TONIGHT, IBROX, 7.45, BT SPORT 1
support and within 30 seconds someone had turned the volume switch up.
“Every part of the ground was up and behind us, it was louder than the Hearts game, louder than when we scored.
“We went on a breakaway, won a couple of throw-ins and Lee Wallace popped up to equalise.
“I watched it back and it was as if the crowd realised it was not going to help if everyone became anxious. They turned it round themselves again.
“In that little twominute sp e l l , someone decided to change things and it lifted the players.
“When asked to respond recently the players have done it, with the backing of supporters. I know Ibrox can be a nervy and tense arena to play in because the supporters have been used to a certain level of success.
“People say, ‘Score first and the crowd will turn on them’. No, the crowd won’t turn on us. They will back us as they have before.”
Hibs will turn up at Ibrox this evening with tans from a week spent warm-weather training in the south of Spain.
Rangers will turn up still wiping sweat from their brow after the 3-2 aggregate victory over the previous week against the Doonhamers.
McCall admits the fresher legs could work to the advantage of Alan Stubbs’s side but it might well be offset by the confidence Rangers have taken from many aspects of their performance over two legs against Queens.
He said: “I’ve no problem with the mental or physical state of our players.
“We haven’t named the team and didn’t shape the team earlier in the week because we haven’t had enough time. We’ve been recovering, whereas Hibs have been preparing.
“We’ll find out over the course if that makes a difference. Sometimes 18 days can be too long without a game, sometimes it’s ideal.
“But we’re going into the game in a confident vein after Queens. I watched the game back and in the first half we were really good. It’s frustrating they scored the first time they were in our six-yard box.
“It wasn’t a glaring error from us, we didn’t shoot ourselves in the foot, but we still needed to defend it better. However, our response was excellent.”
McCall joked if Hibs scored three at Ibrox he would still back his side to score four at Easter Road but he is unfazed at punters who predict Rangers will need a victory to protect when they head to Leith on Saturday lunchtime.
He added: “I don’t follow that. We’re as capable of winning at Easter Road as we are at home, and Hibs will think the same. There isn’t a lot between the two sides.
“I still remember coming off at the end of our first-leg against Leeds United in the European Cup back in 1992 and the crowd was deflated, even though we’d won 2-1.
“The crowd weren’t booing but the atmosphere was flat because the feeling was we hadn’t done enough, but there was all still to play for in the second leg.
“Regardless of what happens at Ibrox in this first leg, we’ll still have the second leg to play.”
The crowd helped us come back from two goals down against Falkirk STUART MCCALL