BILLY Dodds insists Rangers’ focus will be on Aberdeen on Sunday as they head to the north-east in the Scottish Premiership.
The league clash comes in between a huge double header against Athletic Club in the UEFA Europa League quarter-finals, but the assistant coach says it would be naive for the squad to take their eyes off the Aberdeen match.
Speaking to the media ahead of tomorrow's game, he said: “It's a tasty fixture, it is one of the biggest in the calendar in the Scottish Premiership. I think whether you are an Aberdeen player or Rangers player this is a fixture you are looking forward to.
“It will probably be a full house and there will be a good atmosphere so if you can't look forward to this game then there's something wrong.
“The players put a lot into Thursday night, but we knew we were going to have to put a lot in to get a result.
"We will see what is happening in terms of the players we have available and then we will judge what we will do on Sunday. It is a big game, it always is a tasty fixture, so it is one we are looking forward to.
“All we are concentrating on is Aberdeen. We are not even looking to next Thursday. We would be naive and stupid to even look ahead to next Thursday.
"We need to go full out, whoever we play, whatever team we pick. We want to beat every team we play, we have had a couple of disappointments, so we know how that feels so we are going there to win.”
Dodds hopes the squad can take confidence from Thursday night’s 0-0 draw with Athletic Club as 10-man Rangers battled to hold the La Liga side at Ibrox.
He continued: “We have got to take so much confidence, and we did it the last time in Europe when we had a big match against Fenerbahce and then we went to Parkhead and got the victory.
“Everybody wrote us off. I think performances like that bring you energy and that is what we are going to need when we face Aberdeen.
“It was amazing how we kept a clean sheet with nine players, and losing Robin [Propper] earlier shows what can be done with hard work, graft and a bit of organisation but the players were heroic.
“I think if they put their minds to it we can go on a consistent run yes, the two defeats have been disappointing, but I think overall you can see some sort of consistency coming back.
"We can't get away from it that we have lost a couple of games so that has put a wee dent, but I think the replies and the reaction from the players have been really good.
On how he has found life in the Rangers coaching staff since joining with Barry Ferguson in February, Dodds continued: “I have loved it since I have come in, the staff have loved it, and we got a reaction from the players. I can't answer for them, but I think the players have enjoyed it and that is all we want.
“If we can get some consistent results domestically, we will be really happy but every day is massive when you come to this club because you are asked a question every day.”