McKaysets sights on a turnaround
IBROX winger Barrie McKay has said that performances count for little at a club like Rangers if they aren’t backed up by winning points.
His manager Mark Warburton criticised his side after the weekend defeat to Aberdeen for failing to work Dons keeper Joe Lewis enough despite creating numerous good opportunities.
Indeed, for all their domination of possession and the chances they carved out, it took an Andy Halliday penalty for them to breach the home side’s goal.
McKay agrees with his boss that Rangers have to start being more ruthless in front of goal, and he is also gutted at the cheap way they conceded Aberdeen’s first goal through Jonny Hayes.
“It was a major disappointment,” McKay said.
“The first half and probably the full game is the best we have played for the full season, but we didn’t get the win so playing that well doesn’t really matter at this football club.
“I think the positive we can take is that we went up to Pittodrie and dominated the game. I think in the first half we were disappointed to go in at 0-0 and should have been two or three up.
“We had a lot of good chances and a lot of good play, but obviously it was a sloppy goal to lose and we were chasing the game, and then after we got the goal back, we were the only team that looked like we were going to go on to win it.
“All credit to the boy; it’s a wonder-strike for the free-kick. It’s probably not a foul but still he has to step up and put it in the back of the net.”
There are many who feel that Rangers have failed to adequately handle the step up to the Premiership so far this season, but McKay rubbished such suggestions.
While acknowledging that it has been a sluggish start by the team, who are currently in seventh position in the league standings, he believes that all it will take is one win to get them off and running.
He said: “It’s obviously a step-up in level, and the teams we have played so far have set up in a similar way to what they did last season in the Championship wherein they sit-in and look to counter on us.
“Maybe we have been a bit slow to start, but we are starting to get into a really good rhythm now and once the first win comes things will start picking up.”