Arthur Numan believes the Dons want to beat the Ibrox side more than any other team and will be even more determined after their thrashing at the hands of Celtic.
Rangers veteran Arthur Numan has urged his former club to be wary of an Aberdeen backlash following the Dons’ thrashing at Parkhead.
Last time out, Barry Robson’s team were humbled 6-0 at Celtic Park by Brendan Rodgers’ ruthless Hoops. But Numan believes the Aberdeen fans will expect a considerably greater fight from their club when Philippe Clement visits the Granite City for the first time this weekend.
The Dutchman said: “Rangers should be ready for a backlash from Aberdeen on Sunday. Barry Robson and his players will be hurting and should feel embarrassed after losing 6-0 to Celtic before the international break. But Philippe Clement will make sure that his team can cope with anything that the home side throws at them. Going to Pittodrie is never easy, and I feel that the Aberdeen supporters try their best to make it as intimidating as possible.
“Their fans want to see their team beat us more than any other side, and I include Celtic in that. However, that shouldn’t matter to us. We should take care of ourselves and make sure we give everything to head back down the road with the three points in the bag. Philippe has the team in a good place and heading in the right direction.
“Sure, the last time we met them was at Ibrox and they defeated us 3-1. It turned out to be Michael Beale’s last game in charge. Clearly, we were well below the standards required that afternoon, but the warning signs had been there in different games in the previous six weeks. We are now on an upward trajectory but there is still a lot of hard work to be done and a long road ahead.”
Clement could barely have made a better start, with six wins and a draw so far. But he can really cement his burgeoning status with the Light Blues support if he leads Gers to Viaplay Cup glory when they square off against the Dons again next month at Hampden.
But ahead of this weekend’s dress rehearsal, Numan said: “I fully expect us to lift the trophy – but I don’t think what happens on Sunday will have any impact as to what happens at Hampden Park on December 17.
“We should be beating Aberdeen and it’s up to the players to deliver. They need to target the three points and do what is necessary to get the job done.”
Rangers now face a hectic schedule that will see them play 12 games across three competitions before the New Year shut-down. And Numan reckons it’s a spell that will go a long way to defining his old side’s trophy prospects this term.
Writing in his 5Stars column, he said: “Philippe and the players will be itching to get out there and get the action underway. For those not away on international duty, the manager would have had a chance to work closely with a number of players. They should reap the benefits of that and show their desire to bring success to this football club.
“We are now entering a busy, and crucial, period between now and the winter break. There are massive domestic and Europa League games coming up. This is the time for the players to show that they are good enough and capable of delivering on a regular basis.”
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