Flying full-backs are the biggest danger for Del
Aberdeen boss Derek Mcinnes wants his players to put the brakes on Rangers’ flying full-backs.
It’s not common for defenders to be so pivotal in a side’s attacking play, but James Tavernier and Borna Barisic have been in devastating form going forward.
Tavernier is the Ibrox club’s top scorer and, like his Croatian team-mate, regularly supplies assists for goals.
They will be a huge danger to Aberdeen at Ibrox today.
Mcinnes said: “They’ve got a front three that like to overload, be goal threats and move your defenders about.
“The reason they can do that is because they have two willing full-backs, who play high and have that quality.
“You don’t have to look too far. Throughout the Rangers team, there’s good players. But certainly those two are important to how they play.
“They have good players, who can punish and operate at such a high level when they get space to play.
“Our recent record against them in Glasgow gives you a bit of confidence that if you do a lot of things right in the game, then you can get results, despite the quality of the opposition.
“But we have to be fully concentrated. Players need to take real responsibility when you play against good sides.”
Mcinnes expects to see a different Dons side to the one that lost 1-0 to Rangers at Pittodrie in August.
He went on: “It was our first competitive game in a while and, for whatever reason, Rangers looked more ready for that game.
“We were still trying to sign some players and get others bedded in. We certainly didn’t perform at our level, but still Joe Lewis didn’t have a lot to do in the game.
“Although we lost the game 1-0, it wasn’t so much the defensive work that was the problem that day, it was us in possession.
“Up until the last 15 minutes, we had done nothing of any note in the game.
“We need to remind the players that there is a responsibility to be as good as we can be in the game.
“It’s the personality and the confidence of the team that is important, not just your ability to perform.
“Hopefully we can show that side we have shown in the majority of the games this season.
“We are only a third of the season in, but the signs are encouraging for us. The performances since that game have been far better.”