Edinburgh tattoo
Cummings: I won’t celebrate a goal with my Joker smile if Hibs fans lay off me... but if they give me stick during game, I’ll change my mind
JASON CUMMINGS admits he might put his trademark goal celebration on hold if he hits the back of the net against Hibs.
The former Easter Road hitman is set to face his old side tomorrow and he’d love to get on the scoresheet and fire Rangers to second place in the Premiership.
Cummings hasn’t forgotten the good times in Leith though and he could hold off on brandishing his famous Joker smile tattoo if the Hibees go easy on him.
The on-loan Nottingham Forest ace said: “I’ll see what reception I get. If my name comes over the tannoy and I get booed, I will celebrate!
“I am not too sure what kind of reception I’ll get. I know they don’t like Rangers so I am not expecting to get cheered. But I think they know I did my best and gave everything for the club.
“They did give me my chance when I was a boy. I didn’t think I was going to be a footballer but they gave me my shot. I feel we have got a BY MICHAEL GANNON mutual respect but I have got a job to do – that is to win and get Rangers second place.
“It is a big game and it will be a bit weird for me going back having played there for a few years.”
Cummings netted an incredible eight goals in 11 games for Hibs against Rangers and he’d love to add to his tally in the explosive fixture.
He said: “I’ve scored a lot of goals at Easter Road, so I kind of feel comfortable going back there – if that makes sense.
“I’m actually really looking forward to it. I can’t wait. It’s big for us. It would be a step in the right direction to get second and get closer.
“It’s not been the best season for us, especially the games against Celtic. We need to give them better games and take points off them. But if we get second it will be positive.”
Cummings admitted Gers will have their work cut out against his old club – especially with Alfredo Morelos and Ross McCrorie banned and Graham Dorrans crocked.
He said: “I wouldn’t say they have surprised me because I know what they are capable of.
“They have a great squad. Look at the players who are on the bench and can’t get a game, there are some top players there.
“They have played unreal football. They have been one of the best teams in the league and it’s going to be hard.
“The other result obviously helped us and they don’t have much to play for now. That might be a positive but we know they are dangerous.”
While Cummings is one of a number of players facing an uncertain future, stand-in gaffer Jimmy Nicholl, who takes his last game tomorrow is hoping new boss Steven Gerrard doesn’t take a sledgehammer to the squad.
When asked what’s needed, Nicholl said: “Hopefully, not a massive change. What I mean by that is that he will get something out of the existing squad.
“Yes, some of them will be gone but if he gets something out of the existing ones, he won’t need too many new players.
“I hope he doesn’t need eight or nine. I hope in the end he only needs three or four. He should get more out of the boys who are here. If they have anything about them, he will do. They will respond to his demands.”
Gerrard is taking on a mammoth task but at least he can lean on Nicholl if needed.
The outgoing coach joked he will be back at the training ground with a bin bag on Monday but he’ll always be on the end of the phone.
Nicholl has faith in the novice boss though, with or without the words of advice.
He said: “Steven might be younger and an inexperienced manager but
it doesn’t matter. If someone’s not doing it on the training pitch or on a Saturday for you, then it doesn’t matter if you’re inexperienced or not. It’s just a case of ‘away you go’.
“It’s about making hard decisions, it’s nothing to do with inexperience or experience. I was player-manager of Raith Rovers at 33 and had to deal with older players at that time.
“I was inexperienced but it was about making decisions, hard decisions and hopefully the right ones. Twenty or more years on, you still make the same decisions and sometimes the same mistakes.
“Steven will know right away what he needs when he’s out on that training pitch.”
Nicholl is determined to leave behind a side that’s finished second as a platform for the new boss.
Victory at Easter Road tomorrow – combined with Aberdeen slipping up at Celtic – will see a season of turmoil ending on a more positive note. Nicholl said: “The fans hate to hear it. Players, too, will turn around and say ‘what does second place mean?’ “Celtic are right up there now so it means you’ve done the best you can. At least it puts you on a good platform for the boss to come into. “Winning the league would be a massive achievement for Rangers, hopefully that happens one day.” As for Nicholl’s future? This chapter may be coming to a close but the book isn’t being shut. He said: “This is what I’ve been doing since I finished playing 20-odd years ago. “You never wish your life away. You just sit by the phone and wish it would ring. I’ll see what happens on Sunday or Monday.”