GERS HAVE TO ROLL SLEEVES UP IN CUP TIE

Stock-car track and fenced-in park are strange, but Gerrard’s men can’t go into Scottish Cup with big egos

GOING to Central Park on Friday night to play Cowdenbeath will be a bit of a culture shock for Steven Gerrard and his players, but it is all about the result at the end of the day. If there are any egos in that squad, then leave them at the door on your way in.

I played there twice during the 2014/15 campaign in the Championship and I don’t have fond memories of either game to be honest. The first was a 3-0 win (inset) and the second was a goalless draw in the first game after the regime change as Dave King, Paul Murray and John Gilligan took control at Ibrox.

It is a strange setup with the big fence that runs around the perimeter of the stadium, the fans are so far away from the pitch and there is not much atmosphere. The pitch itself had tyre marks on it because cars had come off the track and went on it.

It was certainly an eye-opener and it was hard to get the ball down and play. I remember the manager saying to us that we would have to go route one and that changed our game plan on both occasions.

It isn’t the best place to go and play a game – and the hosts have announced they’ll cover the pitch this week to try to beat the frost forecast – but Rangers can’t be thinking about any of that come kick-off. It is about starting well and having the right mentality.

They might need to change their style a bit and go a bit more direct because of the state of the pitch, but they certainly have the quality to get through relatively easily if their heads are in the right place.

Central Park is a grounder, that is for sure. It is a night for rolling your sleeves up and doing what needs done.

It is the first game since the Old Firm win and Rangers need the same attitude for

this one. You can’t take anyone lightly or you can come unstuck when you don’t expect it and Rangers won’t just turn up and expect to breeze through without working for it.

The squad have had a break in Tenerife now and they will be recharged and ready to go for the rest of the season so they need to pick up where they left off at Ibrox.

That approach against Celtic, when they didn’t give them any time on the ball and really took the game to them, is when Rangers are at their