Rangers

Rangers narrowed the gap to Celtic at the Scottish Premiership summit to one point as Kevin Kelsy's double helped them to an emphatic victory over St Johnstone.

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Rangers manager Derek McInnes tells BBC Scotland: "The conditions were tough. The pitch held up brilliantly.

"First half we were very good. The only frustration was we took too long to get the first goal and we should be more than a goal to the good at half-time.

"We didn't want to let that frustration get the better of us. St Johnstone changed their approach, played forward quicker and we looked a bit slow to get going.

"The scoreline was just about right because of chances created. It's a learning curve for us. It's hard to maintain levels, but the first half was as good as we've been for a while.

"We're in good form, we're slowly but surely chalking up wins. You go to any game expecting to get a result. We know it will be tough [at Tynecastle] but we want to make it tough for them as well."

Rangers are considering a January move for Djurgarden winger Oskar Fallenius, whose contract expires at the end of December. (TeamTalk), external

Scotland, Northern Ireland and South Africa all want Rangers' 15-year-old winger Michael Ihmig to commit his international future to their respective national teams. (Football Insider), external

Read the rest of Saturday's Scottish gossip.

David Currie
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Rangers manager Derek McInnes says he still uses notes from his first managerial job at St Johnstone almost two decades ago as he prepares to face the Perth side this weekend.

McInnes was an experienced and well-travelled midfielder at McDiarmid Park when he took the managerial reins in 2007 following Owen Coyle's exit to Burnley.

"I enjoyed my time there, they were good to me," said the 55-year-old.

"I still look at my notes from those days and the fundamentals of being a manager and the core values are the same in terms of what my team needs to look like. The rules and conditions about how the club works on and off the field.

"A lot of things tactically I think I want us to be. Sometimes just a wee check, looking back. There's a notepad I keep that I just add to every now and then.

"Just wee things that keeps me reminded about what's important. Because sometimes you just need that wee reminder.

"Sometimes you've got to evolve and change and players are different now.

"The circumstances are different in terms of the fallout when you lose a game. Everything's magnified now and everybody's got a comment to make. Whereas back then, it was just really about working closely with the players."

McInnes remembers exactly where he was - approaching the Broxden Roundabout just outside Perth - in autumn 2007 when he heard on the radio St Johnstone would be announcing their new manager the following morning.

What McInnes didn't know was that he was the new manager being referred to.

"The chairman hadn't even asked me!" he recalled. "And I did what I was told, to be honest, by (chairman) Geoff Brown.

"It was a shock and a pleasant surprise when he said to me he'd watched me and liked how I commanded respect, how I dealt with players and had contacts in the game and that he thought I was ready for it.

"So it wasn't a job I'd applied for or expected."

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Derek McInnes has half a dozen players - including Tuur Rommens and another key man - dealing with a sickness bug which has affected the squad.

Ross McCrorie, Cammy Devlin, Lawrence Shankland (all hamstring), Youssef Chermiti (knee) and Daisuke Yokota (groin) are still out.

St Johnstone are missing Sam Stanton, who has sustained an ankle injury.

David Currie
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Rangers manager has been speaking to the media before Saturday's visit of St Johnstone (15:00 BST) in the Premiership.

Here are the main lines:

• Half a dozen Rangers players, including a couple of regular starters, have been affected by a bug.

• McInnes says: "Even last night I got a call from the doctor about a key player as well. We're trying to minimise that and work towards tactically being the best we can coming into the game on Saturday and bringing a good performance."

• McInnes had arranged a bounce match against Dundee in midweek with one of the reasons being to get Tuur Rommens game time, but the full-back was unable to play because of the bug.

• McInnes hopes Nicolas Raskin, who is under contract until summer 2028, stays for the rest of the season and feels it would take a "head-turning" offer to make a January exit possible.

• McInnes admitted he expected Raskin to depart in the summer and says: "But I'm glad he's here, to be honest. And I think that he, like a few others since the window closed, there's just that clarity of the situation where he just focuses on training, performing and improving."

• The bounce game was important for giving fringe players minutes as Rangers face a "really important" three-game week culminating in the League Cup semi-final against Aberdeen. "It's important for me that I don't just throw people in who have not had 11 v 11 game time and they could be a bit undercooked, we try and give them every chance," says McInnes.

• McInnes is pleased with Rangers' strength in depth on the wings: "We've got four really good wide players. Wee Ross McCausland can't get in as well, but we've got Findlay Curtis, Kim Min-Su, Djeidi Gassama and Badredine Bouanani. All four can give us something from those wider areas. I think that whether it's crosses and assists, whether it's getting us up the pitch or whether it's goals, that contribution is vitally important."

• St Johnstone have a "good manager" in Simo Valakari and McInnes believes there is a "feelgood factor" at his former club after their solid start to life back in the top flight.

• He adds: "They'll be a tough nut to crack. I think they'll come here very confident with what they're doing. They'll try and play their natural game. It's up to us to make it a difficult game for them, but we expect a tough match."

Rangers left-back James Penrice urges his team-mates to prove doubters wrong and show they have the mentality to succeed. (Record - subscription required, external)

Friday's Scottish gossip

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Simo Valakari has no plans to shelve his attacking outlook at Ibrox as St Johnstone bid to prevent Rangers getting their title bid back on track.

The Ibrox side's seven-game winning run was ended by a 2-2 draw at Dundee last week that allowed Celtic to open up a four-point gap at the summit.

Fifth-place Saints have lost just one of their past six matches before the trip to Govan.

"We need to play our way of football because when you go to these tough places, there is no point trying to be something different, trying to be something you are not, or you have not been in training," boss Valakari said.

"Yes, we know there will be moments when they will push us into a low block, when we need to execute our defending actions at a very high level.

"But then the ball is a power and it gives you the front-foot thinking when you can have the ball. And especially in places like this, you need to be able to have the ball. And that's the challenge for us, what we can do then with the ball.

"It's easy to say, 'go and play, have no fear'. But when there are 50,000 people on you and you're a little bit out of breath, the pressure will come. But in those moments, we should remember to breathe and show our composure because we are good footballers.

"Of course, it would be massive if we can win. But we can't just go and hope. We need to go there and make things happen. And that's what we are aiming to do."

Valakari wants his side to make life as uncomfortable for the hosts in front of an expectant Ibrox crowd.

"Rangers may not be the happiest after their last result on the road," he said.

"Now they go back home and will really want to show what they can do in front of their own fans. I believe they would like to score a lot of goals and show their domination.

"But it's all about us and now we need to compete at a very good level. We need to go there and not let them breathe easily. We need to make them work for everything.

"Our aim is to ask the questions of them and make them a little bit uncomfortable with what's happening on the field."

• Rangers have spent 50.8% of their game time drawing in the Scottish Premiership this season, the highest proportion of any side. They drew 2-2 with Dundee last time out, ending their six-game league winning run.

• Only Claudio Braga has had more shots (36) in the league this season than Djeidi Gassama (33), while only Benjamin Nygren has created more chances (25) than Gassama (19).

• Rangers have won their past nine meetings with St Johnstone in all competitions by an aggregate score of 18-1 since a 2-1 league defeat in November 2022.

• St Johnstone are winless in 12 away games against Rangers in all competitions (D2 L10) since a 3-1 win in December 2017.

• St Johnstone have only lost one of their past six league games (W2 D3), avoiding defeat in their latest two away trips (W1 D1).

Real Betis continue to monitor Rangers midfielder Nico Raskin as the January transfer window approaches but the Ibrox club have no intention of letting the Belgium 25-year-old international go easily. (TeamTalk, external)

Former Scotland forward Don Hutchison regrets not joining Rangers when he had the chance upon leaving Sunderland in 2001 and wonders if Bologna and Scotland midfielder Lewis Ferguson, 27, might do likewise. (National - subscription required, external)

Thursday's Scottish gossip

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Kevin Thomson has told Rangers they must stop handing Celtic any more free-hit Sundays if they are to reel in their city rivals in at the top of the Premiership.

Rangers have no European commitments this term, while Celtic have at least six more Europa League matches to negotiate, starting with Thursday's visit of Celta Vigo.

Derek McInnes' side will play their weekend matches before Celtic more often than not over the next couple of months, but they blew the chance to turn up the pressure last Saturday with a 2-2 draw at Dundee before Martin O'Neill's men hammered Hearts 7-1.

This weekend, Rangers have the opportunity to move within a point when they host St Johnstone on Saturday before Celtic travel to Hibernian on Sunday.

"The bit I think that favours Rangers, or it should, and there can't be any excuses from a blue perspective, is they've not got Europe," former Rangers midfielder Thomson said on The Breakdown podcast.

"The likelihood is they're going to play in front of Celtic week after week. It'll not happen every week, obviously. But it's that psychological aspect of being able to win on the Saturday.

"It's St Johnstone at Ibrox on Saturday and if Celtic were to potentially have a hard European game (against Vigo) and then they have to go to Easter Road on Sunday. They could still go to Easter Road and win, but I think that's the exciting part about this title race."

Thomson, in a discussion with former Celtic player Charlie Mulgrew about a combined current Old Firm XI, added: "I still think you would pick more Rangers players (than Celtic) in a starting 11 now."

Alasdair Lamont
BBC Sport Scotland Commentator

Rangers paid the price at the weekend for failing to turn up for the full 90 minutes - a malaise that has plagued them for seasons.

It is difficult to be too critical of a side that had won their previous six matches, but the warning signs were there with the second-half performance against Kilmarnock the previous Saturday.

That carried over to Dens and they were fortunate to be level at half-time, though Derek McInnes may feel the second-half uptick should have been sufficient to claim all three points.

Despite the recent good run, Rangers are clearly still a work in progress and the cheap goals they conceded against Dundee must be cut out if they are to wrench the Premiership title from Celtic's grasp.

Supporters might wonder why a squad, which had so much money spent on it over the summer, is not being used more expansively, particularly with the team searching for a winner on Saturday.

Only Kevin Kelsy and Findlay Curtis were thrown on late in the game, with Bojan Miovski - who got the last-gasp winner against St Mirren - and Vanja Dragojevic, who hasn't featured in the league since the defeat by Hibs, among those left kicking their heels on the bench.

A first start and first goal - as well as an all-round good performance - from Badredine Bouanani augurs well though as Rangers look to start another winning run against St Johnstone at Ibrox on Saturday.

Rangers midfielder Tochi Chukwuani is ready to consider a move away from Ibrox in January should the 23-year-old's game time fail to improve. (Football Insider, external)

Rangers have been told not to panic over Connor Barron's Middlesbrough loan nightmare as Boro manager Kim Hellberg insists the "exceptional" midfielder's chance will come. (The National, external)

Dundee added to their 2-2 draw with Rangers on Saturday with a 2-1 win over the Ibrox side in a second-string bounce game at the Auchenhowie training ground in Glasgow. (Daily Record, external)

Read Wednesday's gossip column in full.

Jamie Currie
Fan writer

It's almost as if Derek McInnes overthought his Rangers approach at Dens Park.

Every game is different of course, but I don't know how you can be so bold and brave against Celtic then go to Dundee and be so conservative.

It was such a frustrating performance. And why the manager changed from the 4-4-2 to a 4-2-3-1 against a team that play 4-4-2 puzzled me.

Also, having Ryan Naderi as the lone frontman didn't work and I doubt it ever will - it's not his game.

The substitutions were so strange. Kim Min-su and Badredine Bouanani - who had opened his account for the club with the equaliser - were the catalysts to Rangers playing well in the early part of the second half and the manager replaced them.

The first half was a real struggle, a continuation of the second-half performance against Kilmarnock.

After the break we were much more fluid, got the lead through a brilliant Nico Raskin strike, then just stopped doing what we were doing.

Instead of playing forward with tempo, we lapsed back into having too many touches in our own half and not sensing danger. An error from Dan Neil and we ended up with one point instead of three.

All we can do now is focus on St Johnstone and try and get back to winning ways.

We're a bit too up and down performance-wise and need to be more consistent with that going forward.

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Scotland right-back Nathan Patterson admits he "lost" himself in recent years amid injuries and lack of game time.

Patterson, 25, joined Torino last month after more than three years at Everton. He had moved south from first club Rangers in 2022.

"To be honest, just to get back to enjoying football," Patterson told BBC Alba when asked about his ambitions in Serie A.

"I've kind of lost myself a little bit over the past few years.

"I had a few bad injuries and at the end of it, I was struggling to get minutes. So, in the back of my mind, I was looking to try and explore a new challenge and obviously this, Torino came up and I couldn't really knock it back."

Patterson joined international team-mate Che Adams in Turin and the forward scored in Monday's 3-0 win over Parma.

"It would have been a little bit more difficult if he wasn't here," Patterson said of Adams.

"He's obviously given me that one step ahead and it's been a huge boost to have a familiar face and just have someone to lean on. It's been brilliant and he's been great. He's a top player as well and he's massive for this club."

Former Rangers striker Kris Boyd says manager Derek McInnes faces a big call on whether to restore forward Kevin Kelsy to his starting line-up on Saturday against St Johnstone. (Scottish Sun), external

Read Tuesday's Scottish football gossip

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Dan Neil will remain a key player for Rangers despite his mistake leading to the side dropping two Premiership points at Dundee, according to goalkeeper Ivor Pandur.

Steven Pressley's side took the lead at Dens Park through striker Bradley Fink but Badredine Bouanani's first goal for the Ibrox club three minutes later and Nico Raskin's magnificent strike turned the game around.

However, Neil fumbled in possession and Dundee midfielder Callum Jones fired past Pandur to earn Steven Pressley's side a deserved draw.

It was a frustrating setback for Rangers after seven straight wins but Pandur was quick to take the blame from the shoulders of Neil, who was captain in the absence of the injured Lawrence Shankland.

"You cannot take anything for granted in football," said the Croatia goalkeeper.

"The reality is Dan Neil is a great guy, an unbelievable player and really important for our team. He'll continue to be important for us. It can happen to everybody and it does.

"For us, it's about not getting into that position where one mistake really costs us the game. We could have been more in front and had an easier ending.

"Mistakes will happen in football. It's a game of beautiful moments and of mistakes. One day it's one player, another day it's the other.

"But we're not a team who points fingers. We created a lot and should have scored more. But it's not about individuals here.

"If we want to be a title-winning team we need to act and behave in that certain way. We're on the right path but it was a frustrating game for us.

"It's not a nice feeling, especially coming from a winning run and we're not happy about it. But we're in this together and we'll have these moments in the season."

Andrew Cavenagh could follow up the sale of his company with a huge new investment in Rangers' finances, according to former Aberdeen chief executive Keith Wyness. (Football Insider)

Rangers fear Olwethu Makhanya could have his head turned by growing interest from a number of Premier League clubs. (Football Insider)

Read the rest of Monday's gossip.

Watch all the highlights as Dundee came from behind to hold Rangers to a 2-2 draw at Dens Park in the Scottish Premiership and prevent Derek McInnes' side from moving top of the table. Available to UK users only.