John Souttar reckons dealing with wild weather and problem pitches is what the Scottish Cup is all about.
But the Rangers defender admits the name of the game now for his team is to make sure they avoid a Premiership slip-up at Easter Road. Philippe Clement’s side had to overcome not only Dumbarton but also the effects of Storm Isha as well as the Rock’s ropey park as they booked their place in the fifth round on Saturday night. It was no match for the faint hearted, with Stephen Farrell’s League Two part-timers looking to use their spongy surface as a leveller.
Gers were made to work for it but they got the job done in the end as first-half goals from John Lundstram and Cyriel Dessers were followed up after the break by a James Tavernier penalty plus a Scott Wright strike on the wingers’ 100th appearance for the Light Blues. But there’s an even more daunting mission coming up in Leith on Wednesday night as the Ibrox side head east to face Hibs. The match will see Clement’s side fulfil the first of two games in hand on table-toppers Celtic and a win will slash the Hoops’ advantage back to just five points.
But with defensive stalwart Connor Goldson suspended, Gers’ Belgian boss will have to rejig his centre-back pairing. It looks like Souttar will start alongside Leon Balgoun against Nick Montgomery’s team and the Scotland stopper knows he has to hit the heights of the man he’s filling in for if Rangers are to avoid being bogged down in the capital.
“Every game we’ve got to be at it,” said Souttar. “It’s all about taking one game at a time and everybody has to perform to their best, no matter who is playing. But we know that and I’m looking forward to the opportunity.
“I feel good. The gaffer has obviously been rotating me, Balo and Ben Davies. Connor has come out for a couple of games too. It’s just about making sure that when you are in, you take that opportunity. With the amount of fixtures we have coming up, we know everybody is going to get game time. For me, it’s about staying fit, staying healthy and when I’m playing, making sure I’m on it.”
Rangers have their eyes on further spoils having already lifted the Viaplay Cup this term. But Souttar knows there’s also a huge prize up for grabs if he can fight his way into Steve Clarke’s plans for this summer’s European Championships in Germany.
Having missed out on Euro 2020 due to injury, it’s an opportunity the Ibrox ace is determined to take. He said: “Absolutely. I’m feeling good at the moment. I’m feeling fit.
“I’ve gone quite a long spell without feeling anything so what happens in the end this summer will take care of itself. But I know if I’m playing well for Rangers and staying fit I’ll give myself a good chance. For the moment, though, all my concentration is here.”
Clement’s men made sure they didn’t take their eye off the ball as they rolled past Dumbarton at the Rock. The stormy conditions combined with the Sons’ shocking pitch to make the fourth-round tie a potential hazard but Rangers side-stepped any trouble with a 4-1 win – and Souttar loved every minute of the wind-battered clash.
He said: “It’s about getting through these games, trying to be as professional as possible and do things the right way. That’s what we tried to do but obviously it was difficult conditions.
“We’ve all played on these pitches before, though. This is what Scottish football is all about. I enjoyed it!
“I grew up playing on pitches like that. Everyone has who has come through the ranks. You play on different fields and parks and they are all like that.
“Obviously I haven’t played on like that for a few years but this is what the cup is all about and I really enjoyed it. We’ve got one cup in the bag but these are the games you need to win if you want more. You need to be professional and everybody has to be on it.
“I think we started well and in the first 15 minutes we had three or four big chances. But in the end we got the job done and that’s all that matters.”
There’s been mixed news on the fitness front for Clement. Saturday’s victory saw Nico Raskin register his first start since damaging ankle ligaments against Hearts at the tail end of October. Substitutes Ryan Jack, Tom Lawrence and Borna Barisic also returned after recent lay-offs.
But those positive developments were soured by the news from the Ivory Coast, where Senegal ace Abdallah Sima has suffered a thigh injury on AFCON duty that may end up ruling him out for a considerable period.
But Souttar said: “We’ve got a good squad. There are numerous players who can do a job and all over the pitch we’ve got competition for places. If one person drops out for whatever reason, we know there’s somebody behind them that can fill their spot. That will only make you hungrier.
“We’ve got a lot of games coming up. We’ve just come through a spell over the festive period where we had so many games too. It’s natural that you pick up injuries during those kind of hectic runs with boys have to play as many minutes as they have. So everybody is going to be needed again with this next busy period approaching.
“The manager has already said that so getting guys like Borna, Ryan and Tom back is massive for us, not just off the pitch but on it too. These lads are all experienced campaigners. The gaffer has made it clear it’s one game at a time and these boys will help us build that momentum again.”
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