Tuesday, March 19, 2024
SportScottish PremiershipDouble cup-winning former Aberdeen boss Alex Smith: 'I can't recall a poorer...

Double cup-winning former Aberdeen boss Alex Smith: ‘I can’t recall a poorer showing from a Rangers team’

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ALEX Smith has branded Rangers the poorest he has ever seen and insists it is time for Aberdeen to end their 25-year wait for a win at Ibrox.

Smith was Aberdeen manager the last time they were victorious in Govan, in September 1991, and insists current boss Derek McInnes should use the quarter of a century since then as an extra spur this afternoon.

(Pic: Gordon Whyte @geewho59)
(Pic: Gordon Whyte @geewho59)

The veteran, who led the Pittodrie men to a cup double in 1990, said: “Every time this fixture comes up I am reminded I was in charge when the Dons last won there in September 1991.

“It is a remarkable statistic and one which I’m sure Derek will be using to motivate his players for the match.

“I’d be telling the players ‘I don’t know about you, but I’m sick of hearing about this. Let’s get out there, put in a performance and put this to bed once and for all’.”

Aberdeen have already beaten Rangers this season, winning 2-1 at Pittodrie in September.

And Smith reckons the Ibrox outfit’s ‘terrible’ performance in losing 2-0 to Hearts on Wednesday should give the Dons plenty of belief.

In his column in the Press & Journal, the 76-year-old added: “I went to the match and I was stunned by what I saw.

TERRIBLE

“Without taking anything away from an impressive Hearts team, the performance by Mark Warburton’s side was terrible.

“Taking Wednesday’s performance in isolation, I can’t recall a poorer showing from a Rangers team.

“It was the basic things which they just couldn’t get to grips with and the pressing of the Hearts players really knocked them out of their stride.

“The lack of composure was remarkable.

“No two games are the same, though, and I am sure the Rangers manager will demand a response from his side against the Dons.

“But the men from Ibrox are under more pressure to perform than the visitors.”

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