Teams try to rough us up every week but they’ll never ruin the way we play
THERE were less than 60 seconds on the clock at Hampden when Connor Goldson knew he was back in a familiar story.
The ball had gone. But that didn’t prevent Steven MacLean from clattering into him. Whether you call it laying down a marker or making your presence felt, both well-worn euphemisms in Scottish football, Goldson insists he has become used to such an approach since moving north of the border.
MacLean was booked by John Beaton for another late challenge on Goldson midway through the first half, but the referee kept his cards in his pocket when the 37-year-old Hearts striker subsequently slid in on Allan McGregor.
Even so, it was still to be MacLean’s last action of note. His substitution eight minutes before the break was needed to prevent a seemingly inevitable dismissal.
Goldson regarded it all with a weary shake of the head. He firmly believes referees should be doing more to protect players and help raise the technical standards of the Scottish game.
But he also contests that those who seek to disrupt Rangers with an overly-physical approach are simply wasting their time. As exhibited in Sunday’s 3-0 Betfred Cup semi-final success, Goldson always expects Steven Gerrard’s side to stand up to it and prevail.
‘I took a couple of sore ones and his game plan was obviously to try and rough us up and be a bit aggressive but there’s a difference between being aggressive and going over the top and it showed with him getting taken off so early,’ the 26-year-old reflected, when asked about MacLean.
‘If he hadn’t already been on a yellow card, he’d have been booked for his next foul but the referee said he didn’t want to ruin a semi-final by sending him off for something so silly.
‘He caught me inside a minute but it’s the same every week. The same happened at Ross County where the boy (Brian Graham) did the exact same thing.
‘If they think that’s going to affect us, that’s up to them but, realistically, it’s not.
‘We let it carry on and played our own game. We wore Hearts down in the end because they’re a tough team to break down and defend well, especially with crosses, but we kept playing at our intensity and tempo and it paid off.’
Alfredo Morelos set up Filip Helander for the opener just ahead of the interval, before the Colombian added two goals of his own to raise his tally for the season to 20.
An ultimately comfortable triumph set up an Old Firm final on December 8 — and also ended a truly dismal record for the Ibrox club inside the national stadium. They had lost six successive games there, the last five being semifinals in which not a single goal was scored. Goldson made his Hampden debut in the 1-0 defeat to Aberdeen in the Betfred Cup last October. Having now sampled victory in Mount Florida, he is obviously eager to repeat the feat next month and deliver Rangers’ first major trophy since 2011. ‘I felt, after the first goal, the tension released out of us, especially the boys who were here last season, and we went on and executed our game plan very well,’ continued Goldson.
‘It feels brilliant to be in a final. Since I’ve been here, I’ve always wanted to pick up silverware at this club and we’re one step closer than last year.
‘An Old Firm cup final will be interesting. I was a Liverpool fan growing up but never went to any finals and haven’t played in one either, so it will be a good occasion for myself and my family.
‘Both teams will be up for it and want to win the game, but we’ll park that to the back of our heads with two tough fixtures before the international break and more after it.
‘We’re improving and we’ve said all season we’re getting better. We’ve had a few iffy moments and bad performances but, overall, the first three months of the season couldn’t have gone much better.
‘But we need to carry that on and can’t get ahead of ourselves. It’s still so early in the league. We’ve got a cup final and we’re in with a chance in the Europa League, so we need to keep putting in performances and winning games. But the level of our team has improved.’
Goldson’s argument is backed up by the numbers. In 25 games across all competitions so far this term, Gerrard’s side have racked up 19 wins, four draws and only two defeats — to Celtic and Young Boys.
The inconsistency that so damaged their prospects last season looks to have been diminished but, as Goldson stresses, all at Ibrox recognise far more is needed to prove they are the finished article.
Tests of their mettle continue at pace. A home meeting with Porto provides a chance to edge closer to a place in the Europa League last 32 on Thursday evening before a Premiership visit to Livingston, which will doubtless present another physical challenge.
‘When you play for Rangers, the games come thick and fast and you can’t let the highs get too high or the lows get too low because, within three days, another big game comes along,’ added Goldson.
‘Every game at this football club is a big game regardless of whether it’s a semi-final or last week’s game away to Ross County.
‘We’re always expected to win and we need to win games of football, so we move on and get straight back in to get ready for Porto.’