The red card continues to be the hot topic of conversation. It was harsh, but if Morelos keeps his cool he is not going to be sent off. Have a swing and get caught by an official and you are cooked. The refs have an assessor to think about it. In such cases, there is no room for the spirit of the game; the laws of the game will always prevail.
45 mins: That’s half-time. Only an extra minute played, which seems stingy considering there has been a red card, a penalty and an injury delay followed by a substitution. As the whistle sounds, Stevie G walks alone, collecting his thoughts for the Churchillian speech he is about to deliver in a high octave to his players.
44 mins: Ball strides forward. McGinn gets a cross in that Allan McGregor has to claw away at the far post. A corner to Aberdeen, McGinn to the centre of the six-yard area. Cosgrove’s header is poor, very poor. Like Aberdeen have been all match.
42 mins: Gary Mackay-Steven, a good player on his day, has been a virtual passenger in this half, which is a measure of the excellence of Rangers’ organisation in defence.
41 mins: As goal gifs go, this is half-hearted at best.
40 mins: Dominic Ball, one of the main protagonists this afternoon, makes a fine tackle on Murphy. Loud cheers from the home fans. They love to see a Ger get clattered.
39 mins: Aberdeen building up a head of steam? They seem to have recovered themselves a little.
37 mins:Aberdeen on the attack. Ferguson looked to be away, but then there is a tangle with Katic and the referee gives the decision the other way.
35 mins: Windass, who has been a pest to Aberdeen, forces another free-kick. Tavernier, who has a decent right peg on him, drills a low ball in, but an offside negates its impact.
34 mins: Interesting choice of colour scheme on the Rangers physio table here.
33 mins:Rangers have the goal they wanted to hold on to. And while they have not been particularly good, they have been solid and efficient.
31 mins: More bad news for Aberdeen. Scott McKenna injured himself during that scramble for the penalty and had to come off. Chris Forrester is his replacement.
James Tavernier, after a long delay, drills his penalty into the corner. Joe Lewis got a hand to it, but it still went in.
Meanwhile, the suggestion is that Ball might have been denying a goalscoring opportunity by not playing the ball but no red card given.
28 mins: Windass is baulked by Dominic Ball as the goal gaped.
27 mins: A fairly half-hearted press going on when Aberdeen have the ball in defence. Both teams are likely to be tired after their midweek exertions and now Rangers have to do so with ten men.
25 mins: Rangers get a chance to launch a set piece into the area from a free-kick. Coulibaly got to it at the back post and Aberdeen could only scramble clear.
23 mins: Rangers struggling for composure in midfield, too. They are launching it long to the likes of Arfield, Murphy and Windass, none of whom are target men.
21 mins: Rangers have so far held pretty firm at the back, as Gerrard said was one of his main aims from this match. Being undermanned in attack was not, though, part of the plan.
Rangers Nikola Katic (right) and Aberdeen’s Graeme Shinne vie for the ball. Photograph: Jeff Holmes/PA
19 mins: Another view of that red card incident suggests Morelos was petulant. He was caught out by the eagle eye of the assistant referee. On the sidelines, Gerrard is channelling his inner Neil Warnock as he barks instructions. This one does not slip etc….
17 mins: Aberdeen’s expected dominance is now in session as Rangers are camped in their own half. For Stevie G, this must bring back memories of playing for England; his team cannot keep the ball.
15 mins: The referee is not popular with the away contingent, to put it in the mildest terms. And as Aberdeen have a corner, a missile is aimed at Niall McGinn. Forget peace and love and summer: football is back.
14 mins: So, then. Aberdeen must be expected to dominate possession while Rangers play on the break. Expect to see that long ball given full use.
13 mins: How’s yer luck, Stevie? Behind his hand, he mutters something to assistant Gary McAllister, and attempts to rejig his attack.
11 mins: Morelos is shown it. Something happened off the ball…now what was it? He aimed a kick at McKenna. It was a loss of temper but didn’t look too vicious. Letter of the law and all that, but very possibly harsh.
9 mins: Jon Flanagan, barely spotted kicking a ball in anger since playing for Liverpool’s run for the 2013-14 Premier League title, is out on the left of defence, as part of the Scouse enclave now based in Govan. He’s looked solid so far.
8 mins: Dominic Ball does well to stop the lively Murphy in his tracks. Better than before from the Dons defender, anyway.
7 mins: Aberdeen take a free-kick short and Devlin gets on the end. He nods over. Again, it’s functional stuff.
6 mins: And the suggestion appears to be that Gerrard has not prevented his team from going long when they fancy it.
5 mins: Aberdeen’s defence is made of four centre halves but opened up like the Red Seas in letting Murphy through. Neither the defending nor the finishing was a decent advert for fitba.
4 mins: Chance for Murphy! Long ball out of defence finds him onside, Ball had played him onside, and his shot is poor. Straight at Lewis in Aberdeen’s goal. Arfield’s follow-up is just as disappointing.
1 min: Jamie Murphy attempts a trick on the flank in an attempt to link with Scott Arfield, but nothing doing. Ryan Jack is roundly booed by the home fans. In the sun, it’s a loud atmosphere.
First, there is a minute’s applause for Neale Cooper, Aberdeen legend and former Rangers player, too, who passed away in June and we are underway.
A minute’s applause for the late Neale Cooper before kick off. Photograph: Jeff Holmes/PA
Stevie, slouching a little as he makes his way to the dugout, claps the travelling hordes in blue. He and his opposite number exchange what doesn’t look the warmest of handshakes. The sight of him as a manager is very strange.
Rangers manager Steven Gerrard in the dugout. Photograph: Jeff Holmes/PA
The pace of football commerce means the Dandy Dons are without most of last season’s attack, with Adam Rooney rather infamously having departed. He didn’t manage to score for Salford City yesterday; the goal in their 1-1 home draw with Leyton Orient was scored by Rory Gaffney, no relation of Dean.
Derek McInnes speaks
I think there are lots of positives but I think it’s a totally different game. It’s not the ideal game after Thursday night’s exertions but it’s a game where the players will be easily lifted and motivated, the adrenaline. It’s going to be a tough challenge, our battles are always with ourselves.
Stevie G speaks.
I am ok. I am excited. It’s not about me, it’s about Rangers. We will have to bring our “A game” and it’s important we do our stuff. We have to get ready for a domestic game. This is one of the toughest games we will face all season. We conceded too many last season. Rangers were a soft touch. It’s important we are brave and strong. It’s important that we get the ball in the right areas. It isn’t about what happened last season: I wasn’t here. We believe we are ready to come to places like this and get results.
Gerrard looked typically determined when he got off the bus at Pittodrie. He’s never been the smiliest, minds. One extra issue to consider here. Derek McInnes is the man Rangers wanted before they turned to Stevie G.
Those line-ups in a more analogue fashion. Aberdeen: Lewis, Ball, Devlin, McKenna, Considine, Shinnie, Gleeson, Ferguson, Mckay-Steven, McGinn, Cosgrove.
Substitutes: Cerny, Forrester, Wright, May, Campbell, Anderson, Harrington.
Richard Williams had his doubts about Gerrard back in May.
As did Ewan Murray.
But the signs from Rangers’ Europa League matches so far have been positive enough, though mind you, they were too for Aberdeen who ran Burnley pretty damned close this week before running out of puff in extra time.
Because we have to mention them at some point, here’s a reminder of what went on yesterday, as Celtic took a firm grip on the title race.
And so it begins for Stevie. A summer of good PR and what looks like decent transfer business will be on the road to being rendered meaningless if Rangers come a cropper at an opponent with which they share a enmity not quite as deep-seated as with those Bhoys in green, but which is often white-hot in its intensity; think the Fergie era at the Dandy Dons and that 2008 post-Manchester defeat that wrecked SPL title hopes. Aberdeen bloody love beating Rangers, and were annoyed not to do so last season while still finishing above them in the table to finish second.
Behind all the bonhomie of pre-season, Gerrard should and almost certainly be under no illusions about the task in hand at Rangers. There may be talking of turning corners, of next pieces in the jigsaw, but make no mistake, any boss that takes on the Light Blues is #goingfor55 or bust. He has leeway for sure, but how much? Lose this one after Celtic beat Livingston on Saturday and the pressure is already on. Lose it heavily, and young Steven might be yearning for those friendly days out at Goodison and Old Trafford. He’s a young manager, he’s still learning, but he’s taken one hell of a job on.
Rangers Football Club (@RangersFC)
