngsters on loan. But they were completely unfazed. They couldn’t wait for the game. That was great for me.
“They were excited by the prospect of beating Celtic. Michael’s boys will know what’s at stake. It’s a chance to beat their biggest rival, reach a final and give the supporters a great day out at Hampden.
“I hope they relish that prospect and take it.”
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