Michael Stewart thinks Ryan Jack was ‘pretty quiet’ as Rangers beat Celtic 2-1 in the Scottish Cup semi-final, but thinks Steven Davis ‘made a difference’ at Hampden, as he told Premier Sports.
Minutes before Scott Arfield levelled the scores, Jack was taken off by Giovanni van Bronckhorst for the more experienced legs of Davis.
It proved to be the correct call because Davis’ know-how in the middle of the park allowed Rangers to control the game and move it quickly into Celtic’s half.
Not only that, after playing 120 minutes against Braga in Europe on Thursday night, there were going to be those extra pressure on those legs which they came through.
After the game, this is what Stewart had to say about Jack and Davis’s performances yesterday.
“I thought Ryan Jack was pretty quiet this afternoon,” said Stewart. “Steven Davis came on and made a difference.
“Once he came on, with Scott Arfield, we were watching those subs coming on and we were thinking ‘very like for like. Would he not maybe try and change it up a little bit?’
“But credit to Giovanni van Bronckhorst because it had an impact. Steve Davis meant that they got better control in the middle of the park. That extra pass. They were dominating possession and Arfield was getting into the box.”
The one big positive Rangers will take from yesterday’s win was what they produced the goods in extra time.
It wasn’t a case of them having their backs against the wall, but being the better team, producing the best chances and showing more energy.
All of that despite of what happened on Thursday night, which will raise extra questions about what happened with Celtic.
Either way, for Van Bronckhorst to possibly add two trophies in his first season at the club, when he joined midway, is going to be some start from the Dutchman.
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