Stephen Robinson Confident as St Mirren Aim for Another Upset Against Rangers at Ibrox
St Mirren boss Stephen Robinson has already masterminded one victory over Rangers this season, and he is optimistic that his team can defy the odds again when they visit Ibrox this Saturday for a rare 3pm kick-off.
Back in December, The Buddies stunned Philippe Clement’s side with a dramatic 2-1 victory, marking their first league win over Rangers since 2011. That game was decided in thrilling fashion when Caolan Boyd-Munce unleashed a stunning 93rd-minute long-range strike, sending the Paisley crowd into raptures. The result sparked speculation in some quarters about Robinson’s suitability for the Rangers job, though former Ibrox goalkeeper Cammy Bell was quick to dismiss such suggestions.
Despite that memorable victory, St Mirren have never beaten Rangers at Ibrox in a league match. However, Robinson remains hopeful that his side can create history this weekend. Speaking at his Friday press conference, he emphasized the belief within his squad.
Robinson Aware of Rangers’ Attacking Threat
The St Mirren manager knows that any hope of a second successive win over Rangers will depend largely on how well his team can handle Clement’s talented attacking options. One of the standout threats is Vaclav Cerny, the on-loan Wolfsburg winger, who has been in electric form.
With 10 goals this season, Cerny is joint-second in the Scottish Premiership Golden Boot race, sitting just behind Dundee United’s Sam Dalby. Meanwhile, Cyriel Dessers and Hamza Igamane are also among the division’s top scorers, with eight and nine goals, respectively. Rangers’ firepower does not stop there, as Ianis Hagi has returned in stunning form, leaving fans and pundits alike in awe.
Robinson was full of praise for Cerny, recognizing the Czech forward as a major threat:
“We proved only a few weeks ago that we can beat them—deservedly so, in my eyes. But you have to defend well. They’ve got a lot of talent up front, a lot of spark in attack. Vaclav Cerny is a big threat, and they’ve got other players that can win games on their own.”
The St Mirren boss is under no illusions about the challenge his side faces but remains confident that his team can pose problems of their own.
Counter-Attacks and Exploiting Rangers’ Full-Backs
Robinson’s tactical plan in December proved highly effective, as St Mirren exposed Rangers’ attack-minded full-backs to great success. He will likely look to repeat that approach at Ibrox, where Rangers will be expected to take the initiative and dominate possession.
A key factor in St Mirren’s strategy will be the availability of right-wing-back Ryan Alebiosu, who has returned from a recent injury scare. The former Arsenal youngster will play a crucial role in exploiting the space left by Rangers’ adventurous left-back Jefte on the counter-attack. Robinson was keen to stress that St Mirren will have to be patient and disciplined but believes there will be opportunities to hurt Rangers:
“Obviously, it’s an away game at Ibrox. The expectation will be on Rangers to come out and play. And obviously, there’ll be spaces for us to exploit. Rangers will try to dominate possession, which is fine for us. We’ve got players who can take advantage of space in behind.”
He further emphasized the importance of defensive discipline:
“We have to defend well. We have to do the simple things. We’ve defended much better in recent weeks. And then we have to believe when we land on the ball, which we have done in the last two games and in the previous game against Rangers.”
Pressure on Rangers After Poor Display
Rangers come into the game knowing that nothing less than a win will be acceptable. Philippe Clement’s side has been inconsistent in recent weeks, and the Belgian coach has not hidden his frustration, branding recent performances as “unacceptable.” He will demand a strong reaction from his players.
One positive for Rangers is the return of Brazilian forward Danilo, who scored their only goal in the December defeat to St Mirren. Clement confirmed in his pre-match press conference that Danilo is back in contention after another spell on the sidelines. However, Rangers will be without key defender John Souttar, who has been ruled out due to injury.
Souttar’s absence could prove significant, as St Mirren will look to test Rangers’ defensive line whenever possible. Robinson acknowledged the quality of Rangers’ squad but stressed that the pressure is firmly on the home side:
“We know what Rangers are. They’re a good side. They’ve got good individuals. Rangers are expected to win—they should turn up and beat us nine times out of ten. So the expectation is obviously on them. But that’s up to us to manage and counter that with our own ideas.”
Can St Mirren Make History?
As the match approaches, St Mirren have a chance to achieve something they have never done before—win a league game at Ibrox. Their confidence will be buoyed by their recent success against Rangers, but they will need another near-perfect performance to pull off another upset.
For Rangers, this game is a must-win. Dropped points would be disastrous for their title ambitions, and Clement will demand a response from his players.
With both sides highly motivated, Saturday’s clash promises to be an intriguing battle. Will Rangers get their revenge, or can St Mirren shock them again?