Rangers face Aberdeen today in what is the latest must-win for manager Michael Beale, following a brighter result midweek v Livingston, albeit one which relied on a blatantly illegal goal and which suffered around 45+ minutes of very bad football in the middle.

4-0 may have flattered us but we’ll take it and the semi-final thanks very much, and we’d love a similar scoreline v Barry Robson’s side.

Aberdeen are dire at the moment, they’ve had a pitiful start to the season, two wins in the last 8 matches isn’t what their manager wanted from what was a big overhaul to his playing squad this summer.

They have had a similar summer to Rangers, with 10 new players coming in, and the early results have not shone by any means as they sit second-bottom.

Which is why Rangers-hating Robson would absolutely love to kick start his and Aberdeen’s season with a big result at Ibrox today, and why Michael Beale and the hosts will have to be very wary of that outcome.

Regardless of claims one way or the other about Aberdeen ‘raising’ their game v Rangers, we do have a huge history and rivalry with this side and while not all their players are overly invested in that rivalry, that has never mattered before.

Beale’s job is permanently ‘on the line’ at the moment, and one bad result/performance/slip up and while we’re not saying it’s curtains, it’s not ideal.

And the last side Rangers want to lose to right now is Aberdeen. Especially this horrendous Aberdeen.

We got a small lift v Livi – bear in mind they’re hardly great themselves either, they’re third-bottom of the league so we can’t exactly measure ourselves on success against such a poor side, but there’s definitely something different when the Sheep come to town, regardless of their league position.

Ibrox expects.