Rangers

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Simo Valakari has no plans to shelve his attacking outlook at Ibrox as St Johnstone bid to prevent Rangers getting their title bid back on track.

The Ibrox side's seven-game winning run was ended by a 2-2 draw at Dundee last week that allowed Celtic to open up a four-point gap at the summit.

Fifth-place Saints have lost just one of their past six matches before the trip to Govan.

"We need to play our way of football because when you go to these tough places, there is no point trying to be something different, trying to be something you are not, or you have not been in training," boss Valakari said.

"Yes, we know there will be moments when they will push us into a low block, when we need to execute our defending actions at a very high level.

"But then the ball is a power and it gives you the front-foot thinking when you can have the ball. And especially in places like this, you need to be able to have the ball. And that's the challenge for us, what we can do then with the ball.

"It's easy to say, 'go and play, have no fear'. But when there are 50,000 people on you and you're a little bit out of breath, the pressure will come. But in those moments, we should remember to breathe and show our composure because we are good footballers.

"Of course, it would be massive if we can win. But we can't just go and hope. We need to go there and make things happen. And that's what we are aiming to do."

Valakari wants his side to make life as uncomfortable for the hosts in front of an expectant Ibrox crowd.

"Rangers may not be the happiest after their last result on the road," he said.

"Now they go back home and will really want to show what they can do in front of their own fans. I believe they would like to score a lot of goals and show their domination.

"But it's all about us and now we need to compete at a very good level. We need to go there and not let them breathe easily. We need to make them work for everything.

"Our aim is to ask the questions of them and make them a little bit uncomfortable with what's happening on the field."

• Rangers have spent 50.8% of their game time drawing in the Scottish Premiership this season, the highest proportion of any side. They drew 2-2 with Dundee last time out, ending their six-game league winning run.

• Only Claudio Braga has had more shots (36) in the league this season than Djeidi Gassama (33), while only Benjamin Nygren has created more chances (25) than Gassama (19).

• Rangers have won their past nine meetings with St Johnstone in all competitions by an aggregate score of 18-1 since a 2-1 league defeat in November 2022.

• St Johnstone are winless in 12 away games against Rangers in all competitions (D2 L10) since a 3-1 win in December 2017.

• St Johnstone have only lost one of their past six league games (W2 D3), avoiding defeat in their latest two away trips (W1 D1).

Real Betis continue to monitor Rangers midfielder Nico Raskin as the January transfer window approaches but the Ibrox club have no intention of letting the Belgium 25-year-old international go easily. (TeamTalk, external)

Former Scotland forward Don Hutchison regrets not joining Rangers when he had the chance upon leaving Sunderland in 2001 and wonders if Bologna and Scotland midfielder Lewis Ferguson, 27, might do likewise. (National - subscription required, external)

Thursday's Scottish gossip

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Kevin Thomson has told Rangers they must stop handing Celtic any more free-hit Sundays if they are to reel in their city rivals in at the top of the Premiership.

Rangers have no European commitments this term, while Celtic have at least six more Europa League matches to negotiate, starting with Thursday's visit of Celta Vigo.

Derek McInnes' side will play their weekend matches before Celtic more often than not over the next couple of months, but they blew the chance to turn up the pressure last Saturday with a 2-2 draw at Dundee before Martin O'Neill's men hammered Hearts 7-1.

This weekend, Rangers have the opportunity to move within a point when they host St Johnstone on Saturday before Celtic travel to Hibernian on Sunday.

"The bit I think that favours Rangers, or it should, and there can't be any excuses from a blue perspective, is they've not got Europe," former Rangers midfielder Thomson said on The Breakdown podcast.

"The likelihood is they're going to play in front of Celtic week after week. It'll not happen every week, obviously. But it's that psychological aspect of being able to win on the Saturday.

"It's St Johnstone at Ibrox on Saturday and if Celtic were to potentially have a hard European game (against Vigo) and then they have to go to Easter Road on Sunday. They could still go to Easter Road and win, but I think that's the exciting part about this title race."

Thomson, in a discussion with former Celtic player Charlie Mulgrew about a combined current Old Firm XI, added: "I still think you would pick more Rangers players (than Celtic) in a starting 11 now."

Alasdair Lamont
BBC Sport Scotland Commentator

Rangers paid the price at the weekend for failing to turn up for the full 90 minutes - a malaise that has plagued them for seasons.

It is difficult to be too critical of a side that had won their previous six matches, but the warning signs were there with the second-half performance against Kilmarnock the previous Saturday.

That carried over to Dens and they were fortunate to be level at half-time, though Derek McInnes may feel the second-half uptick should have been sufficient to claim all three points.

Despite the recent good run, Rangers are clearly still a work in progress and the cheap goals they conceded against Dundee must be cut out if they are to wrench the Premiership title from Celtic's grasp.

Supporters might wonder why a squad, which had so much money spent on it over the summer, is not being used more expansively, particularly with the team searching for a winner on Saturday.

Only Kevin Kelsy and Findlay Curtis were thrown on late in the game, with Bojan Miovski - who got the last-gasp winner against St Mirren - and Vanja Dragojevic, who hasn't featured in the league since the defeat by Hibs, among those left kicking their heels on the bench.

A first start and first goal - as well as an all-round good performance - from Badredine Bouanani augurs well though as Rangers look to start another winning run against St Johnstone at Ibrox on Saturday.

Rangers midfielder Tochi Chukwuani is ready to consider a move away from Ibrox in January should the 23-year-old's game time fail to improve. (Football Insider, external)

Rangers have been told not to panic over Connor Barron's Middlesbrough loan nightmare as Boro manager Kim Hellberg insists the "exceptional" midfielder's chance will come. (The National, external)

Dundee added to their 2-2 draw with Rangers on Saturday with a 2-1 win over the Ibrox side in a second-string bounce game at the Auchenhowie training ground in Glasgow. (Daily Record, external)

Read Wednesday's gossip column in full.

Jamie Currie
Fan writer

It's almost as if Derek McInnes overthought his Rangers approach at Dens Park.

Every game is different of course, but I don't know how you can be so bold and brave against Celtic then go to Dundee and be so conservative.

It was such a frustrating performance. And why the manager changed from the 4-4-2 to a 4-2-3-1 against a team that play 4-4-2 puzzled me.

Also, having Ryan Naderi as the lone frontman didn't work and I doubt it ever will - it's not his game.

The substitutions were so strange. Kim Min-su and Badredine Bouanani - who had opened his account for the club with the equaliser - were the catalysts to Rangers playing well in the early part of the second half and the manager replaced them.

The first half was a real struggle, a continuation of the second-half performance against Kilmarnock.

After the break we were much more fluid, got the lead through a brilliant Nico Raskin strike, then just stopped doing what we were doing.

Instead of playing forward with tempo, we lapsed back into having too many touches in our own half and not sensing danger. An error from Dan Neil and we ended up with one point instead of three.

All we can do now is focus on St Johnstone and try and get back to winning ways.

We're a bit too up and down performance-wise and need to be more consistent with that going forward.

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Scotland right-back Nathan Patterson admits he "lost" himself in recent years amid injuries and lack of game time.

Patterson, 25, joined Torino last month after more than three years at Everton. He had moved south from first club Rangers in 2022.

"To be honest, just to get back to enjoying football," Patterson told BBC Alba when asked about his ambitions in Serie A.

"I've kind of lost myself a little bit over the past few years.

"I had a few bad injuries and at the end of it, I was struggling to get minutes. So, in the back of my mind, I was looking to try and explore a new challenge and obviously this, Torino came up and I couldn't really knock it back."

Patterson joined international team-mate Che Adams in Turin and the forward scored in Monday's 3-0 win over Parma.

"It would have been a little bit more difficult if he wasn't here," Patterson said of Adams.

"He's obviously given me that one step ahead and it's been a huge boost to have a familiar face and just have someone to lean on. It's been brilliant and he's been great. He's a top player as well and he's massive for this club."

Former Rangers striker Kris Boyd says manager Derek McInnes faces a big call on whether to restore forward Kevin Kelsy to his starting line-up on Saturday against St Johnstone. (Scottish Sun), external

Read Tuesday's Scottish football gossip

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Dan Neil will remain a key player for Rangers despite his mistake leading to the side dropping two Premiership points at Dundee, according to goalkeeper Ivor Pandur.

Steven Pressley's side took the lead at Dens Park through striker Bradley Fink but Badredine Bouanani's first goal for the Ibrox club three minutes later and Nico Raskin's magnificent strike turned the game around.

However, Neil fumbled in possession and Dundee midfielder Callum Jones fired past Pandur to earn Steven Pressley's side a deserved draw.

It was a frustrating setback for Rangers after seven straight wins but Pandur was quick to take the blame from the shoulders of Neil, who was captain in the absence of the injured Lawrence Shankland.

"You cannot take anything for granted in football," said the Croatia goalkeeper.

"The reality is Dan Neil is a great guy, an unbelievable player and really important for our team. He'll continue to be important for us. It can happen to everybody and it does.

"For us, it's about not getting into that position where one mistake really costs us the game. We could have been more in front and had an easier ending.

"Mistakes will happen in football. It's a game of beautiful moments and of mistakes. One day it's one player, another day it's the other.

"But we're not a team who points fingers. We created a lot and should have scored more. But it's not about individuals here.

"If we want to be a title-winning team we need to act and behave in that certain way. We're on the right path but it was a frustrating game for us.

"It's not a nice feeling, especially coming from a winning run and we're not happy about it. But we're in this together and we'll have these moments in the season."

Andrew Cavenagh could follow up the sale of his company with a huge new investment in Rangers' finances, according to former Aberdeen chief executive Keith Wyness. (Football Insider)

Rangers fear Olwethu Makhanya could have his head turned by growing interest from a number of Premier League clubs. (Football Insider)

Read the rest of Monday's gossip.

Watch all the highlights as Dundee came from behind to hold Rangers to a 2-2 draw at Dens Park in the Scottish Premiership and prevent Derek McInnes' side from moving top of the table. Available to UK users only.

Rangers fans, we asked for your views after Saturday's 2-2 draw away at Aberdeen.

Here's what some of you said:

Billy: Emmanuel Fernandez is a huge concern. There needs to be a sense of urgency from the start and this begins with Ivor Pandur. Playing football for 45 isn't good enough

Chris: It's a disappointment as we didn't deserve to win the game. Dundee were the better team first half. The biggest frustration is that when we played well we looked worthy of the win but didn't hit that level for long enough. We need to play well for 90 minutes to win these games.

Edd: Until we get a true holding midfielder, someone who can sit in there and dictate the game, we will keep losing cheap goals.

Ron: Same old Rangers. We beat Celtic twice home and away then struggled to beat bottom side Kilmarnock and are now failing to beat Dundee. The players need to get down and dirty if they are to beat the teams below them. This has happened far too often over many years.

Brian: Turning up for only 25 minutes of a game will not win games of football against teams who show more urgency and fight, so it proved at Dens Park. I look at Fernandez and see a player who jogs his way through a game as if he is on a different planet - no urgency whatsoever and certainly no vocal presence to motivate or cajole team mates. The game was there to be won in the second half but it was beyond this Rangers team so fair play to Dundee for a spirited performance.

Derek: Absolutely diabolical, played for 30 minutes out of the 90. What was Dan Neil thinking about? Back to the old story. We can't win the bread and butter games. We could've been buried by half time, then coasting, and blow it again. This league is so open, anyone could win it.

Rangers (£132m) have the 23rd most valuable squad in British football behind the 20 Premier League clubs and Championship duo West Ham United and Wolverhampton Wanderers, with Celtic (£104m) at 28th, while Heart of Midlothian (£21m) are 49th and Hibernian (£15m) two places below. (Transfermarkt, external)

New Scotland Under-17 coach David McCallum says Rangers midfielder Kyle Glasgow, currently on loan to Alloa Athletic, was promoted from his group to the under-21s because the 16-year-old was ready for the challenge of playing against players five years older. (The National, external)

Former Airdrieonians player-manager Rhys McCabe, who was made Scotland Under-16 coach last month, says Kyle Glasgow's promotion to the under-21s will inspire his contemporaries and lead to more talented prospects moving up the age-group ranks in future. (The Herald, external)

Former Rangers centre-half Connor Goldson, now 33, has returned to training with Apollon Limassol after open-heart surgery. (Glasgow Times, external)

Read Sunday's Scottish Gossip in full.

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Rangers manager Derek McInnes tells BBC Scotland: "We corrected a few things at half-time, the speed of the pass to wide players, winning more duels and we defended much more confidently than we did in the first half.

"On the back of the first half, Dundee deservedly went in front. We knew ahead of the game that their forward players work the system really well and they would ask us questions, but for us in possession was the problem. Min-Su Kim had to play closer to Naderi, and we had to try and get our wide players isolated more with their full-backs and that means passing with a quicker tempo.

"Bouanani's goal before half-time is a top class finish and when we got him into those kind of situations like in the second half, Gassama and him tortured their full backs and got us up the pitch.

"It's a magnificent goal from Nico, but we had so many more chances, we need to make better decisions, we shouldn't need to score more than two goals to win a game of football.

"That 25 minutes of play, shows what the team is capable of, when we play in that manner we're a very good team.

"We've made a mistake for Dundee's equaliser and it was like a balloon popping and we then had to dig deep and go again, and we never quite managed to get to the same levels.

"It does feel like a missed opportunity, but in fairness to Dundee they were good value in the first half, it shows you why they are where they are in the league, but I was more concerned about what we needed to do against it, but we can't come away from home and have to score three goals to win a game.

"I feel Dundee have got a good thing going here, they have partnerships all over the pitch, a good balance about them, they will ask questions of teams, but we just needed to play with more speed in our possession game and get more support to Naderi first half.

"We have to play for a bit more than we did second half to see the game out. The effort was there, I think the fans believe in this team, as I do and I think the team believes so it's a disappointed dressing room as it feels like a defeat, and that is the way it should feel."

Rangers missed the chance to return to the Scottish Premiership summit as they played out a captivating draw at Dundee.

Read the match report

Have your say

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Rangers centre-back Emmanuel Fernandez says the players "want to die for each other" as he continues to play a key role in the side's upturn in form.

The 25-year-old Nigeria international joined the club last summer from Peterborough United and has been ever-present in the side this past year.

Rangers have recorded five clean sheets in their last seven games, including two big wins over city rivals Celtic.

Another win over Dundee at Dens Park on Saturday would send Rangers back to the top before Martin O'Neill's side's face Hearts on Sunday.

"For us, we just need to maintain togetherness and focus on the next games and show what we can do," Fernandez said.

"I feel like, throughout the whole week, we've had more time together, more time to work on things and I feel like that's something that is going to benefit us in the long run.

"I feel like whenever there's a bit of a sticky spell, everyone's going through a crisis and it feels like the world is coming to an end.

"The game before Aberdeen, we lost in the Europa Conference League. I feel like that time period that we had together - we went straight to the hotel after the game - was the best time period we could have had.

"Everyone wants to play for each other.

"Everyone wants to die for each other. And I feel like that's what you need in a team, just to stay together and stick together through every moment."

Brian McLauchlin
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Steven Pressley has been impressed with the way Derek McInnes has turned around Rangers' fortunes following a difficult start to the campaign.

The Dundee head coach is hoping to end the Ibrox club's good run when they visit on Saturday but said: "One of the great strengths of Derek's teams is that they have great variation in the way that they play.

"So it's actually difficult to stop them. You can't just set out and say, 'Okay, these are the specific patterns and movements', because they're highly adaptable.

"They'll build, they'll play forward, they'll cross, they'll ask questions of you.

"The things that I've spoken about this week with the group, have been the basics. If you don't do the basics against Rangers and Derek's Rangers, they'll run all over the top of you."

The central defensive partnership of Ryan Astley and Owen Bevan has been a cornerstone of Dundee's performances this season and will no doubt come under pressure on Saturday.

Pressley, who was a centre-back himself, has been encouraged by the understanding developing between the pair and the trust they have built within his team.

"Ryan Astley has been with me now for 14 or 15 months," he said. "We've grown a great bond between us and we trust each other.

"And, of course, Owen Bevan has come in and been amazing. It takes longer to build that, but I trust the two of them."

Rangers manager Derek McInnes says Dujon Sterling's simmering rage at how their title challenge faltered last season has inspired the 26-year-old right-back to go from fringe man to regular starter. (Daily Record, external)

Olwethu Makhanya is already attracting serious attention, with Brentford and Sunderland among the clubs interested, only months after the 22-year-old centre-back joined Rangers from Philadelphia Union for £3m. (TeamTalk, external)

Read Saturday's Scottish Gossip in full.

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Dundee will give fitness tests on Drey Wright (knee), Ryan Finningan (ankle) and Charlie Reilly (broken toe) while Zan Besir returns from suspension.

Joe Westley (ankle) is out for four weeks and Bobby Wales (ankle) has returned to parent club Swansea to see a specialist next week. Simon Murray, Finlay Robertson and Jack Moorhouse (all ACL) are out long term.

For Rangers, Ross McCrorie has picked up a little hamstring issue and will be out for the next three weeks.

Cammy Devlin remains out with a hamstring injury picked up before the international break.

Dujon Sterling has trained after shrugging off a bout of illness and a hamstring issue.

Lawrence Shankland (hamstring), Youssef Chermiti (knee) and Daisuke Yokota (groin) are still out.