Andy Halliday: If Scott Brown was trying to noise me up at Hampden it didn't work

[ian1964 10,761]

 

SCOTT BROWN stared. Andy Halliday celebrated.

 

As the Celtic captain came to terms with a defeat that has piled the pressure on boss Ronny Deila, his Ibrox counterpart partied with the Light Blue legions and savoured the success on Sunday night.

 

It was said that the Rangers star wouldn’t be able to keep his head in the heat of Old Firm combat at Hampden. He was, apparently, going to get caught up in the occasion as he made his first appearance against Celtic.

 

Come the end of an enthralling encounter, the only emotion Halliday had was joy. His performance was exemplary, his penalty to kick-off the shoot-out cool and composed.

 

Celtic skipper Brown gave his midfield opponent a glare as he made his way down the Gers side and shook hands before battle commenced. If he was trying to get into Halliday’s head, it didn’t work.

 

It was the Rangers man who ran the show from the middle of the park in a tireless display, and who made no mistake from twelve yards before Brown fluffed his lines and Celtic crashed to derby defeat.

 

Halliday said: “He probably was [trying to noise me up]. You see that in every sport really.

 

“Cricket is supposed to be a gentleman’s game but you see sledging and what they say to each other.

 

“It is going to happen on the big stage. I don’t know, maybe he was trying to get in my head but it wasn’t going to happen.

 

“We were all set to enjoy the game. Scott Brown is the captain of the national team, he has had a wonderful career and he is obviously a big player for Celtic.

 

“But I am just happy we done what we done and concentrated on ourselves. That was the reason we got the result.

 

“Of course it would be easy to get sucked into it but I was already in that mental state that I was ready for the game. The hardest part of the Old Firm is the anticipation.

 

“You just want the game to start because you are constantly thinking about the game. You want to conserve your energy because it is easy to build up nervous energy and by the time you are out there you are mentally drained before you are physically drained.

 

“I was happy to keep my emotions in check and anything that happened beforehand didn’t faze me. I just got on with it.”

 

Halliday was not the only player in Mark Warburton’s side who rose to the occasion at Hampden as the Light Blues moved to within 90 minutes of a third trophy success this season.

 

The Gers were written off by many ahead of the Old Firm showdown but emerged as deserved winners at the end of a dramatic derby day.

 

And Halliday was pleased the champions silenced their critics as they set up a meeting with second tier counterparts Hibernian next month.

 

He said: “We were certainly aware of it because I think we are a team that has been written off quite a lot this season.

 

“There were a lot of questions asked after the St Johnstone game about whether our style of play could cope in the Premiership.

 

“Not that many people fancied us going into the Dundee game, or going into the Hibs game at Ibrox after we had that mini-blip. We have answered a lot of questions and none more so than on Sunday.

 

“Of course, Celtic were going into the game as favourites. They are top of the Premiership and obviously a good team.

 

“But we were certainly confident enough in our own ability. We feel that if we play to our strengths then we are a hard team to stop.”

 

After two Hampden triumphs against Peterhead and Celtic, Rangers will return to league action when they make the trip to Easter Road this evening.

 

Only Alloa, Livingston and St Mirren will remain on the Championship fixture list for Warburton’s side and they will face a three week break between their Saints clash and return to the National Stadium.

 

It is a situation for Warburton to ponder, but a problem that Halliday is more than happy to have.

 

He said: “We have said since the start of the season that every competition we are in we wanted to try and win it. We have won two already and it was disappointing to go out early in the League Cup.

 

“We had no holidays planned because we have always had May 21 marked on the calendar hoping to get there.

 

“You never know [if the break will be a problem]. I have never experienced that.

 

http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/14438033.Andy_Halliday__If_Scott_Brown_was_trying_to_noise_me_up_at_Hampden_it_didn_t_work/

[ian1964 10,761]

Andy Halliday: Ian Durrant set me up for dream day

 

AGAINST Celtic he was blue, white and dynamite.

 

But then Andy Halliday did go into Sunday’s Old Firm crunch with a pre-match pep talk from Ian Durrant.

 

Halliday, 24, was outstanding at Hampden to inspire Rangers to a famous victory.

 

The midfielder produced an all- action performance opposite Scott Brown to help his team into the Scottish Cup final.

 

It promised to be a big day for the Light Blues diehard.

 

But Halliday has revealed he was given words of wisdom from legend Durrant — now Gers Under-21 coach — before the game.

 

Halliday said: “I sought advice from a lot of people who have played in the game and they all said not to let the game pass me by.

 

“It was obviously going to be a massive game and a massive experience. And sometimes you can’t really enjoy the game.

 

“But I managed to keep my emotions in check and thought I was pretty calm throughout the game. I think that was important in how we went on to dominate the game.

 

“Ian Durrant was one of the first people I asked. He told me it was easy to let an Old Firm occasion get to you and for you to end up not doing yourself justice.

 

“But that is something we made sure we do. We have had a stamp on our play from day one. It’s what we are good at and where our strengths are.

 

“We certainly didn’t want to turn the game into a battle, but at the same time we had to stand up and be counted to a man.

 

“I am proud of the boys in the way we stayed composed throughout.

 

“Even if you watched Old Firm games in the past, there are arguably better squads than we have got just now and arguably better players. But I don’t think there have been many performances as composed as that in Old Firm games or as easy on the eye.

 

“For long spells, I thought we completely dominated game.”

 

One of the big reasons for that was the team work ethic. But Rangers also had a young man who stood out in winger Barrie McKay.

 

He was sensational, delivering an all-action performance and scoring an incredible 25-yard wonder goal.

 

Halliday said: “He is probably the best young player I have played with.

 

“You saw on Sunday there is no fear in the boy. He has just turned 21 and nothing seems to faze him. Sunday is the biggest platform there is. We have never really seen ourselves as Championship players, and that is no disrespect to anyone.

 

“Sunday is the games we are going to get judged on as players, we know that. Every one to a man stepped up and performed under the pressure, no more so than Baz. He was my man of the match.”

 

Of course it all came down to which team could hold their nerve in the penalty shootout.

 

Halliday stepped up first and slotted home.

 

He said: “I was surprisingly calm.

 

“I was actually a lot more nervous the previous week with the penalty against Peterhead.

 

“I know that sounds silly, as we were 2-0 up that day, but I was desperate to score in the final. I managed to control my emotions pretty well on Sunday and that carried on to the penalties.

 

“I was lot more nervous watching them, that’s for sure.

 

“We prepared the day before and decided the one to 11 for penalties, which would obviously change depending who was on the park.

 

“I made sure I put my hand up to go first because it is important to step up and get the ball rolling.

 

“I was happy to take that on my shoulders.

 

“It’s a lottery, isn’t it? We missed two before they managed to miss their two.

 

“When Nicky Clark missed his I thought it might slip away because they might have only needed another one if we missed again, but I was also always confident in the ability of Wes to save a penalty. He did it a couple of weeks ago as well.”

 

Halliday now hopes Rangers can get their hands on the Scottish Cup by beating Hibs on May 21.

 

He added: “When we won the league we said it was a good season.

 

“Going into the Petrofac game we said it is the difference between a good season and a great season.

 

“Going into the Celtic game we said it was the difference between a great season and a magnificent season.

 

“If we win the Scottish Cup and get into Europe, it is a perfect season. It can’t get much better than that.

 

“It just shows how far the squad, the staff, the fans have come.

 

“People say the journey is ending but really it is just beginning and it shows how far the club has come in the last twelve months.

 

“I read the other night that it was the most watched spectacle since the Superbowl. It just shows. That is the Old Firm spectacle and the game we have missed for so long.

 

“It was good to have it back in Scottish football because it is the biggest game and one that is watched worldwide.

 

“It was an outstanding day, probably the best of my career.”

 

http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/rangers/7089080/Andy-Halliday-Ian-Durrant-set-me-up-for-dream-day.html

[Bearman 9]

The fact this team is one game away from delivering European football at Ibrox again is simply unbelievable.

 

I realise we are not quite there yet...but...

 

Andy Halliday is a gift from god.

[Yorkshire Bear 0]

Broon's finished at the top level.Timmy need to get rid at the end of the season.