GARY McAllister was full of praise for Ianis Hagi and John Lundstram as Rangers overcame a stubborn Livingston to progress to the semi-finals of the Premier Sports Cup.

The Light Blues secured the victory thanks to second half goals from Kemar Roofe and Alfredo Morelos.

Following the win, McAllister spoke to the various media outlets in the post-match press conference.

Derek Clark assesses what the Rangers assistant manager had to say.

McAllister on Ianis Hagi

"I thought first half we huffed and puffed. We did create a few chances but, again, we felt, speaking to the players at half time, that we were a bit wasteful in the final third and just lacking a wee bit of quality and guile to create that quality pass or get that strike on goal.

"The manager made a wee change at half-time and it paid dividends. We lacked a bit of guile and a bit of quality and I thought Ianis brought it.

"Credit to him because he has had a tough time recently with Covid, ten days quarantine and he was only back two or three days ago. I thought he looked sharp and he brought that bit of quality that we needed.

"Ianis coming back now brings that wee bit of quality and it was nice for the two strikers to score goals."

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McAllister hits the nail on the head with his comments on Hagi. It was a substitution that literally changed the game. The Romanian made an impact almost immediately by setting up Roofe to open the scoring.

He was a constant threat to the Livingston defence and was involved in all that was good going forward.

Rangers have missed his creativity and spark in recent weeks and McAllister's point emphasises this very fact.

McAllister on team selection

“We went strong tonight, this was a big, big game. It wasn’t a case of trying to rest people or trying to protect people or look at people and how many games they’ve played recently.

“We felt this was the best side we could pick tonight and I thought there was some good football in the first half but we just lacked a wee bit of quality in the final third.

“But it’s very competitive for spots, we’ve won tonight and these sorts of things will be in the manager’s mind going to Dundee at the weekend.”

Very much like what was said in his pre-match press conference, McAllister again reiterated the importance of the tie and interestingly stating it was the best team they could’ve selected.

By making six changes you don’t necessarily weaken the team as pretty much every member of the squad will be utilised at various stages of the season and last night was no different.

One or two may have played themselves into contention for a starting spot on Saturday, John Lundstram didn’t do himself any harm and Ianis Hagi is a cert to start at Dens Park.

McAllister on Glen Kamara contract extension

“I’ve got to say I’m a big fan, I’m a massive fan of Glen Kamara. He’s been outstanding since the day he arrived and he keeps improving.

“I watch him when he plays for his national team and he’s a player who plays with a lot of poise and a lot of class and I still think there’s a lot of growth in Glen.

“If he can go and just step forward and maybe get a goal that would add a lot to his CV as well.

“We’re delighted he’s signed a long-term contract.”

Getting Kamara tied down until 2025 is terrific business by Rangers and McAllister’s words highlight just how highly rated he is at Ibrox. Again, his point about him needing to add more numbers to his game holds weight too, we all know how great he is as a defensive midfielder but if he develops his game in an attacking sense then it’s frightening just how good he can be.

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Credit must go to the Rangers board, in a financial sense when he does eventually move on, he’s likely to become the biggest export in the club’s history.

McAllister on John Lundstram

“It’s just getting to know the system and positional sense and just getting him to know where we’re wanting him positioned when we’re building.

“Sometimes, his eagerness to try and impact the game or influence the game, he’s running around too much and I suppose with more experience and coaching from the guys in and around the football club, he’ll definitely get better.

“I thought he played very well.”

McAllister’s comments on Lundstram are interesting. It’s clear the former Sheffield United man has taken some time integrating into this Rangers side and it’s understandable given the completely different way of playing he is now challenged with.

Perhaps harshly he was awarded a six in my player ratings last night, he was quietly effective though and filled in for Steven Davis admirably. You would fully expect him to make more of an impact going forward as he gets more accustomed to the style of play and expectations placed upon him.

He got off to a ropey start culminating in the sending off against Alashkert but he’s steadily changing opinion on his overall contribution and long may it continue.