Gerrard: Forget 10, it’s all about 55
Steven Gerrard says his full focus is on delivering 55 as he praised resilient Rangers for keeping up their title charge with a 1- 0 victory over Hibs.
The Gers gaffer was delighted after Ianis Hagi made it 12 league wins on the spin by dumping Hibees, to keep the leaders 16 points clear of 10-in-a-row-chasing Celtic.
Victory at rain-lashed Ibrox kept up their perfect home record in the league ahead of Saturday’s Old Firm visit of
Celts, with a trip to St Mirren on Wednesday to round off 2020 first.
Hagi’s first-half strike was enough to seal a big win that moves Gers a step closer to ending a decade-long wait for title glor y and stopping Celtic’s quest for 10.
But Gerrard insists his only concern is winning the 55th league trophy in the club’s history.
The 40-year-old former Liverpool captain spoke to old England pal Alan Shearer in an interview for The Athletic and said: “For me, it’s not about stopping 10.
“It ’s about getting Rangers to 55 (titles).
“The focus is on us. It’s a big motivation for Celtic and it ’s a big motivation for Rangers in terms of our fans and what’s gone on before.”
Gerrard also admitted winning the league north of the border would help heal some of the pain of missing out on the Premier League as a player with Liverpool.
Hi s sl ip a ga ins t Chelsea led to them losing out to Manchester City six years ago and he knows questions will be asked of him if he fails to win silverware in his third season in charge.
Gerrard said: “It ’s definitely a motivation. Having that happen and how it happened towards the end of my Liverpool career was a real, brutal low for me.
“From a personal point of view, having a big high as a coach and manager would contribute to that healing. I’ve still got to prove myself and we’ve got to prove that we can go the distance. When the prizes are given out at the end of the season, we’ve got to be there.
“Otherwise people start talking about your job and whether you deserve to be in the job and has it taken you too long to deliver.
“I’m aware of all the noise that comes from the outside with that.”
Gerrard praised his side for grinding out the win over Hibs.
He said: “Resilience and character are a must.
“If we want to go the distance it’s not always going to be easy. Teams are not going to lie down and let us beat them.
“I thought it was a good game, a tough one. Hibs did extremely well to stay in the game.
“Jack Ross sets them up extremely well and they always carry a threat as they’ve got good players.
“But I’ve got even more praise for my team for getting over the line and winning it because we knew it was going to be a tough challenge with the really tough conditions.
“We’ve stood up to that and managed it extremely well. But if you don’t get that second goal you’re going to get a few nervy moments towards the end, of course you are.
“But it’s a big win, a clean sheet and 12 on the spin, so I’m really happy.
“When you don’t get that second goal, especially towards the end, you know you’re going to have to rely on your big players to stand up and be counted and I thought we did.”