Graeme Shinnie sends Aberdeen message ahead of Rangers showdown
Graeme Shinnie has insisted that Aberdeen will “be ready” to bounce back to form when they face Rangers after the international break.
Philippe Clement’s side travel to Aberdeen after the November international break looking to build upon their unbeaten start under the Belgian, but Barry Robson’s side come into the clash on the back of a heavy 6-0 defeat to Celtic.
Aberdeen captain Shinnie has suggested that mental fatigue and the combination of five away games on the spin impacted the clash against the Hoops and has vowed that his side will be ready to bounce back when they face Rangers.
As quoted by the Glasgow Times (13 November) he said: “We were not at the races at Parkhead and it wasn’t acceptable. Of course, we are not going to get away from the fact it has been a gruelling schedule. We’ve had five away games in a row, there’s no getting away from that. But it’s no excuse for that performance.
“If anything, you can maybe tire towards the end, but we looked tired from the start. You can’t blame that on fatigue. Potentially, there is mental fatigue. But, again, we ain’t going to use that as an excuse.
“This is where we want to be. In European competitions and in cup finals, fighting to get into cup finals.
“Celtic was a sore one to take. We’ll use the international break now to have a bit of rest, spend a bit of time with family, recharge the batteries and come back and be ready to go again against Rangers.”
Keep going
The clash with Aberdeen feels a long way away at the moment, but Rangers will already be looking ahead to the match with the intent of continuing their excellent start to life under the management of Clement.
Celtic’s demolition sets the standard for Rangers heading into the game as the Light Blues will want to show that they are as capable of not only beating Aberdeen but demolishing them as Brendan Rodgers’ side did over the weekend.
It wasn’t too long ago that Rangers were beaten by Robson’s side at Ibrox in what was the final match under the management of Michael Beale. That now looks to be one of the most important results of Rangers’ season as it allowed them to bring Clement to Ibrox.
The Belgian has started his time in Scotland superbly and beating the team that got his predecessor sacked would be a huge indicator of just how much he’s already achieved at Ibrox. It won’t be easy however, especially considering how keen Shinnie and the rest of the Aberdeen side are keen to put right their defeat to Celtic.
In other Rangers news, Keith Jackson has said that the VAR decisions in the clash with Livingston “defied belief”