McCall hoping for fans' support

Photo by Jeff Holmes

Stuart McCall has called for Rangers fans to make a positive contribution to the Scottish Premiership play-off first-leg game against Hibernian at Ibrox on Wednesday night.

The Gers boss has witnessed the best and worst of the Light Blues support in recent weeks and much prefers the former.

There were several moments of anxiety in the stands during the play-off second-leg against Queen of the South in Govan on Sunday before a 1-1 draw took the home side through the quarter-final on a 3-2 aggregate.

McCall outlined the importance of fans ditching the criticism in favour of backing the team against Hibs.

The former Rangers midfielder, who revealed that skipper Lee McCulloch returns to the squad after recovering from a training ground knock, said: "Hibs will be saying, as Queen of the South were saying, 'go to Ibrox, keep the crowd quiet, score the first goal and the crowd will turn on them'.

"I have said all along, it (Ibrox) is a difficult place to play when expectations are high.

"We are not a Graeme Souness team, or a Walter Smith team, or a Dick Advocaat team. We haven't got that quality.

"But the last two home games have pleased me so much, with the supporters.

"There have been tense moments. We have given the ball away at times and you can understand the frustrations of the fans.

"In the second-last home game against Falkirk we went 2-0 down and the captain got booed a little but inside two minutes the supporters had turned that on its head by clapping him.

"That response got us the 2-2 draw that day.

"Against Queen of the South, we were a goal down, the ball gets thrown out to Richard Foster, it takes a bobble and he slices it into the stand and again there are moans and groans.

"Within a minute the ground was as loud as I have ever heard it and this was before we had scored. They got us that goal as much as anybody.

"I don't want the players to freeze, or be frightened to make a pass or (be) anxious.

"When the fans use that tension to sing and cheer, the difference in the players is incredible.''

Rangers' only win over Hibs in the Championship came in their last meeting at Easter Road in March, with goals from defender Lee Wallace and striker Kenny Miller.

With that recent success in mind, McCall and Miller were both at pains to stress that victory in the first leg was not crucial.

"I am actually quite happy that the second leg is away,'' said the former Motherwell boss.

"I just feel that the last part of the game shouldn't be as tense at home because it is the first game.

"Against Queen of the South, we knew if we had lost, that was game over. We couldn't get promoted. And it does get nervy.

"But when we go to Easter Road, it will be flipped on Hibs and so it might be easier to play the second leg away.

"So if we go to Easter Road without a lead it won't bother me. I still think we will be good enough to get something there.''

Miller was singing from the same hymn sheet.

"The history of Rangers is that you are expected to win every game and the players know that,'' said the former Hibs player.

"We will go to win, make no mistake about that.

"We are expected to win but in the bigger picture it isn't critical because they know after the last game there that we can go there and win.

"So as much as we are going for the win and we believe we can win, it isn't critical.''