IDENTITY CRISIS
Dogged by domestic inconsistency but Gerrard is determined real Rangers will turn up for Euro clash
THE Steven Gerrard era at Ibrox has got off to a truly Jekyll and Hyde start. The owners of a proud 100-per-cent home record in the Premiership, Sunday’s dismal 1-0 defeat at Livingston means Rangers are still without an away win in the top flight since February’s 4-1 victory at St Johnstone.
That topsy-turvy start to the league season has seen Gerrard’s men claim just 11 points from a possible 21. The disappointing haul is the same total gleaned from the first seven league matches of last season under the disastrous Pedro Caixinha.
Yet while Rangers continue to suffer with travel sickness on domestic trips, curiously it does not seem to afflict them on longer journeys.
Gerrard’s side are currently on a streak of nine matches unbeaten in the Europa League ahead of the Group G visit of Rapid Vienna to Ibrox tomorrow night.
Away from home, Rangers have beaten Croatian side Osijek and drawn in Macedonia, Slovenia, Russia and Spain with FK Shkupi, Maribor, Ufa and Villarreal.
Their 1-1 draw with Ufa in their final Europa League qualifier was particularly commendable as it was achieved despite playing the last 24 minutes with nine men after Alfredo Morelos and Jon Flanagan were sent off.
But the high water mark of the Gerrard reign came in their Group G opener with La Liga side Villarreal as Rangers twice came back from a goal down to rescue a precious point.
Those nine European games reflect a steeliness in Rangers that was woefully absent last season.
But it is the stumbling domestic form that is dominating the thoughts of the Rangers boss.
‘This defeat will improve me because I made a few mistakes within that game on Sunday as well,’ Gerrard insisted as he reflected on the loss to Livvy. ‘The first thing I do is I always analyse myself and my staff: What did we do? Did we do anything wrong? Could we have done anything different or better?
‘You hope that your players do that individually, because if you are a proper player then the first thing you do is self-reflect and analyse yourself.
‘If you have made mistakes within it, then you try and not go back there. You hope that happens naturally amongst your players.
‘It is my responsibility to show the players where I think we can improve as a group and maybe speak to individuals as well.
‘I don’t think, with respect, a team like Livingston should cut us up on second phase set-piece and that is the thing I am struggling to get out of the system.’ Memories of Caixinha remonstrating with fans from inside a bush after his side had been eliminated in humiliating fashion from the Europa League by Luxembourg part-timers Progres Niederkorn do illustrate how far this Rangers team have come under Gerrard.
Despite their domestic woes, they will be hoping to make it ten in a row unbeaten in Europe tomorrow night against a Rapid Vienna side embroiled in conflict.
‘I think we have learnt a lot about some individual players and about us as a team,’ Gerrard told Rangers TV. ‘When things are good, individuals and the team get a lot of praise.
‘Sometimes a lot of small things get hidden amongst that, but I think after a defeat, away from home, a sore one, then you analyse it a bit more and analyse individuals a bit more.
‘Some things smack you in the face and are made that bit more obvious. There is a saying in football: “You learn more through defeat”. I understand that.’