WE SHOWED OUR STEEL UNDER STEVIE, SAYS ARFIELD
Past Rangers teams would not get a result in this kind of circumstance
TWO points may have slipped away in a fog of frustration but Scott Arfield insists Rangers have already sent a clear message to their Premiership rivals.
The midfielder was bitterly disappointed by Bruce Anderson’s 93rd-minute leveller for Aberdeen that denied his 10-man side victory on Steven Gerrard’s domestic debut.
Like his manager, however, Arfield took much from what went before. To him, the way Rangers responded to the dismissal of Alfredo Morelos after 12 minutes proved they are no longer the pushovers of past seasons.
‘I think so,’ he said. ‘From the first day of pre-season, we have worked towards this game.
‘We are working on standards, expectations, demands of this football club and Aberdeen knew this.
‘I don’t think previous Rangers teams get a result here today given the circumstances, so we should be proud. If there were 11 men out there, then there would only have been one team in it.
‘It was tough in the end, particularly with the circumstances of going a man down then losing a late goal.
‘I thought we’d done enough. I felt there was only one team going to win that game and it was us. It’s a bitter pill.’
Morelos was shown a red card by referee Kevin Clancy after aiming a kick at Scott McKenna in response to a barge from the Dons centre-back.
James Tavernier then netted a 30th-minute penalty after Josh Windass was tugged back by Dom Ball, with Rangers dismayed that the Aberdeen right-back wasn’t shown a card.
That led Gerrard to claim afterwards that the ‘world was against’ his side — before further claiming the Ibrox club have received rough justice in recent seasons.
‘I’ve seen it back and he gives him a decision to make,’ said Arfield of the Morelos issue. ‘Whether it was a red or a yellow is up to the referee. For me, it was a bit soft.
‘Listen, there is a decision there to be made and the referee has made the decision to give the red card.
‘If you look at the penalty incident, if it is the other way about, does he send one of our men off because it is a goalscoring opportunity? We have got every right to feel like that.
‘In the dressing room, you need to come together and galvanise. The club is huge, it is an institution, but it starts from the dressing room and if everybody is in there on the same sheet, it makes it incredibly difficult for our opponents to get something from us — like it was today.
‘They got a lucky break and fair play to the lad, it is a good strike and it goes in the bottom corner. But the feeling we have got now is one that we don’t want to feel again.’
Despite being depleted, Rangers continued to create opportunities on the break as Aberdeen struggled to make any headway against an organised defensive unit.
‘The game plan was to go out and go after people and we still did that with 10 men,’ insisted Arfield.
‘Alfredo went off but we showed what we have in the dressing room by coming together and showing our tactical awareness.
‘We brought the wingers in with Murph (Jamie Murphy) and Josh (Windass) playing a wee bit inverted, with me and Lassana (Coulibaly) bursting out to stop the press and let them hit that long ball.
‘It was difficult, a tough shift but we should be proud of ourselves. However, I know it was the circumstances that were to blame but draws at this football club aren’t good enough.’
Losing Ryan Jack with ten minutes remaining proved a turning point. The former Aberdeen captain produced a terrific midfield display at his old stomping ground before suffering a head knock when clattered by Stevie May.
Rangers didn’t have the same control once Ovie Ejaria took his place.
‘That is always going to happen when a good player goes off, it takes you a couple of minutes to find your feet,’ added Arfield.
‘Ovie comes on and, technically for me, he is probably the best in the squad. We had chances with Lassana, Ovie and myself breaking, and Ryan Kent and Josh getting in behind. It was just that final pass that we could have put the game to bed.
‘Ryan is a top player and he got a nasty knock today. On Thursday against Osijek, I thought he was unbelievable and today he was fantastic again.
‘He keeps it so simple with his tackling. I think everyone expects him to come to this club in a hostile atmosphere and fly into tackles.
‘But he is composed, he knows the game, that the fans are up and that their players are going to give him a bit. He matched them and even more so it was another strong performance from him.’