Rangers would've left Pittodrie empty handed last term, says Arfield
The midfielder believes Steven Gerrard has improved the Ibrox club
Scott Arfield believes Rangers have shown they're no pushovers - and insists the Ibrox men would have walked away from Pittodrie empty handed last term.
Steven Gerrard's Premiership opener was spoiled when Aberdeen youngster Bruce Anderson struck in injury time to deny the visitors a win on Sunday.
But midfielder Arfield says his side should still be proud of their display in the 1-1 draw after they were forced to battle on a man down from the 12th minute following Alfredo Morelos' red card for kicking out at Scott McKenna.
"From the first day of pre-season we have worked towards this game,'' said the former Burnley battler.
"We are working on standards, expectations, demands of this football club and Aberdeen knew this.
"I don't think previous Rangers teams (would) get a result here today given the circumstances - so we should be proud.
"In the dressing room, you need to come together and galvanise.
"The club is huge, it is an institution, but it starts from the dressing room and if everybody is in there on the same sheet it makes it incredibly difficult for our opponents to get something from us, like it was today.
"They got a lucky break and fair play to the lad, it is a good strike and it goes in the bottom corner.
But the feeling we have got now is one that we don't want to feel again.
"If there were 11 men out there then there would only have been one team in it.''
Derek McInnes was delighted to see his side fight back for a point but admitted concern after in-demand centre-back McKenna limped off with a hamstring tear.
"I don't know how long Scott will be out for, he will be scanned tomorrow,'' McInnes said. It's a tear. There are different levels of tear so I wouldn't want to guess.
"Best case scenario a couple of weeks, worst case it could be six to eight weeks.'