Rangers ‘still very good team’ – Robbie Neilson
Hearts manager Robbie Neilson believes Rangers are still a “very good team” ahead of their showdown on Saturday afternoon (02 October).
Both teams will face off on matchday eight of the Scottish Premiership at Tynecastle Park, with the Bears looking for a better period of form.
Talking before the fixture as quoted by the Daily Record, the 42-year-old was of the opinion that every team goes through a rough patch but Gers have enough quality in their ranks.
“Like any team, you go up and down throughout the season,” he said. “If you had said to me at the start of the season, when they [Rangers] played pre-season games against Union, they were flying and scoring goals and doing really well.
“Then you go through a wee dip and you go back up again. They’re still a very, very good team with a lot of good players. A couple of boys are out with injuries, similar to ourselves.
“You go through a wee period where you need to wait for them to come back. Once they get all of them back, I think they will be strong again.”
Bounce back
Rangers came into this season with a lot of ambition after playing in the final of the UEFA Europa League last year where they narrowly suffered a defeat against Eintracht Frankfurt.
That run gave the Gers a chance to play in the qualification round of the Champions League where they ended up securing their place in the group stage for the first time in more than a decade.
However, three back-to-back defeats gave the side a reality check where they were found wanting against the big boys.
Therefore, it is now pivotal for the side to find their form again, at least in the domestic competition where their next test is up against Hearts on Saturday.
Looking at the overall record of Rangers against Hearts would give manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst and fans a lot of optimism as the side won 40 times in 60 meetings with just nine defeats in the process [Transfermarkt].
In other Rangers news, this Light Blues player has not yet played this season but could be out until 2023 after his father shared an update on his condition.