Plenty has been made of the soul-searching after Rangers’ painful European elimination against Jablonec, it turns out that an Aberdeen hotel stay was the setting for the response.
Direct talking and a few heads banged together so to speak has concentrated minds.
While the win over Aberdeen on Sunday wasn’t a scintillating performance, there were moments of encouragement, with the visitors carrying more attacking threat.
After ‘Czeching out’ of Europe, Rangers could have returned straight to Glasgow.
Instead, the club chose a different, logical path.
Rather than allowing the squad two days of isolation and reflection, before another long bus trip to the north east, the team flew from Prague directly to Aberdeen on Friday morning.
As detailed by the Daily Record, they checked into a city hotel and trained at Formartine United’s modest facilities, remaining together as a group for the full 48 hours ahead of the clash at Pittodrie.
There were no distractions, no time with loved ones or home comforts.
The emphasis was on bonding and a collective experience.
If good things can come from such a low point, the Aberdeen hotel stay will be a fond moment in time to look back on.
In the aftermath of the Aberdeen victory, it appears to have resonated with the group.
Dan Neil details Rangers response in Aberdeen
Derek McInnes and Dan Neil spoke in detail about the weekend’s events.
“Over the weekend, we spent some time in Aberdeen as a team in the hotel together,” said Neil
“It wasn’t just a case of lads going to their rooms on their iPads and no-one speaking. There were a lot of conversations, mostly about last Thursday night, or the last few weeks, really, and how important Sunday’s game was.
“No matter what we did, we had to come away with three points. And I think you saw the connections we built over those last few days on the pitch at Aberdeen. Those conversations we had were really important. During a season, you’re going to have ups and downs. But the biggest thing is ironing them out really quickly. Those few days we had together in Aberdeen were really positive for the group.
“It was as a whole, not just the squad but the staff, backroom staff. We spent every hour with each other really and talked about what we think we can improve on.
“To top it off with three points on Sunday at a tough place to go was really important for us.
“Everybody in the squad has got a voice. We asked for everybody’s opinion and we respect everyone’s opinion.
“We try to speak as a team, to iron out the things that we were saying maybe weren’t going right.
“Obviously, I’m not going to go into exactly what was said, but I think you saw on Sunday that all the lads are together and willing to fight for each other.”
More required from Dan Neil and McInnes’ Rangers
Neil also reflected on his own struggles so far at Ibrox.
He hasn’t been on form, and has rightly been questioned.
It’s up to the player to prove the doubters wrong.
He should benefit from playing the full game against Aberdeen, having been hooked at half-time against Jablonec.
“This is everything I thought it was going to be and probably a bit more as well.
“The ups are very up and the downs are very down here, but that’s why you come and play for a big club.
“Those downs really do crush you and hurt you, but they also give you motivation to get back to the ups, get back to winning ways and get back to feeling good again.”
“In an ideal world, everybody wants to play nice football through the thirds and break teams down.
“But over the last few weeks the group has probably lacked a bit of confidence with the results that we’ve had. That’s only natural when they’re not going your way.
“So on Sunday, it was important today to stand up, fight and win duels. You saw little sparks of nice bits of play and one of them was for the goal.
“But I think you’re seeing a hell of a lot of lads willing to fight for each other, stand up and be counted. That was the most important thing on Sunday. Me and Cammy (Devlin) were speaking about it.
“That little bit of play, I’m sure you’re going to see more of that as the season goes on. But it was just important that we fought, won second balls and stuck together for the duration of the game.
“We had to make sure that we came away from that place with three points, with everyone feeling better about themselves. Now it’s about not getting ahead of ourselves and looking to the next game on Wednesday.”
One game doesn’t change the bigger picture.
Results are required and the fans are still doubtful about what lies ahead. Especially with a double European embarrassment still fresh in the mind.
Wins buy time. Wins buy confidence.
Rangers, Derek McInnes and Dan Neil need both over the next few weeks.
By the time the next Pittodrie assignment comes around, maybe an Aberdeen hotel stay won’t be required.
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