The build-up to an Aberdeen versus Rangers game is always, er, 'interesting'. While the games themselves have become far less bloodthirsty than in the Seventies and Eighties, the news stories that appear prior to the matches are unwaveringly familiar to fans of both sides. One piece of gossip that would appear with annoying regularity in the days before each Aberdeen - Rangers fixture was that Eoin Jess would be signing for the Ibrox side. Since the popular midfield star departed from Pittodrie, there has been no similar story to replace this never-remotely-true news morsel, until last week's suggestions that Jimmys Calderwood and Nicholl are targets to replace Alex McLeish.
Of course, it would be cynical to suggest that this was part of a campaign to undermine and destabilise the Dons' manager and his team in the build-up to a cup-tie that Rangers must enter as underdogs as far as current form is concerned. It didn't work that way in the past - Jess has a fine scoring record against Rangers - and it is unlikely to work on this occasion, as it is just as likely to undermine and destabilise McLeish.
After a fine display against Kilmarnock on Saturday that takes the Dons to within four points of SPL leaders Celtic, there can be no better time to play a frankly shambolic Rangers. Even with a number of injuries, few of whom will be returning for Wednesday's encounter, Aberdeen are a side unrecognisable from the occasionally-entertaining-but-fragile unit witnessed by their suffering support last season. And while no current player may ever be rated alongside Eoin Jess in an AFC hall of fame, there is a character and resilience in the side just now that may unlock the potential of the players in a way that never quite happened for him.
Of course, it would be cynical to suggest that this was part of a campaign to undermine and destabilise the Dons' manager and his team in the build-up to a cup-tie that Rangers must enter as underdogs as far as current form is concerned. It didn't work that way in the past - Jess has a fine scoring record against Rangers - and it is unlikely to work on this occasion, as it is just as likely to undermine and destabilise McLeish.
After a fine display against Kilmarnock on Saturday that takes the Dons to within four points of SPL leaders Celtic, there can be no better time to play a frankly shambolic Rangers. Even with a number of injuries, few of whom will be returning for Wednesday's encounter, Aberdeen are a side unrecognisable from the occasionally-entertaining-but-fragile unit witnessed by their suffering support last season. And while no current player may ever be rated alongside Eoin Jess in an AFC hall of fame, there is a character and resilience in the side just now that may unlock the potential of the players in a way that never quite happened for him.