RANGERS will be under pressure to play in an adventurous rather than cautious way in Saturday's Scottish Cup final, according to Andy Aitken. The Queen of the South defender also said that, while he feels some sympathy for his opponents because of the fixture pile-up they have faced, he believed the SPL had come to the right decision by making only a minor adjustment to the season.
Aitken, who is in his testimonial year and has twice had to move a celebration dinner because of Queens' cup run, believes that Rangers, as favourites, will have to try and impose themselves on the game at Hampden rather than soaking up the pressu
re. Any attempt to play in the latter manner, he thinks, would only play into the hands of his own team.
"Rangers can't possibly play the way they have been playing," Aitken said yesterday at Glasgow Green Football Centre, Queen of the South's regular training venue. "Not against us on a cup-final day.
"You can understand the situation in Europe and the tactics they've played, but they can't possibly go with one up front against us. It would actually suit us quite well if they did."
Although the rejigging of the SPL was of no direct interest to Aitken and his colleagues at Palmerston Park, they were concerned by proposals from some quarters that the date of the cup final itself be changed. "I felt it was the correct decision," he said of the fixture alteration.
"Rangers have become the victims of their own success. You obviously feel for them, because the amount of games they've had this past week is ridiculous.
"The pressure that's on them to get results and win the league makes it slightly unfair on Rangers, but at the same time anybody would take the opportunity they've had to play in the Uefa Cup final. It would be very disappointing if they moved the cup-final date, because obviously some of our boys are getting married and going away. It would be a complete farce if they moved the date of the cup final.
"This is all your Christmases, birthdays and weddings come together on one day for us."
One problem for Queens is that their own league season ended some time ago – on 26 April, when they lost 4-0 at Dunfermline. "It's been really hard not to have played a competitive game. The gaffer's tried to keep the build-up low-key, and the fact we're in the final hasn't really kicked in yet. Thursday and Friday I think it will.
"Just trying to keep everyone's focus has probably been the hardest thing. We've had games against St Mirren and Hearts, but their tempo wasn't 100 per cent, so it's not the same.
"Hopefully it won't affect us too much on Saturday. Then Rangers have got the opposite problem of too many games.
"With going up to Aberdeen on Thursday night (for their final league match] then coming back down, their preparation can't be right for such a big game.
"The pressure is definitely on them, massively. We can go there and enjoy ourselves.
"I think we can make a game of it. I'm not going to say we're going to beat them, but I think we can go there, and score, and make a game of it."
Aitken's colleague Neil MacFarlane is one of the few Queens players to have extensive experience of Hampden – though that is only because he began his career with Queen's Park. The midfielder has played in semi-finals before, but has yet to turn out in the final itself.
"I've been lucky enough to be involved with some big clubs and in numerous massive games, but to come to a club like this and reach a cup final is great," MacFarlane said.
"I had four and a half years with Hearts, and I was delighted when they went on to win the cup (in 2006]. There were six months left on my contract when I went up to Aberdeen, and then I signed for Gretna."
MacFarlane was one of those fortunate enough to get out of Gretna before the financial cutbacks really took hold. "I was hampered by injury at Gretna, but I played enough games to win a championship medal, so I've good memories from that.
"But I wasn't enjoying my football as much down there. I came here at the start of this season, with the realisation that I knew I was working with a good manager – I'd worked with him (Gordon Chisholm] before at Airdrie, so that was a massive factor in coming here.
"It's sad the way it's ended at Gretna, but it's been beneficial for me to move here. There's no doubt about that. It's been one of the best years I've had."
And MacFarlane knows there is a chance it could get better yet. "I started at Queen's Park and was lucky enough to win a championship there.
"Everywhere I've been I've won something, so hopefully that can continue."
The full article contains 850 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
