Rangers caretaker manager Jimmy Nicholl has targeted a win over Aberdeen as the next stage of "a triple" that could seal second place in the Premiership.

Nicholl, in charge until Steven Gerrard takes up his role as boss on June 1, saw his side defeat Kilmarnock 1-0 i their final match at Ibrox this season. A late header from David Bates ensured three vital points as Rangers look to edge ahead of Aberdeen and Hibernian to finish as league runners-up.

He said that a successful finish was essential to make up for ground lost earlier in the campaign.

"It is only the first leg of a triple and we have to go up there on Tuesday night and beat Aberdeen, we've got to," he told Rangers TV. "It is going to be right down to the wire and we have to go to Hibs in the last game.

"We have got ourselves in this position because of games which we have lost here at Ibrox but it is what it is. We have a lot of hard work ahead of us and we've got to make sure we're ready to do it."

Nicholl admitted he would probably be leaving the club as gerrard came in with his own coaching team and he expects the new boss to "weed out" players who aren't up to the task.

"I told them, me and Jonatan Johansson have got three games in charge and after Hibs next Monday I'll be away probably," he said.

"I'm standing there as a supporter now. I'm not standing there as a man of any authority.

"So sort it out. Give yourselves a chance in these three games to have the manager looking forward to working with you.

"He'll do a bit of weeding - he'll get the weeds sorted out from the flowers.

"I want to leave him a legacy of European football at least - and by doing that, that means they've performed and he's happy with what he's seen."

The coach said that he had been increasingly nervous as the match against Kilmarnock had gone on but credited the players with patience and effort.

"That's a great win; it wasn't looking like it for a long time," he said. "There was a lot of pressure on them in the final third and crosses across the face of the six yard box and nobody on the end of it; I thought it is never going to happen.

"The strange thing was their keeper never had a save to make and they nearly scored a couple of own goals. Then Jak pulled off the save of the match, it was a brilliant wee reaction save.

"The boys showed a lot of patience, because I was more anxious than them on the touchline, I just wanted them to do things quicker and with a wee bit more urgency.

"They kept patience and they kept possession and worked their opening, then it came from a quality cross into the box for young David Bates to get his head on the end of it."