ASH: WE CAN’T LETRUSTINESS WRECK DREAM
EUROPA COUNTDOWN
BY SCOTT BURNS ASH TAYLOR knows Aberdeen can’t afford to let rustiness wreck their Europa League dream against NSI Runavik.
The Faroe Isles outfit travel to Pittodrie today to start preparations for their winner-takes-all qualifier.
Derek McInnes’ side go into the tie tomorrow as odds-on favourite against the Faroese part-timers.
Taylor knows the big issue the Dons face is lack of game time, although they have won back-toback games against St Johnstone and Livingston.
Aberdeen have only had three games since the start of the season, after their Covid-19 break. But Taylor accepts that is more games than they would usually get going into a Europa League campaign.
He said: “Of course it’s important to get rid of the rustiness.
“It’s been stop-start, Sunday was only our third competitive game in four or five months.
“But the more games we play the better we will get and it’s important we produce performances and pick up results in the next few matches.
“We fancy ourselves against anyone at home. You’ve got home comforts, know the surroundings.
“You can prepare a little bit better without the travel, especially in these circumstances.”
Runavik are well into their domestic season and caused a shock in the last round when they easily saw off Welsh side Barry.
Taylor said: ”It was a surprising result, it was 0-0 at half-time and then Barry got beat 5-1.
“It’ll be an interesting tie and we’ll need to be ready for it. With the history Aberdeen have, it would be a scalp for them.
“We just don’t want that to happen so we’ve got to put our full focus into the game and make sure we do our jobs and get through.”
The Dons have failed to get past the third round of qualifiers in the last six years and that is something the big defender is keen to rectify.
And this season also has an added twist because it of one-off rounds up to the playoffs.
Taylor said: “You’ve got to be at it for 90 minutes. They carry a threat so you need to be fully focused on the job.
“We’ve got to get the job done and get through and hopefully there are no upsets on our night.
“The single leg ties can help. I quite like one-off ties. You put everything into that ame. Hopefully we can come out on top.”
BY GAVIN BERRY MEL STERLAND was left with no choice when he swapped Ibrox for Elland Road as hardline Rangers boss Graeme Souness binned him after just four months in Glasgow.
But the former England ace has urged Ryan Kent not to follow the same road while he’s still wanted by Gers.
Sterland admitted he would never have returned to his native Yorkshire in 1989 if it wasn’t for the shock of Souness telling him he was surplus to requirements.
The full-back had only joined Gers that March in an £800,0000 move from Sheffield Wednesday and helped them to title success. He also appeared in the Scottish Cup Final loss to Celtic.
But, already being played out of his natural right-back position, Souness broke the news he was signing Trevor Steven and his Gers career was over.
Sterland hooked up with his old Owls boss Howard Wilkinson at then second-tier Leeds and helped them win promotion to the top flight.
Current Ibrox No.2 Gary McAllister then arrived and they were both key players as Wilkinson’s side pipped Manchester United to the title in 1992.
So it didn’t work out too badly for the 58-year-old, who remains a Leeds fan favourite and has fond memories of his five years at the club.
But despite the Elland Road men being back in he big time after a 16-year absence, Sterland would still urge Light Blues ace Kent to resist the temptation to follow in his footsteps with boss Marcelo Bielsa dogged in his pursuit of the 23-year-old.
The Premier League new boys have had a £10million bid kicked out by Gers but are set to increase that in an effort to land the former Liverpool man.
Sterland can see the attraction with Leeds on the up and a mouthwatering prospect of a return to Anfield for Kent to face his old club on the opening day.
Steven Gerrard’s men host Dundee United that same weekend as they continue their bid to stop Celtic’s historic 10-in-a-row quest and Sterland reckons that should be Kent’s only focus.
Once that has been achieved, he can think about the Premier League.
Sterland told RecordSport: “It’s a difficult one for Ryan. He’s got to make a decision – stay at Rangers and try to win the league or join Leeds United and play in the English Premier League.
“I had no choice because Graeme Souness got rid of me!
“If it wasn’t for that then I would have stayed at Ibrox, 100 per cent.
“I could have gone back to Sheffield Wednesday or joined Trevor Francis at QPR but I’d worked with Howard Wilkinson for many years and decided to go to Leeds United.
“So if I was Ryan I’d stay at Rangers. He’s only in his third season and he’s just 23 so he’s got plenty of time to play in the Premier League.
“I’m sure Steven Gerrard will be confident of keeping him. If he continues to progress the way he has been then the world will be his oyster.
“I can understand Ryan Kent’s position because he’s an interesting young player and has everything you’d want in a player but I do believe he will remain at Rangers.
“That’s not to say it’s not tempting to join Leeds United because it’s absolutely magnificent what’s happening there and they’re finally back in the big time.
“Marcelo Bielsa is different class – he knows what he wants from his players and he gets it.
“They’ll know what direction he wants – and it’s obviously forward.
“As for Rangers, they’ll want to stop Celtic from winning 10-in-a-row. I was lucky enough to play at the start of the nine-in-a-row era which was incredible.
“I never thought that would happen again but Celtic have done it and they’re now going for 10 and Rangers are obviously desperate to stop them. Leeds
United are a fantastic club but so are Rangers and Ryan has a good manager in Steven Gerrard and assistant in Gary McAllister, whom I played with at Elland Road.
“So the ideal scenario for me would be for Kent to stay at Ibrox this season and win the league – and come to Leeds next season.
“Everyone wants to play in the English Premier League but then everyone wants to play for Glasgow Rangers because they’re an absolutely fantastic club and I think they’ll win the league this season.”
Sterland still regrets how his time