Rangers manager Derek McInnes has challenged his players to harness the power of a capacity Ibrox crowd when they face Glasgow rivals Celtic in the Premier Sports Cup quarter-final on Sunday.
The Old Firm derby will take place exclusively in front of 50,000 home supporters. The absence of away fans is a consequence of crowd trouble that marred the Scottish Cup meeting between the two sides at the same venue earlier this year.
The match presents Rangers with a chance to take a step towards reclaiming the League Cup, a trophy they last lifted three years ago under former manager Philippe Clement, ending a 12 year wait for the silverware.
However, McInnes warned that the partisan atmosphere will only act as an advantage if the team delivers a performance that gives the demanding supporters a reason to get behind them.
"I think we've got to bring the crowd with us," McInnes said. "You're not going to play Celtic and dominate the game for 90 minutes. We'll have spells, they'll have spells, it's just the way it is."
The Rangers boss emphasised the crucial importance of keeping the home faithful engaged during the difficult periods of the match against their historic city rivals.
"I think it's important that we tap into having that 50,000 behind us and behind the players, support them, have their backs, not be on their backs and really make it as tough for Celtic as possible," he added.
Capitalising on opportunities
McInnes acknowledged that his side must improve their finishing after struggling to convert chances in recent Scottish Premiership fixtures against St Mirren and Motherwell.
"We've got our part to play in that and I feel that if we can capitalise on good play and good opportunities, which we didn't do against St Mirren and Motherwell, if we can get ourselves in front, give the crowd something to get behind, then I think the strength of our club can be shown," he said.
The manager believes that combining a strong tactical performance with the sheer weight of the home support could prove decisive in stopping a Celtic side that has dominated Scottish football in recent seasons.
"I think if the 50,000 can be utilised and we can have the strength of performance in the team, it will be difficult to stop," McInnes explained. "We recognise Celtic are a good team who have picked up more trophies than any other club in recent years. We just want to make sure that we give ourselves a chance to be relevant domestically again in terms of winning trophies and Sunday gives us a chance to take a step towards that."
Miovski seizes his chance
Rangers approach the cup quarter-final in a positive frame of mind, having secured a fourth consecutive league victory thanks to a stoppage time winner from Bojan Miovski against St Mirren.
The North Macedonian international forward had barely featured in the opening weeks of the campaign and appeared to be surplus to requirements under McInnes. However, an unexpected injury crisis has propelled him up the attacking pecking order.
With fellow forwards Youssef Chermiti and Lawrence Shankland sidelined by injuries, Miovski is now expected to play a pivotal role alongside Ryan Naderi and Kevin Kelsy in the intense weeks ahead.
"It was a brilliant ending to the game because we have got to be honest and say it didn't look like it was coming," McInnes said of the late victory over St Mirren. "St Mirren were the better team for the last part of the second half and we were struggling to get any sort of momentum to create chances in that period."
The Rangers manager praised the striker for his decisive intervention, which secured three vital points in a tight league contest.
"He comes up with a big moment for us and a lovely finish that separated the teams," McInnes said. "It turns one point into three, which is vitally important for us."
Transfer window uncertainty
Miovski had spent much of the summer transfer window expecting to leave the club in search of regular first team football, but his situation has rapidly changed.
"Yeah, he's feeling good about himself, bounced into the club this morning, but he's always a positive boy anyway," McInnes said. "He's been good as gold since we've been in and when we did come into the club I thought we were fortunate to have someone that has prowess, has experience, has know-how of Scottish football."
McInnes highlighted the forward's strong goals per minute ratio in the Scottish top flight and expressed genuine hope that the experienced player will continue to make a significant impact this season.
"His goals per minute, is really strong in the Scottish Premier League and for a long period through that transfer window he probably thought he would have to go elsewhere to get regular football," McInnes added. "But things change in football and hopefully he can go and have a big impact for us between now and the end of the season."
Souttar edges towards exit
While Miovski looks set to stay and fight for his place in the starting line-up, Scottish defender John Souttar appears to be nearing a permanent exit from Ibrox.
The centre back has been a peripheral figure since McInnes took charge of Rangers during the summer. While the transfer window in Scotland is now officially closed, the Greek window remains open, allowing clubs in that country to complete late signings.
Greek Super League side Aris Thessaloniki are actively preparing an offer for Souttar, and McInnes confirmed that a move away from Glasgow is being discussed.
"I spoke to John this morning," the Rangers manager confirmed. "There's a bit of interest in him from one or two clubs, one club maybe a bit further down the line than the other. But I think it's something that could develop and maybe something will happen over the next two or three days."
