Rodgers: Rangers don’t need my help
BRENDAN RODGERS insists Steven Gerrard doesn’t need his assistance to plot Slavia Prague’s downfall in the Europa League. Slavia recorded a shock 2-0 win over Rodgers’ Leicester City on Thursday night to set up a last-16 meeting with Rangers in yesterday’s draw. Gerrard’s men travel to Prague on March 11 before the return match at Ibrox a week later.
While Rodgers can offer insight on the strengths and weaknesses of the Czech champions, he doesn’t expect a call from his former Liverpool captain prior to the first leg. ‘Steven and Rangers won’t need my help on it,’ said the ex-Celtic boss. ‘They’ll have enough analysts and people who have watched the games and see how Slavia Prague have done over the course of the season and against us, so I wouldn’t expect a call. They won’t need my help.’ Gerrard, meanwhile, has urged his players to seize the chance to make March a month to remember. Rangers stand seven points
away from clinching the Premiership title, with Wednesday’s visit to Livingston followed by games against St Mirren and Celtic. The two legs against Slavia fall amid those domestic assignments, meaning a Europa League quarter-final place could be secured alongside the club’s first championship in a decade. ‘Listen, it is a really exciting time to be connected to this club and we have worked so hard to put ourselves in this position,’ said Gerrard, whose side defeated Royal Antwerp 5-2 on Thursday night. ‘We have achieved something big and special by getting to the last 16 and matching last year. We want to try and keep being ambitious and keep aiming for the stars. ‘In terms of the league, everyone is aware there is a lot of noise on the outside and opinions on the team. ‘For us, it is just about sticking to our narrative on the inside and our objectives — and that is to go and try and win as many league games as we can from now until the end of the season. ‘We know what we have to do. We know what is in front of us and we have to go and deliver. ‘If we go off the last performance and go off the level of consistency that has been there since the first game in pre-season, there has been a real focus, a real determination. ‘We have a group of people here that want to capitalise on the opportunity that we have got. ‘I have every confidence and belief that we can go and do that but it is about just staying in the now and focusing on all the right things that have got us this far. ‘And then we will go and execute the last couple of games that we need. This is going to be a special place if we do.’