ABERDEEN supporters will have to go back a fair few years to recall a day as wretched as this one.
Defeat at home to ten-man Rangers is bad enough but the misery of that was compounded by the fear their manager could well be on his way to their most hated club. That saga still has to be played out.
Derek McInnes’s memory failed him when talking about his starting line-up during a television interview but at least he got the name of his team right. It was Aberdeen. For how much longer is now the big question.
Read more: Derek McInnes criticises Rangers for allowing speculation to affect his Aberdeen team
If Rangers make their long-awaited move for McInnes over the next few days then there is a chance, although it’s far from guaranteed, that he will move to Ibrox.
If that does happen, yesterday’s match will not count as a fitting farewell to the North East. Even for such a bonkers fixture, there were more talking points than usual. The biggest moment was a red card for Ryan Jack on his return to Pittodrie, although a few others could have been sent off.
This is far from a vintage Rangers side, but they they lasted 25 minutes with a man down and still won in what could be the last game in charge of Rangers for Graeme Murty, the interim manager. If so, then he deserved his name being chanted at the end.
As for Aberdeen, they have lost twice to a manager-less Rangers over the past five days, were played off their own park by Celtic who beat them six times in the last campaign, got knocked out the League Cup at Motherwell and fell short in Europe.
The job McInnes has done at this club is worthy of credit but whoever is in charge from now on – and it is worth repeating it could still be him – must address their failings in the big games. We had to wait only five minutes for one of those incidents this fixture frequently coughs up.
A long ball over the top of Aberdeen’s defence put Josh Windass though on goal and for a split-second the Rangers man appeared favourite to at least get off a shot, only to be closed down by Joe Lewis who had come off his line.
Read more: Derek McInnes criticises Rangers for allowing speculation to affect his Aberdeen team
Windass took the ball around Lewis but foolishly tried to buy a penalty, which referee Willie Collum wasn’t for selling, and he got booked for an obvious dive. Aberdeen captain Graeme Shinnie was rightly booked for a late tackle on James Tavernier. Collum was a busy man. It was that kind of day.
Shinnie tripped Holt on 14 minutes, it wasn’t worth a second yellow, but it was a definite free-kick and it led to the opener. Declan John sent a cross deep into the Aberdeen box and Danny Wilson found it far too easy to get his head to the ball and direct it past a static Lewis.
So, what were Aberdeen made of? They didn’t turn up at Ibrox last Wednesday and once again they were slow on the ball and in their decision making. On the half hour, Rangers powered their way through Aberdeen’s flimsy midfield, Windass collected the ball just outside the box and his low shot forced Lewis to make a fine save.
The home support had to wait until the last minute of the half to see their team do something, when Greg Stewart delivered a superb free-kick and Andrew Considine beat everyone to it but his header rattled the crossbar.
Rangers were forced into a change at the break, with Wilson replaced by Fabio Cardoso, who came on for his first appearance since breaking his nose in the League Cup semi-final in October. He fitted in seamlessly.
Miller almost made it 2-0 five minutes into the second half when he ran on to a Windass pass and got behind the Aberdeen defence, only to be denied by the outstretched hand of Lewis. Then came the moment which the game had always threatened, when Jack had a rush of blood on 56 minutes.
He will claim the ball was there to be won as it bounced in front of May, which it was, and that he did get there first but the former Aberdeen captain went in with a force which today is frowned upon and caught his opponent on his leg with the follow through.
Read more: Derek McInnes criticises Rangers for allowing speculation to affect his Aberdeen team
It was Jack’s fourth red card of the season, although two have been rescinded. The thing is, he was the best player on the park up until then.
This, then, should have been the start of Aberdeen getting in about Rangers. Instead, they fell further behind. On 63 minutes, the excellent James Tavernier ate up 40 yards with a dribble before slipping a pass to Cardoso. His cross for Windass was inch-perfect and the Englishman buried his finish low past Lewis.
It felt at that moment the game was done. However, Aberdeen were back in it within a couple of minutes. They won a free-kick 25 yards from goal, substitute Frank Ross placed the ball on the turf, sized up the situation and then sent a superb curling effort into the top corner despite the best effort of Wes Foderingham.
Aberdeen huffed and puffed in a vain bid to find an equaliser. However, the best team won. Rangers are now up to second. And now we wait to see what the next few days will bring.
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