If anyone needed a reminder of the ferocity of the Old Firm rivalry, then the recent Tennent’s Sixes tournament certainly provided that, with Glasgow Rangers falling to a narrow defeat in the final.
This might have been a ‘friendly’ competition, but there was nothing friendly about the showpiece clash between the Gers and Celtic, with things getting a little heated both during and after that contest.
Of course, back in the real stuff, Derek McInnes‘ men are riding high after two Glasgow derby wins in succession heading into the international break, having deservedly won home and away in both contests.
A domestic treble is still in the equation for the Light Blues, but hopes of a ‘quadruple’ went up in smoke at the weekend.
How Rangers were narrowly defeated in the Tennent’s Sixes
After a 33-year hiatus, last weekend saw the Premiership’s old boys reunite for the Tennent’s Sixes tournament, a 12-team, six-a-side indoor feast of football at Braehead Arena.
In the Rangers corner, the Ibrox side were managed by a certain Barry Ferguson, while on the pitch, it was Andy Halliday wearing the armband in a team that included the likes of Charlie Adam, Martyn Waghorn and Daniel Candeias.
It all started so brightly too for the Gers, having topped the group stage after dispatching both Kilmarnock and St Mirren, while having also hit Celtic for seven in a comprehensive victory.
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Rangers Tennent’s Sixes squad |
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Andy Halliday (C) |
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Martyn Waghorn |
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Daniel Candeias |
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Kirk Broadfoot |
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Lee Robinson (GK) |
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Charlie Adam |
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Lewis Macleod |
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Alan Gow |
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Dean Shiels |
Dundee and then Hibernian came next in the knockout stage, before, unsurprisingly, it was the two Glasgow giants who went head to head again in the final, with silverware on offer.
It all got a little tetchy and heated after a relatively tame tournament to that point, with the men in green and white ultimately running out 5-4 winners following a Gary Hooper hat-trick.
Dressing room scenes suggest that the competitive streak still runs strong in the Rangers camp, even in retirement, after some choice words between teammates, with any loss to the Parkhead outfit set to sting.
Alas, it matters not in truth, with there perhaps more intrigue as to who of this current Rangers crop might be lining up in the tournament later down the line. Some appear closer to the end than others…
Worth less than Miovski: Rangers star looks destined for Tennent’s Sixes
After far too much tinkering and half-time tweaking in the early weeks of the season, McInnes has settled on a consistent starting lineup in recent weeks.
The Light Blues appear to have benefited from this newfound consistency, with a period of calm needed after yet another summer of squad upheaval at Ibrox.
What the improved run of performances has also laid bare is those who don’t seem to have a long-term future under McInnes, even those with vast Premiership experience.
Former Aberdeen man, Bojan Miovski, is among those currently on the periphery, the Macedonian striker racking up just 55 minutes of action thus far across all competitions.
At least the 27-year-old has had some form of action, however, with that certainly not the case for John Souttar, the long-serving centre-back having been cast aside by McInnes.
Like Miovski, Souttar is another man with plenty of Premiership experience under his belt, yet four years on from his free transfer arrival from Hearts, the end looks night for the 30-year-old in a Rangers shirt.
Left out of the pre-season trip to Spain, the expectation was that the 24-cap Scotland international would seal a move away from Ibrox, even despite penning a contract extension at the end of last season.
Having been frozen out thus far, Souttar hasn’t played a single minute since McInnes took charge, even while remaining in Glasgow beyond the summer deadline.
As reported earlier this week, the club are already looking at a potential January exit for the central defender, having stepped up their bid for a replacement.
For a man with 132 Gers appearances to his name, it feels like a rather sad way to bow out, with it somewhat telling that Souttar was unable to find a new club over the summer.
At 30, he’s still got plenty left in the tank, but this is a man on the decline, as seen in the fact that he ranks among the least valuable players in McInnes squad at just €1.5m (£1m), as per Transfermarkt.
That’s even below Miovski’s own value of €2.5m (£2m), highlighting just why life in the Tennent’s Sixes could be coming sooner rather than later for Souttar.
