The match saw Rangers end a five-match winless run at Ibrox, the home side running out comprehensive 4-0 winners against Aberdeen on Saturday. The match marked a significant milestone for interim manager Barry Ferguson, who achieved his first win at home after six attempts since taking over the managerial role in February. The win brought relief to the Rangers faithful and reinforced the team’s resolve as they approach the end of the season.
The match went according to script, with a masterful home-team effort. They hadn’t savored a success at Ibrox since their defeat of County Down on February 2. In addition to this grand victory in the standings, the Rangers restored their much-needed confidence. At the same time, Aberdeen suffered another blow, staying three points adrift of third-placed Hibernian with just two fixtures remaining this season.
A New Era for Rangers
Barry Ferguson took over as interim manager of Rangers in February. His tenure in the role has been marked by turbulence as he seeks to bring some much-needed consistency. After a string of dismal displays, the team’s showings against Aberdeen served to encapsulate the promise on display under Ferguson’s management.
Ferguson was pleased with the quality of preparation shown by his players before the game.
“They can be a good team. As I said, going back to the game last Sunday, their commitment and attitude has always been really good for me. I can never label that against them.” – Barry Ferguson
The Rangers’ attacking prowess was on full display against Aberdeen, illustrating Ferguson’s influence on the squad. The home crowd would be treated to a team finally inspired to move on from their most recent failures.
Clinical Finishing Secures Victory
The scoring opened in the 55th minute when Vaclav Cerny found the back of the net, thanks to an expertly threaded ball through the centre of Aberdeen’s defense by Nicolas Raskin. Cerny’s goal turned the tide for the Rangers and sparked the beginning of a powerful second half.
Only five minutes later, Cyriel Dessers made it 2-0 Rangers and put the Scottish side firmly in charge of the tie. Then, as the clock crept inside 70 minutes, Hamza Igamane cut in sharply and placed a perfectly placed shot. His audacious attempt had Aberdeen’s defenders backpedaling in a futile bid to catch up. In stoppage time, Jefte capped things off with a spectacular last goal. This did bring the final score to 4-0, but still earned Rangers a dominant win.
Aberdeen’s Dimitar Mitov had an incredible game and made it a lot closer than it should’ve been. He made several crucial saves that prevented an even larger defeat, showcasing his skills amidst a challenging game for his team.
Aberdeen Facing Challenges
On the other side of the pitch, Aberdeen was not what many assumed. Head coach Jimmy Thelin exemplified his team’s lack of chemistry in the match in laying down the gauntlet. His glimpse into the locker room showed their annoyance at their joint effort after Cerny’s opening strike.
“We had a long talk inside the dressing room after the game and I think performance-wise after the first goal, it’s like we’re not a collective team anymore, we play as individuals and it was way too easy to arrive to our goal with just a few passes.” – Jimmy Thelin
Aberdeen at the moment finds themselves in a bit of a slippery position, one spot behind Hibernian in the battle for third in the Scottish Premiership. With just two matches left in their season, they’ll need to bounce back fast to propel themselves into the postseason.
Aberdeen have literally stamped their ticket to the Scottish Cup final. They’ll need to look better in league play than they have so far if they’re going to close the season out on a high note.
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