MARTYN Waghorn pours scorn on the theory that Rangers suffered a collective loss of nerve during Sunday's Old Firm match. Pedro Caixinha admitted in the aftermath of that 2-0 defeat that assistant Helder Baptista had been so concerned about how tense his players were before kick-off that he altered his pre-match team talk. Whatever he said, it didn't work, as the Ibrox side's players, save for the wrong-headed lunges of Andy Halliday, produced a strangely subdued first half display and didn't start playing until the match was nearly done. Waghorn denies the charge that he and his team-mates are mentally brittle and feels they have the character to atone from last week.

“I wouldn’t say we were on edge," said Waghorn. "It was just the importance of the game. Everyone wants to get through to a final and we knew the stakes. The build-up was also about stopping the treble. Playing for Rangers, you know how important these games are. It was just one of those days when it got away from us a bit.

“I don’t think it was about our mentality or down to being tense," he added. "It was just the way we started the game. We didn’t get in amongst them as quickly as we should have. We had young Myles [Beerman] and David [Bates] in the side, while I missed last year’s semi-final. So it was a big learning curve for a lot of us. You have to deal with it and accept it wasn’t good enough. Then you build on it and use any positives to move forward."

Another explanation is that the manager's tactics got lost in translation somewhere down the line. But the Englishman is having none of that either. “No - we had a way we were set up and it was to force the low block and press them in certain areas," he said. "We probably gave away some areas which they exploited. The better teams will do that, while you get away with it against other opposition. In the second half, when we applied some pressure and got in amongst them, we did get in behind them and get a couple of opportunities."

Waghorn would be forgiven if he is feeling that footballing fate owes him one this afternoon. Missing out on last year's Scottish Cup semi-final victory and spurning a few glorious openings in the last few fixtures - he was clean through twice on Craig Gordon at Celtic Park last month, and headed wildly from a James Tavernier cross on Sunday - means that he has yet to either win or score against his city rivals. At Hampden last week, he found himself mocked mercilessly on social media for being unable to keep a through pass in play.

"I feel I could have done a bit more in terms of finishing and I am always looking to improve my game in front of goal," he said. "In general in these games you do need a bit of rub of the green but I can do a lot better. But you make your own luck, you make your own chances and it is all down to us and how we approach the game and set the tone. It is important they feel our game is coming to them and we don’t let them dictate the play."

The other big story at Ibrox this week related to the club's pre-season plans, and the suspicion that certain players and staff members were none too happy about being asked to return on June 1. While Caixinha is adamant that everything is still at the planning stage, Waghorn feels it is a non-story. He is simply enthused by a shot at European football.

"There has been a lot made of that but it is dictated when you are back for European qualification," he said. "It is a quick turnaround but you just need to get your feet up and rest and get your head around it. It will be tough but you are here to play football and the chance to play in Europe, for me, is very exciting. If we can get in, then something has to give and if that is a holiday then fair enough, it happens."

Also still around for the challenge, it appears increasingly likely, will be Kenny Miller, who is in negotiations over a new contract. Waghorn feels that the veteran striker is fulfilling a vital bridging role between different eras as Ibrox and thinks that keeping him is "vital".

"He has shown in the last few weeks what he offers with his experience," said Waghorn. "He is the bridge between the coaching staff and the players and his experience is there for everyone to see. Whatever happens, happens. It is one of these things that is between him and the club. But it is important that you have these experienced players to help the younger players coming through and the new people coming in.

"He prepares the same [for Old Firm day] as any other game," he added. "He is a calming influence, he has been there, done that and played in the games. You can see he doesn’t get too fazed, he just takes it as it is. It is important that the younger boys or players like myself learn from it."