We’ll have a night on the snooze
...and make sure we don’t sleepwalk into derby
GARY McALLISTER won’t have lost a minute’s sleep over Rangers’ display in Armenia.
More importantly, neither will Steven Gerrard’s players, who got over the line in Yerevan despite getting nowhere close to hitting the heights of which they are capable.
The Rangers No.2, conducting operations in Gerrard’s absence, revealed a decision had been taken to stay overnight in the Armenian capital after the gruelling 0-0 in strengthsapping conditions.
Gers chose that course of action in a bid to have the players as fresh as possible for Celtic’s visit on Sunday.
With a six-hour flight facing them after the match with Alashkert, Gers’ medics recommended immediate R&R rather than a rush to the airport and an overnight flight that would have got them back to Glasgow in the middle of the night.
McAllister is convinced that ploy will pay dividends.
The 56-year-old said: “In our preparation we decided to stay over. The players will recover back at the hotel. They’ll get plenty of liquids to prevent dehydration.
“We also won’t be rushing to an airport to sit on a plane for five-and-a-half hours.
“We can control the food the players are eating. And they’ll get to bed and get a decent sleep with no rush in the morning.
“They’ll do a recovery in the pool in the morning and then we leave here at one o’clock to get back to Glasgow.
“We felt that was the best way to help us navigate through this weekend.
“We will get the recovery right. We feel this is the best way to do this leading into this game.”
McAllister knows his side didn’t fire on all cylinders last night but they created enough chances, most of them wasted by Alfredo Morelos, to have put the play-off tie to bed.
But the bottom line was qualification and that was achieved. McAllister added: “To do it four years on the bounce, we’re delighted as a staff. But as an ex-player myself, it’s the players it is brilliant for.
“For their kudos and CV, just to be in amongst it is great. Listen, it would have been better had it been the Champions League.
“But we’re in the Europa League group stage and it’s brilliant for the players.
“The European nights at Ibrox are special.”
Sunday afternoon will be special as well and McAllister was relieved to report no further injuries on top of a huge confidence boost for keeper Robby McCrorie, who will face Celtic if neither Allan McGregor nor Jon McLaughlin are available.
He said: “There was a wee bit of concern at halftime that Scott Arfield got a smack on the toe, having received one earlier. That was a double blow.
“But everybody is fine. Joe Aribo, who also got a knock, and Robby are fine. It’s a clean bill of health so far.
“We have a lot of belief in
Robby. When you see him stripped and in the goal, he looks a really impressive character.
“I felt he dealt with the ball at his feet really well. His deliveries to the frontmen, in trying to get it to the striker’s chest, were excellent.
“There was one awkward shot he had to deal with from distance, which moved a bit, but he handled that well.
“It was a really impressive debut for him.”
With the group stage secured, it’s now full focus on the domestic front. Looking at the Celtic showdown on Sunday, McAllister said: “For everybody – inexperienced players, leaders, youngsters – what a game.
“We’ve got 50-odd thousand Rangers fans coming to Ibrox for a game against one of our biggest rivals. These are the games you want to play in.
“Now we’ve jumped into the group stage, those games are similar. They’re big games for big players.
“You need big moments in those games, so everybody is looking forward to it.”