Rangers defender James Penrice has backed Derek McInnes’ side to replicate their dominant 3-0 Premier Sports Cup victory over Celtic when they travel to Parkhead for Sunday’s Premiership clash. The Light Blues face an empty away end but retain full confidence.
McInnes turned Ibrox into a cauldron on Sunday as his team swept Celtic aside to reach the cup semi-finals. However, with Rangers fans barred from Parkhead for the league showdown, Martin O’Neill’s Hoops will look to flip the script in front of their home support. Penrice refuses to let the partisan atmosphere intimidate the squad.
He said: “It’ll be a different game, but we’ll go there with the mindset that we’re going to win, and that’s what you need to do as a Rangers player. You need to go to these places and win.”
The victory marked five straight wins for Rangers following early European disappointment. Yet, the Gers fullback insists the squad remains grounded ahead of another ferocious derby.
Penrice said: “You’ve seen certain incidents, certain times in the game where we came together, and you see it after the match, the boys are buzzing, but I am very aware that it’s one game, and Sunday’s now back in the league and we need to go and do a job.”
While performance levels have steadily climbed under McInnes, Penrice believes the squad still has room for growth.
He added: “I definitely think we’ve got more gears to go, but at the same time I’m very wary that it’s one game at a time. There’s evidence that it’s a lot better, but let’s not get too far in front of ourselves.”
The transformation from early-season turmoil to a cohesive unit represents significant progress for the Ibrox side.
Penrice concluded: “But definitely it feels like a real team, and that’s probably the biggest compliment I can give the boys, and for the manager as well, as we’ve created that from a difficult position.”
