Aberdeen players do want to beat Rangers more than Celtic claims BBC pundit disliked by both sets of fans
Aberdeen players do actually find more motivation to beat Rangers than they do Celtic thanks to the club’s supporters, according to Richard Foster.
The BBC Sport pundit told Mail Plus (24 November) that the rivalry between the Dons and the Gers is “massive”, particularly from the Pittodrie side, with the fans’ strength of feeling about beating the Light Blues above anyone else filtering into the dressing room.
And with the former defender having played for both clubs, and he claims has come away disliked by each set of fans as a result, he appears to be in a good place to judge ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides on Sunday (26 November), and the first with Philippe Clement in charge.
Foster said: “The Aberdeen fans don’t like me because I went to Rangers. Rangers fans don’t like me because the second time I went there I wasn’t very good…
“Everyone always said that Aberdeen always lift their game against Rangers. You go, well, look at the fans.
“It’s just all the things that go with it. The fact Aberdeen were so successful in the 80s, obviously the tackle between Neil Simpson and Ian Durrant.
“If you were to go, okay – what would you, the team and the fans rather? Beating Celtic or Rangers at Pittodrie? Most of them would choose beating Rangers. That filtered into the squad as well.
“Football fans love a rivalry. They like to cling onto it.”
Unsurprising
The claim that the Dons go harder against the Gers than they do in other games has drawn condemnation from pundits not connected to Ibrox, particularly after Kris Boyd blasted Barry Robson’s side for getting hammered 6-0 by the Hoops prior to the international break [Daily Record, 12 November].
If the fans see Rangers as their key rivals then it seems a believable claim to make and looks to have now been confirmed by a man who has seen it from both sides.
The fact that Foster gets criticised by both sets of supporters also puts him in a somewhat unique position of having insight into Ibrox and Pittodrie without an obvious allegiance to either.
The proof in this case will come on Sunday after conceding six to one side of the Old Firm divide, including three after 90 minutes, and then facing the other in the next game.
There should be some sort of reaction from any team that gets thrashed but if the Dandies are a side transformed against Clement’s men it will only add to the contested idea.
Whatever Aberdeen come up with though the Gers boss needs to ensure that his players are ready to best it in order to maintain the momentum that the Belgian has so far built up in charge.
In other Rangers news, a “100%” update on a mooted January signing for Clement has emerged.