RANGERS manager Walter Smith admits his team has not won at Pittodrie in almost four years because, most of the time, they have not deserved to.
The last time the Scottish champions triumphed against Aberdeen in the Granite City was in December 2006, with goals from Libor Sionko and Nacho Novo sealing the victory.
Rangers travel north tomorrow hoping to bring the unwanted record to an end but Smith insists they must demonstrate as much desire to win the game as Aberdeen to have any chance of taking the points.
He said: "In the period since I've been back, Aberdeen have played very well in the games.
"Apart from a couple of occasions where we can maybe feel a bit unfortunate, we've not really deserved to take anything from there. So we have to try and make sure we can change that on Sunday.
"You've got to give credit to Aberdeen for the way they played in the games.
"Maybe, in a couple of the matches in the three and a bit seasons that I've been back, I could say that we played well and with a little bit of luck deserved to win.
"In the majority of the games, Aberdeen have been the better side and deserved to win.
"We need to go up there and show that we can take the points, we'll need to work hard and match Aberdeen's desire to win the game."
Aberdeen boss Mark McGhee dismissed the notion that the recent record was of significance.
"These sort of things don't really have any bearing on the game," he said.
"That fact will not help us beat Rangers on Sunday, you can be sure of that.
"If it plays in their minds a little bit then by all means. But Rangers are playing really well at the moment.
"Walter has been talking it down a little bit, prior to the Dundee United game.
"They have now scored 11 goals in two games, Kenny Miller is on fire.
"They have got players who have picked up the gauntlet after all this talk that they weren't going to be the same force because this player and that player left.
"They have players who are determined to show they can be just as good if not better. They will be looking forward to coming here and trying to put an end to that run."
McGhee joked he could play six in defence after being criticised for emulating Rangers' defensive display against Manchester United when the Dons drew with Motherwell last week.
But Smith said: "There has been no need for him to do that previously so I don't see any great need for him to do it this time.
"It's us who have to adjust more to going up there to play than Aberdeen so we have to look at our performance and say that our previous matches there have not been good enough and we have to make sure that this one is."
Source: Team Talk
Source: Team Talk