Cold but gold as defender shrugs off winter break
Englishman insists runaway Premiership leaders will benefit from staying at home
REMAINING in Glasgow must, despite the sub- zero temperatures and snow enveloping the country, have felt like an awfully good idea at Rangers this week.
Their city rivals Celtic have been widely and severely criticised, including by senior Scottish Government ministers, for jetting off to Dubai for a warm- weather training break amid the Covid- 19 pandemic.
The runaway Premiership leaders have, in stark contrast, avoided any unsettling controversy and quietly gone about their business as normal at their training base in Milngavie ahead of their league meeting with Aberdeen at Pittodrie tomorrow.
That said, Conor Goldson, the Ibrox club’s centre- half and vice- captain, could perhaps have benefitted from getting a little sun on his back in an exotic foreign location given his exertions in the first half of the 2020/ 21 campaign.
Goldson, who has been one of Steven Gerrard’s most consistent performers, is the only player to start in all 34 of the matches that Rangers have been involved in since football resumed back in August. It has been a physically and mentally draining spell.
Yet, the 28- year- old has no concerns about that punishing run of domestic and European fixtures or the scrapping of the winter break having a negative impact on his form and fitness or those of his team- mates in the coming weeks and months as they attempt to land the Scottish title.
The defender, who was helpless to prevent Gerrard’s side from suffering collapses in the second half of the previous two seasons after overseas sorties in January, believes keeping the same routine and continuing to play is the best course of action.
“It’s a lot of games but, with the place we are in and with the confidence we have got, I don’t think we’d even want to stop at the moment,” said Goldson.
“We are in such a good place that you want the games to keep coming and coming. Obviously, it can take its toll at points, but I think it is up to individuals to be professional and take control of their own body.
“It’s about doing as much as you can here and away from the training ground to keep yourself as fresh as possible. I feel we have a very professional team and I think that is helping us over the course of the season.”
He is as eager to be in the Rangers starting line- up tomorrow as he was on the opening day of the new season.
“That’s all up to the manager and what he decides,” he said. “I just do everything I can between games to get my body in the best place to recover and go again.
“I want to play every game possible and I do everything at the training ground, and away from it, to be in the best condition. Hopefully I can keep performing because I feel in a good place and I am enjoying my football.”
Having played in Betfred Cup, Europa League and Premiership matches in every midweek since the end of November, Goldson appreciated having a couple of days off at home and then several training sessions in succession following Rangers’ hard- fought 1- 0 triumph over Celtic at Ibrox last Saturday. He is raring to go again.
“We had a few days with the family and we haven’t had that in a long time,” he said. “It was good to be able to wake up in the morning with the little one and actually spend the day with him.
“That was nice and refreshing, but then we were ready to come back to training and the last few days have been good. We have worked hard on little bits we want to tweak and improve on.
“It was good to get a break, but we are now back and I don’t think you lose any match fitness over that period, given how many games we have played. We are all ready to go on Sunday, we feel fit and we want to show that on the pitch.”
The former Brighton defender has been integral to the solid defensive performances that Rangers, who have let in just five goals in the Premiership this season, have produced in the past five months. He believes that
consistency of selection has been key to their success in that crucial area of the park.
“We have pretty much all been together now for a couple of years, which makes a big difference,” he said. “Apart from Leon ( Balogun), the goalkeeper ( Allan McGregor) and the back four have all been here for two to three years, more so with Tav ( James Tavernier).
“I feel like we are all used to each other. We are all confident in each other. I have always said in football that when you keep clean sheets it becomes a habit and you get confidence from that.
“Obviously, starting the season the way we did by keeping keep in seven in a row has helped us on our way.
“We have realised now as a back four and whole team that if we can keep a clean sheet then it is going to be hard for the other team to stop us for 90 minutes. We saw at Pittodrie earlier in the season that it can only take one goal for us to win a game. I think that’s important.”
Goldson would be quite content with another narrow win over Derek McInnes’s on- form charges, who have gone seven games unbeaten in the top flight, at Pittodrie tomorrow.
“It’s another statement game,” he said. “It’s a place where we have had good results over the years,” he said. “But we have also dropped points there and we know it’s one of the most difficult places to go in this league. Another three points would be another statement.
“Pittodrie is a tough place to go. You saw that earlier in the season when we got a 1- 0 victory. It was a very tough game for us and Celtic have dropped points there this season. We know what going to Pittodrie is all about as we have been there over the years. It’s a tough place to play and Aberdeen are a hard team to play against.”
We feel fit and we want to show that on the pitch