Gerrard wants Pittodrie warm-up for Fil
GORDON PARKS
CONNOR GOLDSON admits he faces a real scrap for a place in Rangers’ backline after a recruitment drive that has left Steven Gerrard spoiled for choice.
The Ibrox centre-back saw Leon Balogun become the latest addition to a squad that was boosted by an outing for £3.5million Filip Helander against Coventry in his first Light Blues action in almost eight months.
Calvin Bassey has come in from Leicester to bolster the rearguard options, with George Edmundson looking like a first pick if pre-season games are any guide.
With long-term injury victim Nikola Katic the only absentee, Goldson knows he’s in for a season of looking over his shoulder as he prepares for this Saturday’s Premiership opener away to Aberdeen.
He said: “We had four great centre-halves already but unfortunately for Niko he suffered that injury in the first week of pre-season.
“We were all devastated for him but the gaffer has acted and brought in another centre-half with good pedigree.
“That drives us on as we know we need to perform week in, week out.
“I’ve said it previously – it makes us all fight for our shirts.
“We feel ready. It’s obviously been a good pre-season with four good games and we have done well.
“But we know that the real test starts against Aberdeen this week.
“We have another week of
STEVEN GERRARD is trying to line up another closed-doors friendly this week as he races to get Filip Helander ready for Rangers’ big kick-off.
The Swede made his first appearance since suffering a foot injury in December’s Betfred Cup Final defeat to Celtic when he came on for the final g.parks@dailyrecord.co.uk training and we need to get ourselves as ready as possible.”
Saturday’s 2-0 win over the Sky Blues provided another satisfying 90 minutes for the Light Blues as they made it four pre-season friendly wins on the trot following successes against Lyon, Nice and Motherwell.
Coventry may well be the last dress rehearsal before heading to the Granite City this weekend, although a bounce game against the Steelmen could be on the agenda this week.
It may only be pre-season but Rangers appear to be hitting the right notes in all areas of the pitch with the defensive unit still to be breached.
Ten goals have been scored without reply as all eyes now turn to Pittodrie for a curtainraiser to a campaign that will start behind closed doors.
Goldson insists he’s planning on being a big noise in the months ahead.
The Englishman’s voice could be heard booming around an empty Ibrox against City at the weekend and he has urged his half-hour of Saturday’s friendly against Coventry.
The 2-0 win over Mark Robins’ League One champions was the fourth and final live TV workout for Gerrard’s team.
But he hopes to arrange a training-ground clash tomorrow to get Helander match time before Gers go to Pittodrie on Saturday team-mates to turn up the volume in the absence of fans.
Goldson told Rangers TV: “It’s important to talk as I feel that we are a team without the fans who we rely on – but without them, we need to drive each other on.
“We have to demand even more of each other when we haven’t got that help and that drive from the fans.
“I try to be as loud as I can and I try to help my team-mates as much as possible.
“We need to keep trying to drive the standards to make sure we perform.”
Gers keeper Allan McGregor showed his reactions have not been blunted by the summer break with several great stops against the English Championship new boys.
Goldson admits he has also been impressed by new signing Jon McLaughlin, who he’s confident will become a more than able deputy between the sticks this season.
The Scotland squad keeper has excelled in two friendly for their Premiership opener with Aberdeen.
Gerrard said: “We’re hoping to get another friendly for Tuesday for some of the lads who haven’t started as many games as we’d have liked in pre-season.
“One of the big reasons is to add to the 30 minutes Fil got. The idea will be can
The 27-year-old said: “Jon has been really good and we all know what Greegsy is all about – in the last two years he’s been brilliant.
“Jon has come in and settled in right away. He’s been really good around the place.
“He’s been really positive and I thought that he did really well in the two games that he started for us.”
Goldson joined Joe Aribo in the scoring stakes against Coventry after rising to meet a James Tavernier free-kick and planting a header in the top corner of the net.
The big man revealed it was a set-piece plan that proves practice makes perfect.
The former Brighton defender believes hours of trainingground sessions spent working on dead-ball moves and strategies with coach Tom Culshaw was the secret behind him getting on the scoresheet.
Goldson praised his countryman, who previously worked alongside Gerrard as the Under-18s assistant manager at Liverpool, as the man who is making an impact on his game.
He said: “We work on it every week, we have meetings on it and we rehearse them on the training ground.
“One of them came off for me luckily and I was just glad to get the goal and to help the team win.
“I’m sure we’ll be working on them even more for the real game this week.” he go for 45-60 minutes to get him in better condition and available for Aberdeen?
“Will he be available for the start? It’ll be touch and go. He’ll be fit enough in terms of the injury but it’s whether he’s sharp with enough minutes in his legs to go from the start.
“The friendly could be a big factor in that.”