WHEN Steven Gerrard sat down to analyse his first campaign in Scottish football, he didn’t need to look far or think too hard to deduce what matches really cost Rangers.
The five points dropped to Aberdeen ultimately didn’t prove the difference in the Premiership title race but the two cup defeats, one of which came after a draw at Pittodrie, denied Gerrard a shot at silverware.
Losing in the Betfred Cup semi-final was painful for the Gers, while the performance in the Scottish Cup replay at Ibrox wasn’t what Gerrard expected or needed from his players.
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In the league, an opening weekend win was snatched from their grasps before Derek McInnes won at Ibrox a year after rejecting the chance to take the top job in Govan.
Rangers’ 4-2 victory away from home in February was thrilling, while the seventh instalment of the saga was routine back in April.
Now, the familiar foes meet once again this afternoon. Rangers can’t afford another chequered term.
“I think that’s a bit of an understatement [to say the results were mixed],” Gerrard said. “I think the results damaged us, very much so in the terms of the cup competitions.
“They had a little bit of joy against us in the league as well, so it is certainly a fixture we need to improve upon in terms of the points total.
“They are a tough nut to crack, organised and well drilled. They set you a challenge to break them down and they have some talent and ability that can hurt you on the break and create. They are effective off set-pieces so we are well aware of Aberdeen’s strengths.
“They are a team we have respect for. Having said that, the last time we played them at Ibrox we were very dominant. I’m looking for a similar level from the players. If we reach that, we can hopefully get the same outcome again.”
The trip to Pittodrie last August gave Gerrard his first taste of Premiership action. It was quite an introduction and the following matches allowed the Liverpool legend a chance to familiarise himself with a famous fixture in our game.
“I think that [extra motivation] goes for both sides,” Gerrard said. “I didn’t realise how big the fixture is until I came up and got involved in it.
READ MORE: Rangers captain James Tavernier insists he can handle penalty pressure
“I knew Aberdeen were a big team with history and I knew a bit about Derek as a player having played against him and watched him from afar. But until you actually come up and are part of Rangers or Aberdeen, you don’t realise that it’s quite intense and there is a big rivalry there.
“There seems to be a bit of hatred between both sets of supporters but it’s part and parcel of the excitement of the league, I think. It’s one of the fixtures you look for at the beginning of the season and I’m sure we are going to have many more battles.”
The first of those duels comes this afternoon and the importance of it cannot be underestimated for both.
Rangers have four wins from four following their Old Firm defeat earlier this month and can’t avoid further slip-ups in the title race.
Aberdeen, meanwhile, have to bounce back from their Betfred Cup shoot-out loss to Hearts as they look to close to within a point of the Light Blues.
Gerrard said: “I love it. It’s a great fixture. Having watched the games previously, a lot of my friends and family want to come up and see it. They see it almost as the next thing to the Old Firm, if you like. It’s been a great fixture for a long time and I’m sure it will be for many years to come.
“The important thing is that we get a good game for the outsiders. For me, I need to win. That’s my focus.
“I’ll give the lads a gameplan and try and help them as much as we can to get a win, because we are in a good place and we want to try and keep the momentum going.
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“We had a tough night at Livingston but at the same time Aberdeen had to go and play extra-time.
“Both teams will try and recover as best they can to be be in the best possible shape.”
Boss Gerrard was angry with the physical approach of Livingston as Rangers battled to a Betfred Cup semi-final berth against Hearts.
It could be a similarly feisty and combative encounter at Ibrox.
Gerrard said: “We welcome it if it’s in the right manner. We are going to be physical with Aberdeen. We want to compete in the right way.
“I want my players to go up and win aerial duels. I want them to be putting tackles in and competing, to really stand up to Aberdeen who are a physical team.
“It’s a fixture I’m really looking forward to. Derek will have his players fired up. We will have ours fired up. That’s what it should be about. Everyone should be looking forward to a fantastic fixture.”
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