IT’S NO TIME FOR SHOCK TREATMENT FOR GERRARD

Rangers manager warns his players there will be no room for complacency in Gibraltar clash

STEVEN Gerrard has warned his Rangers players that Lincoln Red Imps are more than capable of pulling off another giant- killing act and knocking them out of Europe – if they take victory in Gibraltar this afternoon for granted.

The part- time minnows stunned the Ibrox club’s city rivals Celtic in a Champions League qualifier at the Victoria Stadium back in 2016 when they recorded an unexpected 1- 0 victory.

The Parkhead club atoned for the humiliating defeat by easing to a 3- 0 triumph in the second leg in Glasgow and went on to reach the group stages of the continent’s premier club competition.

However, if Gerrard’s men, who have won six and drawn one of their Premiership games to date in the 2020/ 21 campaign and have still to concede a goal domestically, lose the one- off fixture they will crash out of the competition.

The Liverpool and England great, who became the first manager ever to lead a side through four qualifying rounds of this competition twice last season, knows his charges must avoid complacency to prevail and stressed to them the importance of treating their opponents with complete respect.

“We’re here to do a job,” he said. “We’re here to be professional. I want the players to really show strong mentality.

“We’ve had two excellent runs in this competition over the last two years. You have to come to places like this in the qualifying and do a professional job, get over the line and get into the next round. That’s what we’re here for.

“There’s enough experience in my squad now to realise that if we think we can just come here and turn up and not approach it right or show the right attitude and mentality, if we drop our standards, the game will be complicated.

“If we come here and continue doing what we’ve done since the beginning of the season, which is to show real hunger and desire to get results while being defensively strong and organised while carrying a threat, I’m confident we can get the job done.

“But in no way, shape or form are we going to disrespect the opponent because I’ve been round the game long enough to know that if you drop your standards or drop your guards, it can become complicated.

“You’ve got to respect your opponent. If you lack respect and think you can just turn up and, because we’re Rangers we’re Rangers we’ll win the game, you’ll get a fright. Football doesn’t work like that.”

Gerrard added: “Their players will be really looking forward to this game. It’s a fantastic shop window for them – being on the TV and playing against Rangers. I’m sure they will go into it with a cup final mentality. The least we have to do is match their desire and hunger for the game before a ball is kicked. Hopefully the quality we’ve got will get us over the line. That’s what I’ll be all over the players for from now to kick- off.

“The key message to the players is to keep your standards high because from pre- season and all through the games so far, I’ve been really pleased with the level the players have shown.

“In football, if you drop your guard and you don’t bring you’re a- game or the standards you work on every day, the game can become complicated. Four years ago they got an incredible result. It happens in football around the world.”

The game will be played on an artificial pitch in a multi- purpose stadium that holds just 5,000 spectators, but Gerrard, who will be without Brandon Barker and Ryan Jack due to injuries, is confident Rangers will be able to cope with the surface and surroundings.

“Listen, it’s beautiful, a very unique stadium,” he said.

“But there are no excuses for us in terms of the size of the stadium or the fact it’s astroturf. It’s something we should be accustomed to now as we always have quite a few domestically.

“In terms of the standard, I

In no way, shape or form are we going to disrespect them

think it’s quite similar ( to St Joseph’s, who Rangers played in Europa League qualifying in Gibraltar last season. Obviously I don’t want to disrespect either club in terms of who’s bigger or better.

“But I think up until a certain point in the game, St Joseph’s were a difficult opponent. They were organised and difficult to beat. I’m sure we’re going to face a very similar test. It’s a game we’re looking forward to.

“Sitting here now, it’s about what my team are going to bring rather than focusing too much on the opponent. We come here with respect but to do a professional job and that’s what I’m looking for from my players.”

Gerrard is hoping that Ianis Hagi, the Romanian playmaker who Rangers signed for £ 3m from Belgian club Genk in the summer, can build on his impressive individual displays in the wins over Hamilton and Dundee United.

“Different players take different amounts of time to get up to speed,” said Gerrard. “But he’s certainly looking close to what we saw at the back end of last season before Covid kicked in. It’s great to see because when he’s at his best he’s certainly a big help to the team and the squad.

“I want him to thrive on every game, to be consistent. I think when you are a young player and are growing and evolving, the one things you’ve got to strive for is consistency. If you want to be known and keep growing on and off the pitch, you have to find consistency in your game.

“That’s going to be Ianis’ biggest challenge. A club like Rangers is perfect for him because the supporters, the staff and everyone connected with the club will demand that from him. That’s what he wants. He doesn’t want an easy ride. He wants to continue to be challenged, tested and pushed. He’s got that from me don’t worry about that.”