Hamilton boss not going to Ibrox for sightseeing trip

Brian Rice
Author: Alison ConroyPublished 2nd Oct 2019

Hamilton head coach Brian Rice has told his players they are not going to Ibrox at tourists.

Accies face in-form Rangers on Sunday in the Ladbrokes Premiership and Rice knows it will be the first time many of his players have been to Ibrox.

But he insists it is not a sightseeing trip as they strive to pull off a shock and topple the Old Firm giants.

Rice said: "For a lot of the boys that go there on Sunday won't have played there before and probably won't have been to Ibrox before.

"But it's not a sightseeing trip we are going on. It's work day, so it's time to roll the sleeves up and get stuck in and that's what I'll be saying to them.

"A lot of them won't have played in front of the crowds that Rangers generate but it's not the crowd we're playing, we're playing 11 guys, 11 very good players and a bench full of good players as well.

"But I've every confidence in my lads. We're not at the level Rangers are at, we know that but shocks happen in football and that's why we love it.''

Rice has been impressed by Rangers this season and believes Steven Gerrard has constructed the Ibrox outfit's best attacking side in many years.

Rangers have notched 21-goals in just seven Premiership games and scored nine goals in their last two league outings, after putting four past St Johnstone and then five past Aberdeen.

But Rice insists his players will relish the challenge of trying to keep them at bay and causing them problems at the other end.

He said: "It's just another game for me, it's another three points at stake.

"Obviously I know the form that Rangers are in, the goals they are scoring. In my opinion, it's probably the best attacking Rangers team I've seen in a long, long time.

"They've got goals from all over the pitch, the freedom they play with. It's going to be a very difficult task for us but it's a test for my boys and it's a test for me but it's something we're looking forward to.

"It's a formidable task but it's one we're relishing.

"We've got to go there and be disciplined; have a game plan and believe we can get something.

"If you don't believe in what you're doing then there is no point in doing it, you may as well throw the towel in and that's one thing we certainly don't do here.

"We'll go there, we'll prepare properly.'