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Barry Robson demands Aberdeen ‘impose ourselves’ on Rangers in bid for seventh straight win

The Dons are looking to make it seven wins on the spin when they host rivals Rangers on Sunday.

Aberdeen's Luis 'Duk' Lopes celebrates scoring to make it 1-0 against Kilmarnock in Saturday's 2-0 Premiership win. Image: SNS
Aberdeen's Luis 'Duk' Lopes celebrates scoring to make it 1-0 against Kilmarnock in Saturday's 2-0 Premiership win. Image: SNS

Barry Robson will demand Aberdeen impose themselves on Rangers in the bid to land a seventh straight win.

The in-form Dons’ longest winning streak since 2015 has elevated Robson’s side to third in the Premiership.

Aberdeen are in pole position to secure a potential multi-million Euro qualification prize pot and continental action until December.

Robson is determined to continue that red hot winning momentum when hosting second-placed Rangers at Pittodrie on Sunday.

However the Dons are 14 games without a win against Rangers, dating back to a 1-0 victory at Ibrox in December 2018.

It is almost seven years since Aberdeen last defeated Rangers in the Granite City.

The Dons last home win against the Ibrox club was in September 2016 (2-1), a run of 10 games.

Robson aims to end that win drought against Gers but accepts it will take every Dons player to deliver top form.

Manager Barry Robson is determined his side will impose themselves on Rangers. Image: SNS.

He said: “The message is clear to the players.

“We are at home, we will have a full house behind us and we want to try to impose ourselves on the game.

“It is going to be a difficult game, we know that.

“We are on  good run but we can’t think we have some divine right to win the game.

“We need to all be eight, nine or 10 (out of 10) all over the pitch.

“If we do that we can give ourselves every chance of getting a result.”

Duk scores to make it 1-0 Aberdeen against Ross County. Image: SNS

‘We are sticking to the way we want to do things’

Aberdeen came close to defeating Rangers in their previous two meetings, both under former boss Jim Goodwin.

In December last year the Reds were 2-1 up in injury time in the Premiership at Pittodrie.

However they suffered a disastrous late collapse with the loss of two injury time goals to lose 3-2.

The Dons also took Rangers to extra-time in the League Cup semi-final at Hampden the following month.

Duk celebrates scoring to make it 1-0 Aberdeen against Ross County. (Photo by Mark Scates / SNS Group)

The teams were level at 1-1 but captain Anthony Stewart received a straight red card and 10-man Aberdeen would eventually lose 2-1.

Those narrow defeats to Rangers were part of a dismal run where the Reds won just once in 10 games.

Goodwin paid the price for that crash in form when sacked following a 6-0 loss at Hibs on January 28.

Robson was then placed in interim charge with the Dons languishing in the bottom six.

Under his guidance they have risen up to third in the Premiership.

Robson insists the Reds will retain the same footballing philosophy against Rangers that has been key to the revival.

He said: “Those games (against Rangers) were ones I wasn’t involved in and never saw.

“What we have been working on are the things we have tried to make clear to the team.

“We are sticking to the way we want to do things.

“Principles of how we want to play and how we want to affect the game.

“Hopefully we can put a good performance on.”

Aberdeen manager Barry Robson in Dingwall. Image: SNS

Red Army backing will be important

Pittodrie is set to be packed out for Sunday’s hotly anticipated showdown against Rangers.

It is a clash of form teams with the Ibrox club having won 11 of their last 12 league matches.

The only loss in that run was a 3-2 loss away at Premiership leaders Celtic in Gers’ last away match.

Not since February 2020 have Rangers lost two in a row away from home.

Aberdeen fans during the 1-0 defeat of Ross County in Dingwall. Image: Shutterstock.

Robson, who will manage Aberdeen until at least the end of the season, said: “The fans enjoy it as it always a good game against Rangers.

“Our supporters have been brilliant.

“We know how good a side Rangers are under Michael Beale and the way he likes to play.

“You can see the team are getting stronger and stronger as the season goes on when I have watched them.

“His teams are always well coached and well drilled.

“They also have some really good football players.

“It is going to be a difficult game for us but one we want to go and impose ourselves on.”

The absence of skipper Shinnie

Aberdeen will be without influential skipper Graeme Shinnie for Sunday’s game.

Midfielder Shinnie was hit with a four game ban earlier this week after the Dons lost an appeal on a red card issued in the 1-0 win at Ross County.

Aberdeen described the ban as “ridiculously harsh” and urged the Scottish FA to urgently review their appeal but the request has been dismissed. 

Aberdeen skipper Graeme Shinnie is sent off against Ross County by referee Euan Anderson. Image: Shutterstock

Robson said: “We have looked in depth at Rangers and done a lot of analysis on them.

“Ultimately it’s about how we perform and how we try to play to our best ability in order to try and get a result.”

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