IANIS STRONG ENOUGH TO GRAB CHANCE
STEVEN GERRARD may have told sleeping-walking Rangers to wake up but the Ibrox boss hopes Ianis Hagi never gives up on following his dreams.
Gerrard was again forced to give his dozing stars a shake at half-time on Thursday as the Light Blues’ latest lethargic display left them looking at another European slip-up.
Goalless at the break in their Europa League playoff clash with Alashkert but down to 10 men, it took a dressing room jolt from the boss to snap the champions back into life.
The introduction of Scott Wright was key. And Hagi also looked far more sprightly after the break.
The Romanian appears to be gearing up to play an even more influential role in this Ibrox line-up.
The 22-year-old struck on opening day against Livingston only to find himself ruled out of the next two games after being crocked minutes later.
However, he burst back into action with another goal against Dunfermline last week and has now backed that up with his dynamic second-half Alashkert display.
It’s unlikely Hagi will ever hit the heights of his famous father Gheorgie, but Gerrard hopes he never gives up on trying to emulate the Barcelona and Real Madrid great.
The Gers boss said: “Ianis was superb for the majority of the game. He’s in a fantastic place. He’s had a full pre-season. He got that unfortunate kick against Livingston which set him back a bit.
“But the kid just seems to be growing and evolving every year.
“He’s the ultimate professional, he wants to learn, to grow, to get better.
“He’s got a real iconic father figure who he wants to follow in the footsteps of. We don’t want to put that pressure on him but there are a lot of traits in terms of his professionalism and how he goes about it. He loves the game and just wants to improve and get to the top.
“He seems to be getting stronger, he’s adapted to the league a lot better now and his performances have been strong so far.
“I expect him to have a real strong season if we can keep him healthy.”
Gerrard is also backing new signing Juninho Bacuna to play as major role in the months ahead, although not at Ross County tomorrow.
Gerrard said: “Everyone should be really looking forward to seeing him play. We just have to be patient with him. He hasn’t played much football of late.
“I think his last game was June 15, so we won’t be throwing him right into the mix.
“He will be within the group very shortly, whether it’s next week or after the international break. We believe he’s a big talent – he just needs the right support around him.”