GERS MIDFIELD STAR STRUGGLING IN RACE TO MAKE EURO TIE
Gerrard determined to achieve his first aim and lead Rangers to Europa League
TO many, it would have appeared like mission impossible. It was one that Steven Gerrard gladly accepted at Ibrox, though.
When the 38-year-old sat down with the Rangers board to discuss his targets for the campaign, reaching the Europa League group stages looked to be perhaps the most ambitious one.
With the pain and embarrassment of the defeat to Progres Niederkorn still fresh in the memory, Gerrard had to guide a newly assembled and drastically overhauled squad through four ties if he was to achieve the first aim of his reign.
Having seen off Shkupi, Osijek and Maribor, Rangers are now within touching distance of the group stages as they look to convert a 1-0 home win into victory over Ufa tomorrow night.
“That is the carrot and that is what we present to them,” Gerrard said.
“A lot of these players that I have brought in, when you speak to them, European football is what they want and that is the stage that they want for their own individual careers.
“We all know how important it is for the club financially so it is big for everyone connected to Rangers and we need to show that in our performance.
“We need to play like a big team and play like a team that is capable of handling that kind of pressure and responsibility.
“It was just part of the chat with the board and everyone was aware of how tough it would be to qualify, especially after what happened last year, and everyone knew that there were going to be a lot of changes.
“It was one of the challenges that the board set myself and the players and we are hoping that we can deliver that for them.”
The negative impact of a more congested fixture
‘‘ We need to play like a team capable of handling pressure
schedule and added strain on Gerrard’s squad will have to be considered should Rangers finish what they have started in Russia.
But the financial benefits and kudos of returning to proper European competition cannot be underestimated as they look to pass another marker post on the road to recovery.
“Of course, it is really big for the club financially but also for our supporters,” Gerrard said.
“We have got fantastic supporters who enjoy coming to Ibrox on European nights and they like going away to Europe on day trips or two-day trips to support the team. So we would like to reward the fans with that.
“They are questions you would have to ask the board but it is my job to try and win as many football matches as I can and try and get as much success as we can.
“Us qualifying for the Europa League is success because it comes with big rewards financially but also it is great for the supporters and great for the players to play on that stage.”
If Rangers do take their place in the group stages this term, they will have certainly done it the hard way and deserved their spot in the competition.
The game in Ufa is their eighth qualifier and could well prove to be the most difficult as they embark on the 4,600-mile round trip to Bashkortostan. The reward could make it all worth it, though.
“The time difference, the travel, the environment, we know it is a plastic pitch,” Gerrard said.
“So there are a lot of things we have to consider and think about. But, at the end, of the day, it is 90 minutes of football and the players are 90 minutes away from achieving something really big.
“What they have done so far they have done very well and we don’t want to get so close and then not get what we have put so much work and effort into.
“The players need to go and put in a good performance for 90 minutes and hopefully rewards themselves because I believe they deserve it. They are still one step away so it is such a huge game for us.”
The two performances against Maribor in the previous round are the best that Rangers have produced under Gerrard’s guidance and a similar level will need to be hit in Ufa. The Russians were seemingly content with the state of play as Connor Goldson netted the only goal of the first leg at Ibrox.
Gerrard is expecting a more attacking approach from Ufa second time around but isn’t planning for a nervy night on the back foot.
“They have got to be more open just because we have got the slight advantage so it doesn’t really suit them to sit in,” he said.
“I do believe they will play a similar formation and I believe the wing-backs will be a little bit more adventurous going forward.
“I am sure they will come after us and have confidence that they can beat us but we will have a game plan ready
for what we think they are going to do and hopefully it works on the night.
“That gives us confidence and belief that we have gone to Osijek and Maribor, two tough places, played two tough teams and defended really well.
“But, at the same time, we don’t want to be looking at the clock for 90 minutes and defending and we are not going to play a low team block. We are going to go and face the game with confidence and believe that we can go and win it.”
The quest to qualify for the Europa League comes, of course, as Rangers look to reassert themselves as a force once again.
Rangers responded well to their late heartache against Aberdeen on the first weekend of the Premiership as they beat Maribor at Ibrox just days later.
Now Gerrard’s side must bounce back from disappointment at Motherwell and turn in another performance on the continent.
“To be honest, after Pittodrie I praised them because
our performance was really good, especially after we had gone to ten men,” Gerrard said.
“We nearly did the perfect job at Pittodrie and unfortunately we conceded a late goal. It is very similar to Sunday in many ways and we were millimetres away from getting maximum points. I can’t be too critical.
“The only thing I can criticise the players on was defensively on set plays, we have given them two gives. Credit to them, they have obviously worked on it and scored two goals from it.
“So credit to Motherwell, but from my point of view that is not acceptable or good enough.”