What’s your reaction to that game?

We’ve played three games this week and faced three different types of challenges, today Raith tried to make the game really difficult by staying in. We had 18 corners, 24 shots. When the first goal goes in from a corner you hope the game opens up a bit but it didn’t, they stayed disciplined and stuck to their task so it made for a slow game. Although it was our third game in a week I’d like us to be a little bit sharper in and around the box. I thought Borna Barisic put in some fantastic crosses today and we need people to go in and challenge for those. But it was a slow game, there were a lot of niggly injuries, and I’m just glad we’re through to the semi-final. After the high of Wednesday, we had to go through that one today and the most important things were a clean sheet, three goals and we move on.

Was it hard to get into your rhythm?

They were really deep and I can’t choose how the other team approach the game, we can only face the problems that are put in front of us. In midweek Hibs came and tried to face us head on and left spaces and we were really ruthless. Raith tried a different tactic of being really compact in the game. We still got into really good areas and I’m expecting us to do slightly better. But the way they played the game we had to see it out professionally and we did that in the end.

What was your reaction to the Union Bears not being in the stadium?

I don’t really know what’s going on there, I just felt there was a level of expectation from the crowd in the stadium today, it was a slow game and everyone was expecting us to be free-flowing like we were in midweek. But styles make games and they stayed in and made it difficult at times. They had ten players around their 18-yard box and they were blocking little things. That’s fine, we had to find a way to get through that. Kilmarnock in the second-half last week went really defensive as well and that’s fine but it made for a sticky game. The really top teams who pay millions for their players find those moments difficult - we’ll go away and work on it. In terms of the fans, in a quarter-final, they expect a lot. We played well in midweek and I know they were happy with that and I’m sure they’ll be happy they’re going back to Hampden.

What does your team need to do differently?

We need to pass and run a bit more. We got into good areas but when we get into good areas we need people really running. I’d like to see us taking more shots from distance because that might get people up to the ball. We tried a lot of those things without being at our free-flowing best. I wanted to give Nico and Todd the full 90 minutes, that was important for them. We had Borna and Connor on a booking away from a suspension in the competition so we knew we had to bring them out at some point and it was good for Ridvan and John to get on. I thought it was a game for Scott Arfield, it was just a case of when. Once I saw the way the game was panning out, he’s someone who detaches himself from the play and arrives in the box. He was denied by a good save just before he scored, but it is what is and we have to keep moving. The team’s finding a way to win consistently which is important.

Has Alfredo Morelos intimated that he's signed a pre-contract with Sevilla?

No, he has trained all week. I just decided to go with the two forwards that played so well on Wednesday. No, we have not discussed it. I have not seen any change in him. Obviously, he has been free to speak to whatever club he likes for a good while now that we are into March. He has had that but we haven’t spoken about it.

Would you hope he’d tell you first if something was agreed?

Yeah but I am not sure that is the case. If it is we will find out in the coming days. My focus has been on the game.

Will it be next season before we see the best of Raskin and Cantwell?

I can’t wait until Malik is back in, hopefully, next weekend, which will add to that as well and give us another player similar to them. I think Ryan Kent is in good form. We are starting to see, certainly on Wednesday night when there is more space in the game and it is more of an even game and the spaces are there, that we can be really dangerous. I think Tony has had a good week, a little bit tired today to be honest. I wanted to keep that same team together because it played so well in midweek. I think both of those guys are getting to know their teammates, getting to know the city and the league. Two really big things for them because the home games we play we have had the most possession but when we played away at Livingston it was a tougher place to go and play and they came out of that with thumbs up. I thought they did really well in midweek to be honest at Easter Road and showed up well. The team played with lots of rotation and it looked like Raith had watched that and tried to stay close. It was difficult for us.

What are your thoughts on the upcoming draw?

We are going to have to beat two teams to win the trophy. That is our aim, to retain it. There are ten league games left and hopefully two in the Scottish Cup. It is the last game of the season, it would be a fantastic way to end the season and go into next season with lots of optimism for our fans. One thing I will say is that it is fantastic for the competition that two teams from outside the top league have got there because they have had to fight tooth and nail to get to this stage and they have earned it. Whatever two teams are in the hat with Celtic and ourselves, we need to beat two teams to win the trophy.

A real positive to see Ridvan Yilmaz back out there today?

He played 45 minutes on Tuesday and then on Friday we brought the B Team over and played another 30 minutes so that got him 75 and he got another 30 today. He has got good minutes in his legs this week. He has found this week challenging and difficult, so has John Souttar as well. They have gone from hardly anything to getting quite significant minutes and moving forward we will hopefully see him fully fit now and he can start his Rangers career really. He has been stop-start. Borna Barisic’s wife is expecting in the next few days so who knows, there might be an opportunity for him sooner rather than later to go in and start.