The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Gerrard going for it in Slovenia
RANGERS: No sitting back for Light Blues despite two-goal cushion in big tie
Steven Gerrard insists Rangers have no intention of sitting on their first-leg lead over Maribor as he promised to take the fight to the Slovenians.
The Light Blues, who are reported to have rejected Bordeaux’s £3.75million bid for striker Alfredo Morelos, have flown out for their latest Europa League qualifier with a 3-1 advantage after last week’s Ibrox triumph.
The Gers boss knows it is up to the hosts at the Ljudski Stadion to force the issue tonight if they want to turn the tie around.
But Gerrard does not want to invite pressure on his team by having them sit back looking to protect that scoreline.
The Champions League winner believes his new-look Gers side are at their best when on the front foot and has now told his players they can send out a warning to potential play-off opponents FC Ufa and Progress Niederkorn by gunning down Darko Milanic’s men away from home.
He said: “At some point Maribor are going to have to take some risks in the game and I will pick a team with enough attacking talent to hopefully go and hurt them.
“This is not a case of us coming here to hang on and try to grind through the 90 minutes in order to get over the line. This is an opportunity to show we’re a team that’s moving forward, a team that is growing, that has confidence.
“So I want my players to play as big players, as a big team tomorrow and show we’re a threat away in Europe.”
However, the away goal netted by Mitja Viler in Glasgow last week has given Maribor hope they can rescue the situation.
However Gerrard has backed his team to handle whatever comes their way.
“It will certainly be a test and a tough one – but so was Shkupi and Osijek because we were not 100% match fit in those games.
“I think it would be very naive for my players to go in and think that this will be a walkover.”
Gerrard confirmed that Ryan Jack, Lassana Coulibaly and Scott Arfield are “all good to go” after shaking off their recent injury concerns.
But with Jon Flanagan suspended and new signing Borna Barisic ineligible, the Ibrox manager does have a decision to make over who starts at left-back.
Midfielder Andy Halliday is the favourite to plug the hole in Gers’ defence – a prospect which will bring out some supporters in a cold sweat as they remember back to the torturing he received from Celtic’s James Forrest the last time he had to fill that role in a big clash, April’s 5-0 Parkhead pasting.