Gerrard tips Gers to hit back from cup heartache

LADBROKES PREMIERSHIP of lads in there, we’ve got a good team spirit.

“The lads are not happy with the result at the weekend and they want to go and make the supporters happy again, and the only way to do that is to go and win this game.

“We had an incredible following at Hampden and I’m sure the supporters are feeling similar to ourselves.

“I think we owe it to them in terms of a reaction individually and collectively, and I hope that’s the case and we send them away happy.

“The crowd might be slightly different because when we have played in front of them before we have had momentum and they’re in a good place. So it’s very important we start well to get the crowd with us and then we go from there and see what we can do. But my belief and confidence in the players hasn’t changed because of the weekend.

“I thought we played really well within the game and we got caught on a sucker-punch of a counter-attack.

“I mentioned we didn’t have enough quality in the final third and hopefully we will put that right.”

Gerrard was clear there was nothing in his post-match comments that Rangers players should be surprised at.

“It’s a warning,” he explained. “At a big club, you expect big players to step up on big occasions and provide big moments. If that doesn’t happen, at any big club, the manager and the recruitment (staff ) find better players or players who will do that.” Full faith: Steven Gerrard says he believes in his players