Leon Balogun was introduced to the rough and tumble of Scottish football when his head was smashed off a post at Pittodrie.
But even that didn’t sting quite as much as the blow Barry Robson’s Aberdeen side dished out the last time they took a swing at Rangers. The Dons’ 3-1 win at Ibrox in September proved to be a knock-out for Michael Beale as the Londoner was counted out after 10 months in charge of Gers. It was a result that did more than just daze the Ibrox
Balogun described it as a boot to the jaw that left egos bruised and confidence levels on the floor. But since Philippe Clement entered the fray, Gers have been almost punch perfect, landing six wins and a draw from the Belgian’s seven games in charge. They’ve climbed off the canvas and fought their way back into the title reckoning as well as the chase for Europa League progression. But the granite chin under the new gaffer will now be tested in tomorrow’s Granite City rematch.
And Balogun. shrugging off former Ger Kris Boyd’s claims the Reds try harder against their Ibrox rivals, is confident that this time his side will be up for the fight. He said: “I think every team tries harder against us, always. So with all due respect that’s nothing new really.
“We all know that, especially from the Aberdeen side, there’s a great value to that game because of the rivalry. You always know up there that it’s not going to be pretty. They’re going to make it hard for you.
“First time I played there I ended up being slammed against a goalpost. That was my first game in Scotland so it was a proper welcome. There’s always games when everyone is fighting hard and we know it’s going to be physical.
“But for us it’s about focusing on our game. First of all we deal with that and accept it, then still try and play our football.
“I wasn’t involved the last time we played them but that was a massive kick in the face, a punch in the gut. The team was very down. There was a very dark cloud around the dressing room which feels like it has now lifted.
“There’s a different buzz in the changing room and confidence feels pretty high at the moment because of the recent results and performances as well. So it’s very, very different.”
Rangers are now out to settle scores, facing a potential 11-point deficit, with Celtic playing Motherwell on Saturday. Balogun said: “There will probably always be an element of, ‘Right, last game we know how it went, so let’s make sure it doesn’t happen again.
“I don’t want to call it revenge but it never sits nicely if you suffer defeat. We haven’t actually spoken about it as a group but I’m sure most of the lads will have it at the back of their mind.”
The international break has been the first opportunity for Clement to clear his head and give his players a breather after a hectic introduction to his new posting in Govan. But there won’t be much time to take stock in the next few weeks as Rangers gear up for a frantic festive schedule that will see them cram 12 games in before the January shutdown.
Balogun said: “It was a good break. We had a decent-sized squad here. I think it was vital we had more training during the break, based on the manager being here for six weeks now. He wants to get more of his ideas and philosophy over to us, which I think has gone well so far. You can see that in the performances as well.
“I’ve a feeling we probably took it on a little quicker than what he expected but that’s just a guess. I think so far he’s quite happy with the first block we’ve had but now we have a very big block ahead of us that needs full focus and a lot of really hard work. But everyone is really buying in to what he’s trying to do.
“You can see there’s a different feel and a new confidence in the group. That had been down a bit before when there were a few bumps in the road.
\“We’re here to play football and there are so many games coming thick and fast. We’ll need the whole squad. We have confidence in each other and the whole group as well.
“I think the manager is very straightforward, he has this manner about him that is very clear. There’s a lot of repetition because he wants to make sure we get every single detail.
“Is Aberdeen a chance to show how far you’ve come since the last game? I’m not sure because we faced Prague in the Europa League, who are very strong opposition.
“But Aberdeen is always a tough game. I think it’s going to be interesting to see how we come out of the blocks after the international break. But the new manager is very demanding, there’s not much room to slip in your standards and he’ll let you know if he’s not happy.
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