To close out a hugely entertaining curtain-raiser, here’s our snap report.
Steven Gerrard speaks, and judging by this, his post-match pressers and flash interviews are going to be fun. He sounds and looks sore...
I thought we were magnificent. We were brilliant with eleven men and even better with ten men. For 90 minutes, I thought it was perfect. We showed today we are a class above Aberdeen. Every single player to a man was fantastic. Aberdeen had one idea and that was to lump it into the box. Anyone who was at the game or saw it on TV knows that we were the better team. I am very pleased with what I saw over 96 minutes.
Ryan Jack, who is presumably indisposed, was man of the match, an award collected by James Tavernier, who says he is “disappointed to concede so late in the game.”
“I didn’t see it,” he says of the Morelos red card. “I was getting told off the ref it was a kick.”
Aberdeen goal hero Bruce Anderson is endearingly happy. He is, of course, “over the moon” about his first ever strike for the Dandy Dons.
“It’s something I have dreamed of as a kid, it’s my hometown club,” he says. Football can be so bloody beautiful sometimes.
Gerrard looks sanguine enough in shaking Derek McInnes’ hand, and then going to thank each of his players individually. There is no loss of dignity as he goes to thank the away fans and gets a hail of boos from the Dandy Dons contingent. For them, this feels like a victory. And Stevie is reminded that football can be so bloody cruel sometimes, though he knows that all too well.
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Full-time: Aberdeen 1-1 Rangers
Fitba, bloody hell. Where Frank Lampard got a last-minute winner in his first game with Derby, Gerrard suffered a last-minute equaliser with Rangers.
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90 mins + 5: Aberdeen might even have won it had McGinn’s cross been better. He had five team-mates to aim for and missed all of them.
90+4 mins: On the bench, Gerrard screws up his nose in disgust. Anderson, who had previously only scored for Elgin and is just 19, not 20, had looked lively and Rangers’ defensive wall crumbled.
Goal! Aberdeen 1-1 Rangers (Anderson 90+3)
And the job is not seen out! Anderson shows off a striker’s instinct in finding space and the angle to beat Allan McGregor. The ten men could not last.
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90 mins + 2: Steven Gerrard’s brow is even more furrowed than usual as he and Gary McAllister try to see this one out....
90 mins + 1: Some glum Aberdeen fans in the stands. Looks like their are following the form of last season, where they took only a single point from four matches.
90 mins: Six minutes will be added on. This job is not done just yet.
89 mins: Aberdeen forced back to goalkeeper Lewis, and to look for the second ball with a long hoof. Credit to Stevie for Rangers’ defending today; it has been immaculate so far, just about.
87 mins: Can Rangers hang on? They are much more ragged than before, and look to be missing the departed Jack.
85 mins: Aberdeen pass it nicely in their half, which is all very well when an equaliser is required. Eventually, they shuffle forward and win a free-kick. McGinn whips one in, Devlin heads back across goal and Ferguson misses Aberdeen’s best chance so far!
83 mins: Rangers now sitting back on this. McKay-Steven shows he is the likeliest danger with two shows of skill and a cross that McGregor takes. He lands awkwardly, though does appear to be accentuating his pain to keep the clock ticking.
82 mins: Final Rangers sub. Ovie Ejaria comes on for Jack. Ejaria is on loan from, yes, Liverpool. “Nice one, Stevie,” sing Dons fans and Jack leaves the field unsteadily.
80 mins: The loudest cheer of the day from the home fans when Stevie May clatters Ryan Jack to the floor. Jack gets up, groggily, but then falls back to the floor. He looks unable to continue. Stevie G and Gary Mac hold a conference over their options.
78 mins: Goldson clatters Anderson to get a yellow card, and a free-kick results. Again, again, Aberdeen waste it terribly.
77 mins: Aberdeen pressure. McGinn gets to the line but Katic stops May getting a proper shot off.
76 mins: Tavernier, who has been excellent, expertly husbands McKay-Steven down in the corner. Bradford’s finest is this observer’s man of the match thus far.
75 mins: At last! Aberdeen create a chance and a shot on goal from open play. Bruce Anderson looks sharp as he gets first to a cross but can’t keep his header on target.
73 mins: Rangers showing little sign of weariness despite being down to ten men while Aberdeen perhaps feeling the burn of Burnley and extra time on Thursday.
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72 mins: Aberdeen have played all their cards now....oh, here’s some handbags. Arfield and Devlin square up, nose to nose. That’s a yellow card for both. They just about kept it together, unlike Morelos.
70 mins: Aberdeen make their final sub. On comes young Bruce Anderson for Cosgrove. Are 20-year-olds still called Bruce? Well, this one is.
69 mins: Rangers sub. On comes Liverpool loanee Ryan Kent for Jamie Murphy.
68 mins: Stevie May’s touch is heavier than his favourite Slayer album as he tries to link up with Gary Mackay-Steven. Aberdeen, though, force a corner. Devlin gets to it, but his header is misdirected.
66 mins: Rangers fans are in full voice, singing “Rule Britannia” and “God Save The Queen”. First day of the season but a Last Night at the Proms playlist.
65 mins: Aberdeen have yet to have a shot on goal while Rangers continue to create half-chance after half-chance. The numerical advantage has hardly been in evidence at all.
64 mins: Coulibaly is fouled by Lewis Ferguson, who receives a yellow card for his troubles.
62 mins: Having taken a bang to the head, and suffered a cut, Katic leaves the field and receives treatment. He is soon back on the field of play.
61 mins: Some very loud shouts from the Rangers bench. The voice is too low to be Steven so the betting is that it was Michael Beale asking “Jacko” [Ryan Jack] to “come this side”.
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59 mins: Better from Aberdeen as Mackay-Steven gets to the byline and bangs a cross in. Rangers hurriedly clear as Brian Kilcline-alike May lurks with intent.
58 mins: Shinnie and Coulibaly clash in midfield, and there are calls from the Ger contingent for that to be ruled a two-footed tackle. It was forceful, but not quite that type of offence. No card shown.
56 mins: Rangers on the break, with Coulibaly making up serious mileage with an energetic burst. Considine’s tackle means Rangers have their first corner of the match, but little results from that.
54 mins: Great cross from the sweet right peg of Tavernier. Windass climbs highest but in doing so cannot keep his header down.
52 mins: Just prior to that, the low level of Aberdeen’s attacking play was shown by a hopeless corner from Mackay-Steven, and Graeme Shinnie living up to his name with a wayward shot. Heavy pressure on Rangers, but nothing they cannot deal with.
51 mins: And on comes May for Gleeson for Aberdeen’s second sub.
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49 mins: Stevie May, who looks like he plays bass in Biffy Clyro, is due to come on for Aberdeen at any minute. The Dandy Dons need some spark.
48 mins: Long ball towards Murphy catches Joe Lewis unawares. His defenders have to deal him out of trouble as Scott Arfield’s shot is blocked/
47 mins: We begin the half with a session of up and unders and head tennis, just like the first. The home crowd has its voice up.
46 mins: And away we go again. On the sideline, Derek McInnes looks as if he has spent the last 15 minutes with his voice raised. Stevie G looks a little calmer.
The red card continues to be the hot topic of conversation. It was harsh, but if Morelos keeps his cool he is not going to be sent off. Have a swing and get caught by an official and you are cooked. The refs have an assessor to think about it. In such cases, there is no room for the spirit of the game; the laws of the game will always prevail.
45 mins: That’s half-time. Only an extra minute played, which seems stingy considering there has been a red card, a penalty and an injury delay followed by a substitution. As the whistle sounds, Stevie G walks alone, collecting his thoughts for the Churchillian speech he is about to deliver in a high octave to his players.
44 mins: Ball strides forward. McGinn gets a cross in that Allan McGregor has to claw away at the far post. A corner to Aberdeen, McGinn to the centre of the six-yard area. Cosgrove’s header is poor, very poor. Like Aberdeen have been all match.
42 mins: Gary Mackay-Steven, a good player on his day, has been a virtual passenger in this half, which is a measure of the excellence of Rangers’ organisation in defence.
41 mins: As goal gifs go, this is half-hearted at best.
30' GOAL! GOAL GOAL! @James_Tavernier scores from the spot. 0:1 pic.twitter.com/SSnGwzbhRk
— Rangers Football Club (@RangersFC) August 5, 2018
40 mins: Dominic Ball, one of the main protagonists this afternoon, makes a fine tackle on Murphy. Loud cheers from the home fans. They love to see a Ger get clattered.
39 mins: Aberdeen building up a head of steam? They seem to have recovered themselves a little.
37 mins: Aberdeen on the attack. Ferguson looked to be away, but then there is a tangle with Katic and the referee gives the decision the other way.
35 mins: Windass, who has been a pest to Aberdeen, forces another free-kick. Tavernier, who has a decent right peg on him, drills a low ball in, but an offside negates its impact.
34 mins: Interesting choice of colour scheme on the Rangers physio table here.
⏲️ The new season fast approaching at Pittodrie. pic.twitter.com/Ad3Mnqcvoy
— Rangers Football Club (@RangersFC) August 5, 2018
33 mins: Rangers have the goal they wanted to hold on to. And while they have not been particularly good, they have been solid and efficient.
31 mins: More bad news for Aberdeen. Scott McKenna injured himself during that scramble for the penalty and had to come off. Chris Forrester is his replacement.
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Goal! Aberdeen 0-1 Rangers (Tavernier 30)
James Tavernier, after a long delay, drills his penalty into the corner. Joe Lewis got a hand to it, but it still went into the net.
Meanwhile, the suggestion is that Ball might have been denying a goalscoring opportunity by not playing the ball but no red card given.
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Penalty to Rangers!
28 mins: Windass is baulked by Dons defender Dominic Ball as the goal gaped.
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27 mins: A fairly half-hearted press going on when Aberdeen have the ball in defence. Both teams are likely to be tired after their midweek exertions and now Rangers have to do so with ten men.
25 mins: Rangers get a chance to launch a set piece into the area from a free-kick. Coulibaly got to it at the back post and Aberdeen could only scramble clear.
23 mins: Rangers struggling for composure in midfield, too. They are launching it long to the likes of Arfield, Murphy and Windass, none of whom are target men.
21 mins: Rangers have so far held pretty firm at the back, as Gerrard said was one of his main aims from this match. Being undermanned in attack was not, though, part of the plan.
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19 mins: Another view of that red card incident suggests Morelos was petulant. He was caught out by the eagle eye of the assistant referee. On the sidelines, Gerrard is channelling his inner Neil Warnock as he barks instructions. This one does not slip etc....
17 mins: Aberdeen’s expected dominance is now in session as Rangers are camped in their own half. For Stevie G, this must bring back memories of playing for England; his team cannot keep the ball.
15 mins: The referee is not popular with the away contingent, to put it in the mildest terms. And as Aberdeen have a corner, a missile is aimed at Niall McGinn. Forget peace and love and summer: football is back.
14 mins: So, then. Aberdeen must be expected to dominate possession while Rangers play on the break. Expect to see that long ball given full use.
13 mins: How’s yer luck, Stevie? Behind his hand, he mutters something to assistant Gary McAllister, and attempts to rejig his attack.
Red card for Rangers!
11 mins: Morelos is shown it. Something happened off the ball...now, what was it? He aimed a kick at McKenna. It was a loss of temper but didn’t look too vicious. Letter of the law and all that, but very possibly harsh.
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9 mins: Jon Flanagan, barely spotted kicking a ball in anger since playing for Liverpool’s run for the 2013-14 Premier League title, is out on the left of defence, as part of the Scouse enclave now based in Govan. He’s looked solid so far.
8 mins: Dominic Ball does well to stop the lively Murphy in his tracks. Better than before from the Dons defender, anyway.
7 mins: Aberdeen take a free-kick short and Devlin gets on the end. He nods over. Again, it’s functional stuff.
6 mins: And the suggestion appears to be that Gerrard has not prevented his team from going long when they fancy it.
5 mins: Aberdeen’s defence is made of four centre halves but opened up like the Red Seas in letting Murphy through. Neither the defending nor the finishing was a decent advert for fitba.
4 mins: Chance for Murphy! Long ball out of defence finds him onside, Ball had played him onside, and his shot is poor. Straight at Lewis in Aberdeen’s goal. Arfield’s follow-up is just as disappointing.
1 min: Jamie Murphy attempts a trick on the flank in an attempt to link with Scott Arfield, but nothing doing. Ryan Jack is roundly booed by the home fans. In the sun, it’s a loud atmosphere.
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First, there is a minute’s applause for Neale Cooper, Aberdeen legend and former Rangers player, too, who passed away in June and we are underway.
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Stevie, slouching a little as he makes his way to the dugout, claps the travelling hordes in blue. He and his opposite number exchange what doesn’t look the warmest of handshakes. The sight of him as a manager is very strange.
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The pace of football commerce means the Dandy Dons are without most of last season’s attack, with Adam Rooney rather infamously having departed. He didn’t manage to score for Salford City yesterday; the goal in their 1-1 home draw with Leyton Orient was scored by Rory Gaffney, no relation of Dean.
Derek McInnes speaks
I think there are lots of positives but I think it’s a totally different game. It’s not the ideal game after Thursday night’s exertions but it’s a game where the players will be easily lifted and motivated, the adrenaline. It’s going to be a tough challenge, our battles are always with ourselves.
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Stevie G speaks.
I am ok. I am excited. It’s not about me, it’s about Rangers. We will have to bring our “A game” and it’s important we do our stuff. We have to get ready for a domestic game. This is one of the toughest games we will face all season. We conceded too many last season. Rangers were a soft touch. It’s important we are brave and strong. It’s important that we get the ball in the right areas. It isn’t about what happened last season: I wasn’t here. We believe we are ready to come to places like this and get results.
Gerrard looked typically determined when he got off the bus at Pittodrie. He’s never been the smiliest, minds. One extra issue to consider here. Derek McInnes is the man Rangers wanted before they turned to Stevie G.
Those line-ups in a more analogue fashion.
Aberdeen: Lewis, Ball, Devlin, McKenna, Considine, Shinnie, Gleeson, Ferguson, Mckay-Steven, McGinn, Cosgrove.
Substitutes: Cerny, Forrester, Wright, May, Campbell, Anderson, Harrington.
Rangers: McGregor, Tavernier, Goldson, Katic, Flanagan, Jack, Coulibaly, Arfield, Murphy, Windass Morelos.
Substitutes: Alnwick, Halliday, McCrorie, Kent, Candeias, Sadiq, Ejaria.
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Richard Williams had his doubts about Gerrard back in May.
As did Ewan Murray.
But the signs from Rangers’ Europa League matches so far have been positive enough, though mind you, they were too for Aberdeen who ran Burnley pretty damned close this week before running out of puff in extra time.
Because we have to mention them at some point, here’s a reminder of what went on yesterday, as Celtic took a firm grip on the title race.
And here are the teams.
Today's Aberdeen team to face Rangers at Pittodrie- kick off 1pm! #COYR! #StandFree pic.twitter.com/OmUYzwzWAS
— Aberdeen FC (@AberdeenFC) August 5, 2018
🆕 Your #RangersFC team for today's season-opener. pic.twitter.com/nmUedxxMmz
— Rangers Football Club (@RangersFC) August 5, 2018
Preamble
And so it begins for Stevie. A summer of good PR and what looks like decent transfer business will be on the road to being rendered meaningless if Rangers come a cropper at an opponent with which they share a enmity not quite as deep-seated as with those Bhoys in green, but which is often white-hot in its intensity; think the Fergie era at the Dandy Dons and that 2008 post-Manchester defeat that wrecked SPL title hopes. Aberdeen bloody love beating Rangers, and were annoyed not to do so last season while still finishing above them in the table to finish second.
Behind all the bonhomie of pre-season, Gerrard should and almost certainly be under no illusions about the task in hand at Rangers. There may be talking of turning corners, of next pieces in the jigsaw, but make no mistake, any boss that takes on the Light Blues is #goingfor55 or bust. He has leeway for sure, but how much? Lose this one after Celtic beat Livingston on Saturday and the pressure is already on. Lose it heavily, and young Steven might be yearning for those friendly days out at Goodison and Old Trafford. He’s a young manager, he’s still learning, but he’s taken one hell of a job on.
