Fuming Neil Warnock takes swipe at Rangers ball boys after losing proud record
Neil Warnock couldn’t resist taking a swipe at the Rangers ball boys after his Aberdeen side went down 2-1 in his first game in charge.
Warnock was hired by Aberdeen following a poor spell under Barry Robson. The 75-year-old had been out of work since leaving Huddersfield in September, but once again stepped back into management and racked up his 1,627 game as a manager on Monday night at Ibrox.
It was an eventful return for Warnock, who took some positives from his first taste of Scottish football, but remarkably also suffered defeat for the first time in his opening match at a new club. Rabbi Matondo fired Rangers ahead after seven minutes before Bojan Miovski levelled superbly on the stroke of half-time.
Todd Cantwell sealed it for the home side, tucking home a rebound from Kelle Roos before Rangers saw Dujon Sterling sent off late on. There were 10 minutes added on at Ibrox, but Aberdeen couldn’t make their numerical advantage count – partly because of some expert time-wasting, according to Warnock.
“Listen, the application was fabulous. After that early goal, we think, are they going to crumble? But they can only get better. The centre- backs were super – they could have gone under,” he said.
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“Rangers have so many good players but they leave gaps. They’ve had a good run at home. At the end, you have got the ball boys adding five minutes. They are really good, really tuned in, 'don't give them it back', climb over the wall. Who teaches them at Ibrox? Do they have their own teachers?"
He added: “It was my type of game, that. My type of atmosphere. When you get the ball-boys wasting time at the end in the last 10 minutes you know you’re doing well, don’t you? They must be coached very well here. Are they coached with the first team? They throw it back when they are losing and when they are winning they hide the ball under their jumpers.
"I didn’t think you did that at this level. That was a new one for me, that.”
Neil Warnock loved being back on the touchline, despite defeat (Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)Warnock had his first ever experience of VAR and was pleased to see referee Don Robertson for sticking with his decision to send off Sterling. And despite tasting defeat, Warnock thinks he can move Aberdeen up the Scottish Premiership table from their current position of ninth.
"I have nothing but praise, it was a hectic few days for everyone,” he said. “I have had to take a lot in but I enjoyed watching them tonight. It will only get better. A lot of teams could have gone under but the centre-backs were super. They kept us nice and solid, never panicked and we grew into the game from there.
“I said at half-time there would be opportunities. I thought we did really well, it is a difficult place to come. It makes a change for a referee to be brave and stick with a decision. We don't get that in England.”
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