McGREGOR: I WAS WRONG ABOUT HEARTS
HEARTS have already proven a point to Darren McGregor this season. With emphatic force. Now, however, the Rangers defender believes his side must try and turn the tables to show they can join the Tynecastle club in next season’s Premiership.
McGregor openly admits he was left a little red — or should that be maroon — in the face by the challenge he threw down to Robbie Neilson’s side in November.
The gist of his comments was about seeing how Hearts would handle the pressure if Rangers moved to within a point of them — only for the Ibrox side to stumble to a draw against part-time Alloa.
Neilson’s men won that weekend — as they have done on most this term — continuing an unstoppable march to the title and their current 26- point l ead at the summit of the Championship.
McGregor salutes that achievement but knows Rangers must attempt to show the gap between the clubs is not quite so yawning when Hearts visit this Sunday.
The right-back’s thumping strike helped secure the biggest win of Stuart McCall’ s short tenure as a l ate f l ood of goals swamped Cowdenbeath on Saturday.
With Hibs losing in Kirkcaldy, the result also dragged Rangers level on points with their rivals for second spot.
Maintaining that momentum is now key ahead of the play- offs, with McGregor anxious to show Rangers have improved from their two previous defeats to Hearts this term.
‘Do we have something to prove against Hearts? We probably do,’ said McGregor. ‘The two games before have been quite tight affairs but that’s not taking anything away from Hearts.
‘They have been great. They have only l ost one game and are deserved champions. Now we need to finish behind them.
‘In an ideal world, we would have loved to have won the league. But that has gone. If we can get up through the play- offs I think the fans will forgive us and look f orward to pl ayi ng in t he Premiership. We all know our responsibilities.’
As for what he said in the late autumn, McGregor simply holds up his hands: ‘I need to take my hat off to Hearts — I am not going to sit here and say I never said it.
‘From my point of view, they had done great up until that point and it was interesting for me to see how they coped if we were a point behind them.
‘That never happened and I’ve obviously eaten my words. Fair play to them and sometimes these things come back to bite you. I have nothing but praise for the way Hearts have carried themselves this season. Unfortunately, we have been poor and we know that. But we still have a chance to right the wrongs of this season.’
There are signs, albeit still tentative, that McCall’s leadership might j ust help them do so. Against Cowdenbeath, i t was imperative Rangers built upon the psychological boost of the previous week’s win at Easter Road.
Nicky Clark slid in to open the scoring early in the second half but then missed f rom tap- i n territory as numerous chances to extend that lead were spurned.
From such profligacy comes a risk. Especially when Bilel Mohnsi is around. The Tunisian centrehalf had got through 76 minutes of solidity before bowing to his irrepressible urge to self-destruct.
A pass out of defence that was never on gifted possession to John Robertson. He played it back into vacant space and Kudus Oyenuga hammered an equaliser beyond Cammy Bell.
Ibrox has seen a similar plot-line develop on several occasions this season. Usually, i t ends with booing over the end credits.
This time, i t was different. Rangers continued trying to stretch play and were back in front within seven minutes. The ball broke to Andy Murdoch on the fringe of the area and the young midfielder laid it first-time into McGregor’s path. An explosive finish defeated Robbie Thomson.
Two further, well-taken goals from sub Haris Vuckic delivered a margin more appropriate to the balance of play.
While the other 80 per cent of the Newcastle Five — riven by ailments and injuries — contribute zilch, Vuckic has more than paid his way. McCall might have been stretching it when he drew a comparison with 90s team-mate Alexei Mikhailitchenko, but the Slovenian could have a key influence in the push for promotion.
‘When Cowdenbeath scored with just about their first shot on target, the mindset reverts back to: “Oh no, here we go again,”’ admitted McGregor. ‘But we showed the resilience which has been missing in weeks gone by. We won’t get carried away but these two wins can help build momentum.
‘When the gaffer came in, he made it clear we had to basically forget what had happened before.
‘That is hard from a fans’ point of view because we have been poor collectively and individually. We all know that. But we need to look forward from here on in and the next seven games are crucial.
‘We want to finish second and that will give us some breathing space. It would give us time to recover for the play- off games. That is our objective.’