Rangers

Image source, SNS

James Penrice is "incredibly proud" of his first Scotland call-up - and can't wait to tell his mum.

The Rangers left-back has been selected by national boss Sebestien Pocognoli for the remaining Nations League matches at home to North Macedonia and away to Switzerland this month.

Reacting to the news after club training, Penrice told Rangers TV: "Incredible proud. Buzzing for my family as well.

"[I've waited] a wee while [for a call-up] but I knew coming back to Scotland and coming to Rangers would help my cause.

"It's credit to the boys in there as well, they've helped me incredibly. I'm just buzzing.

"It's a weird feeling because I don't ever think, going from the early part of my career, I would be called up. But it's happened now and I'm just delighted. It's an incredibly proud moment.

"My family will be buzzing - my phone is probably going off its nut. I've not spoken to anyone yet, I'll probably have 100 missed calls from my mum - she'll think I never told her."

Pocogonoli says a maiden call-up for the 27-year-old former Livingston, Hearts and Partick Thistle defender was deserved and a "logical choice".

"Like I said in the first camp, we have a list of players that we select regarding the performance at their clubs, but also the style of play or the way that we want to play," said the Belgian.

"We have some missing players around the left side.

"So, combined with his quality and what we are looking for on the pitch, it's a logical choice for me and it can be very useful for the system that we want to play and also I think he deserves it."

Image source, SNS

Hibs and Rangers will receive a 50/50 split of tickets for next month's League Cup final at Hampden.

The showpiece has been confirmed as a 15:00 GMT kick-off on Sunday 13 December, live on Premier Sports.

Rangers fans will be housed in the South, West and North Stands, with Hibs occupying the South, East and North Stands.

The majority of adult tickets will be priced at £42, with adult tickets in the North and South Stands costing £49.

Concession tickets are priced at £27 and £30.

Hibs beat Edinburgh rivals Hearts 2-1 at Hampden on Sunday to reach the final, with Rangers seeing off Aberdeen 1-0 the previous day.

The clubs' only previous League Cup final meeting resulted in a 2-1 Rangers win in October 1993 at Celtic Park.

Jamie Currie
Fan writer

Rangers reaching a cup final is nothing to be sniffed at given our lack of success in the past 15 or so years domestically.

I felt we dominated Aberdeen and were really comfortable, it's just unfortunate it took until the 83rd minute for Ryan Naderi to get the goal that sets up a December final with Hibs.

I wholeheartedly agree with Derek McInnes' post-match comments on that subject - we need to be more clinical with our chances.

However, I see it as a positive because at the beginning of the season we were struggling to create. Now we have Kim Min-su, Badredine Bouanani, Findlay Curtis and Djeidi Gassama who can fashion opportunities from the wide areas. The timely return of Tuur Rommens will also aid in that quest.

That's nine wins and two draws from 11 games since the Jablonec debacle. Yes, we can look at the performances and say we need to be on it for 90 minutes, which is correct. And look back at the two draws at Dens and Tynecastle and be frustrated at mistakes and how poorly we played.

But after all that we are still the team with momentum.

Truth be told, I'd have taken this kind of run and being in a cup final post-European exit. However, we must push on and make sure we don't let up.

We have to make sure we iron out the flaws in our game, such as going too long too early, as we saw in the semi; we looked at our best when playing through the pitch at pace.

The midfield have to back themselves more in these situations because they have four guys in front of them that can cause teams issues in many different forms.

Right now it's all about going again. We have to take the feelgood factor from the weekend and make sure we turn it into three points in Paisley on Saturday evening.

Rangers' James Penrice has been given a first Scotland call-up for this month's Nations League matches against North Macedonia and Switzerland.

The 27-year-old has impressed at Ibrox since joining from AEK Athens on loan, making 14 appearances this season.

The versatile left-back has played in both defence and midfield for Derek McInnes' side and will now be eyeing a Scotland debut in a squad also featuring Ibrox winger Findlay Curtis.

After being overlooked in new boss Sebastien Pocognoli's first squad selection in September, is Penrice's summons just reward for his Ibrox form? And should Rangers be trying to secure him on a permanent deal?

Let us know your thoughts here.

Image source, SNS

James Penrice says the thought of multiplying Saturday's semi-final celebrations by 10 has to be the motivation for Rangers as they eye the Premier Sports Cup.

Derek McInnes' men squeezed past Aberdeen thanks to Ryan Naderi's second-half goal at Hampden, where they will return next month to face Hibernian.

After enjoying post-match celebrations with a jubilant support, Penrice said: "I think it's special seeing boys who haven't seen these kind of scenes before, haven't seen Rangers at Hampden.

"I think it can only help. And I think it will be 10 times that if we come back here and win it, so the motivation for the boys is to relive that again - 10 times that."

Rangers did not deliver a vintage display in their narrow victory over the Dons, but Penrice stressed the importance of digging deep to get results.

"I think that's what it is. We'd love to be knocking the ball about and scoring six or seven goals, but sometimes that doesn't happen," he added.

"Teams come and they sit lower and they make it hard for us. At Rangers, that's going to happen.

"You need to score goals. I think it's just that final bit. The final pass, the final shot. I think composure in front of goal. But I can't complain."

Although he had been pushed into the centre of the pitch for spells in previous games, Penrice started alongside Nicolas Raskin as a midfield pairing on Saturday, a tactical move by McInnes that raised some eyebrows.

"It was obviously not what I've been used to in a two," Penrice said of the role. "But when the gaffer says play there, there's no question, I'll play wherever.

"Whatever I can do to help the team is what I'll do."

Dundee United are interested in signing 24-year-old on-loan Rangers midfielder Lyall Cameron permanently. (Football Insider, external)

Rangers midfielder Thelo Aasgaard has received glowing praise from the media in Belgium after the 24-year-old scored his first goal for loan club Anderlecht in their 4-1 win over Westerlo. (The National, external)

Former Rangers midfielder Joe Aribo is still seeking a new club five months after the 30-year-old Nigeria international was released by Southampton. (Scottish Sun, external)

Read Monday's Scottish Gossip in full.

Image source, SNS

Image source, SNS

Derek McInnes "breathes Rangers" and the players want to win the Premier Sports Cup for him, says midfielder Nicolas Raskin.

Ryan Naderi's late goal at Hampden on Saturday booked Rangers' spot in next month's League Cup final where they will face Hibs for the first piece of silverware of the season.

Rangers last lifted the League Cup in the 2023/24 season and although Raskin was at the club, having joined from Belgian outfit Standard Liege in January 2023, he didn't feature in a single game in the competition.

The 25-year-old feels next month is his first chance to properly lift the trophy.

"I just want to go and win it," he said.

"My family tell me I've won one, but I keep saying I haven't. I got rested for the first two games and injured for the next two. It's not me winning that.

"I'm just happy to get to this final with full belief and I want to win that cup.

"I've been here a long time and we've worked so hard. Not having that is difficult, but hopefully next month we'll win one.

"It's top [to reach the final]. It's really good for the team. But now we want to win it and there's one game to go. Now we go full force to win the cup."

Manager Derek McInnes joined the club in the summer following Danny Rohl's exit and has the chance to lift his first trophy with his former club.

"He breathes Rangers and he gives that to us," Raskin added.

"It's so good to have someone like him driving us every day and on the pitch.

"I'm delighted for him and hopefully we can win it for him too."

Rangers fans, we asked for your views after Saturday's Premier Sports Cup semi-final victory over Aberdeen.

Here's what some of you had to say:

Graeme: Still unconvinced about the goalscoring ability of this team. There is going to be a lot of tight games if they can't become more clinical.

Gordon: We are in a final however we need to be decisive in front of goal. A number nine playing for a team like Rangers should be scoring goals consistently. The service from outside is there but any striker worth his salt should be scoring goals.

Sandy: Exactly what Derek McInnes has been brought to the club for, grinding out results and finding a way to win. This season will settle for scrappy 1-0s any day of the week until we can start winning trophies on a regular basis, then the confidence will bring better, more convincing wins. Small steps but going in the correct direction.

David: A win is a win but that is not enough by any stretch of the imagination. Several defenders are hardly breaking sweat in that they only do enough to get by. Why Findlay Curtis isn't given a chance is unbelievable. Anyway a win is not enough for most supporters, Derek.

Gordon R: We were awful. Just as well we were playing Aberdeen who were even worse. We hardly strung two passes together. McInnes needs to review his selection, midfield just not strong enough and Emmanuel Fernandez and Dujon Sterling, surprisingly, just not at the races.

Sally: Rangers moved the ball too slowly allowing Aberdeen to get back into a defensive shape. If Aberdeen had controlled the ball better they could have won the game. McInnes needs to address performance inconsistency if they hope to win the league.

Image source, SNS

Rangers manager Derek McInnes: "We arrived at the stadium and the job was to get the team and the club into a cup final. By hook or by crook our intention is to make sure we win the game. We'd have liked to have won it with a far more polished performance but we've seen semi finals over the bit and you can easily see that sometimes even stronger Rangers teams have struggled to get the job done.

"The good thing with this team is I always feel there is a goal in us, very rarely do we not score. The goal comes from a strong run from Kelsy, he stays calm, finds Bouanani, we work the cross and those goals are bread and butter for strikers, I love those types of goals. It's a scruffy goal but it's a number nine's goal and it's a really important goal to get us in the final.

"We're looking forward to the game when it comes around and hopefully between now and then we can keep getting the results that we've been getting and winning games but there has to be an obligation from all of us to try and get better performances along the way but I'm not going to apologise.

"For me Naderi is a bit of a parasite in that he builds off service. He's not going to manipulate the ball, beat two or three men and stick one top corner. He's always in the right place at the right time, he's always in the middle of the goal, always on the move and he's always anticipating brilliantly. I'm delighted for him because he's been a big player for us already this season and you need people to step up.

"At our club we know the importance of getting to finals and this needs to be our norm, year in year out.

"I think it's good for confidence. If you don't win this then questions are asked and it's hard to keep the noise quiet and it's hard to keep the positivity. I think between now and the cup final it's important we just need to try and get those improvements in performance. Results have been decent but the performances haven't been perfect. I think you'll see every team in the league has the ability to improve and I certainly feel that with this team."

Rangers reached the League Cup final after Ryan Naderi's late strike at Hampden finally breached a stubborn Aberdeen.

Read the full match report here

Have your say on the game via this link

Rangers are planning for Lyall Cameron to be a part of Derek McInnes' squad after the conclusion of the 24-year-old midfielder's season-long loan spell at Dundee United. (Football Insider, external)

Belgium midfielder Nicolas Raskin will not push to leave Rangers during the upcoming January window despite attracting suitors around Europe as the 25-year-old has too much respect for the club. (Football Insider, external)

Former Rangers manager Michael Beale has been handed a vote of confidence by his club in Belgium after four defeats in a row with Zulte Waregem. (Scottish Sun, external)

Read Saturday's Scottish Gossip in full.

Image source, SNS

Rangers have a doubt over Tochi Chukwuani (knee) and remain without Ross McCrorie, Cammy Devlin, Lawrence Shankland (all hamstring), Youssef Chermiti (knee) and Daisuke Yokota (groin).

Aberdeen are short of defenders, with Kristers Tobers suffering a setback and Chris Cadden (hamstring), Mats Knoester (thigh), Lewis Mayo (foot) and Dan Happe (suspended) also out.

Midfielder Connor Ronan (knee) remains sidelined. Winger Tony Yogane missed Wednesday's defeat by Falkirk through illness.

Image source, SNS

Dan Neil's early Rangers career has proved a rollercoaster - and that's just the way he likes it.

Having signed in the summer from Sunderland on a three-year deal, Neil has already crammed in the vice-captaincy, a bumpy start to the season and European elimination, a memorable Old Firm double at Ibrox and a high-profile error in the draw at Dundee.

Now he has his sights firmly on silverware, with a first trip to Hampden beckoning on Saturday for the 24-year-old when Rangers face Aberdeen for a place in the League Cup final.

"I'm enjoying the rollercoaster," said Neil.

"This is why I wanted to come to the club, because the wins are up there and the losses are down there.

"I think that's why you want to play for a club like this. You have to take the good times and the bad times.

"About the Dundee one, it's certainly not the first mistake I've made and it won't be the last. I think it's just how you react from it. Like I said, I'm really enjoying my time and I'm just looking forward to the big game on Saturday."

Neil admits the lure of trophies was a major factor in his decision to join the Ibrox club.

He is determined to add to a medal collection that comprises a 2021 EFL Trophy win - where he was an unused substitute in the final against Tranmere - and two play-off promotion successes during his time with the Black Cats.

"Any time you've got a chance of getting your hands on silverware, it's one you have to take," he added.

"We talk about not many medals in the changing room, but every single person with a medal didn't have one at some point. It's getting over that hurdle of getting it.

"It is a big reason why I came up. To have any chance of that, you have to win the game on Saturday.

"We've got a really good chance of winning a trophy early in the season, which could be a springboard, a bit of momentum in our favour."

Image source, SNS

Derek McInnes insists his Rangers team is not short of character as he responded to defender Olwethu Makhanya's claims.

Following Wednesday's 2-2 draw with Hearts, Makhanya - who headed an 89th-minute equaliser - said there was a "lack of character" in the team at the start of the second half and Hearts "showed more desire" and were "outworking" Rangers as they turned the game on its head.

As he prepares for the League Cup semi-final against Aberdeen on Saturday, McInnes said: "I got told about Makha's comments. There was a period in the game where it looked as if we were second best.

"The running stats will tell you we weren't, but I think it's too easy to point fingers at character, and that's a word that gets bandied about.

"We've got plenty of character. We've shown that already this season, with character to bounce back and get a result (on Wednesday) night when it looked as if we weren't going to get that.

"The lads never give up. There's a real determination and sheer will about them. But at times in the game, we have to acknowledge that we weren't good enough, both technically and physically.

"I thought we were getting outmuscled at times and not getting to the break of the ball quick enough and a bit slow to anticipate, we were more reacting to things.

"I thought Hearts were on the front foot a wee bit more, ready to play the way the game was playing.

"Sometimes it can come across that way. We're learning about these boys on the job, and the experiences will hopefully help us."