Derek McInnes went into Rangers’ trip to Dens Park with a settled side and a seven-game winning streak to protect. His starting XI for the st match was almost identical to the one that had beaten Kilmarnock a week earlier. The only change saw Badredine Bouanani come in for Kevin Kelsy, a call that drew some grumbles from fans who had enjoyed Kelsy’s recent form.
The shape was a 4-2-3-1. Ivor Pandur started in goal, behind a back four of Dujon Sterling, Emmanuel Fernandez, Olwethu Makhanya and James Penrice. Pandur had faced doubters after replacing Jack Butland, but he had since made the number one shirt his own.
The midfield pairing of Dan Neil and Nicolas Raskin gave the team its balance. Neil has been hard to drop after winning a competitive battle for his place over the summer, and Raskin’s drive allowed the attackers ahead of them to roam. Kim Min-Su, Bouanani and Djeidi Gassama formed the supporting trio, with Ryan Naderi leading the line as the lone striker. Naderi had been in strong form, scoring twice against Kilmarnock the weekend before.
It wasn’t a full-strength squad. Cifuentes, Chermiti, Shankland, Yokota and Souttar were all unavailable, so the manager had less room to rotate. Still, the bench offered real options, including Kelsy, Bojan Miovski, Findlay Curtis and Tochi Chukwuani.
The night didn’t end the way Rangers wanted. Dundee, who had a solid defensive display and consistent pressure, earned a well-deserved point, and the winning run came to an end. A draw away from home is hardly a disaster, though, and the line-up itself still looked sound, with a clear identity and a core that has been delivering results.
The big question now is whether McInnes sticks with this group or makes changes after the setback. Given how well they performed during the streak, a few tweaks seem more likely than a full reshuffle.
