Manager savours progress

Rangers manager Steven Gerrard believes Scottish clubs need to keep improving in Europe to atone for years of under-performing.

Both Europa League sides registered significant victories in their respective groups on Thursday, with Celtic winning away to Lazio and Rangers defeating Porto at Ibrox.

Those results have helped push Scottish football’s Uefa coefficient to a five-year high in the rankings – and to within one spot of having two Champions League qualifying places from 2021-22.

Gerrard savoured that upturn in fortunes and hopes it will need to continue.

He said: “We all have to keep working towards making it better, because the record isn’t good enough for the size of the clubs that are up here with the history of Celtic, Rangers and Aberdeen.

“We’ve all got a responsibility to try to improve that as over the past decade it hasn’t been good enough. Clubs of that size deserve to be in Europe and the fans need it.

“It would be fantastic for the Scottish game (to get a second Champions League place) and it’s exactly what it needs.

“We can only focus on what’s happening here (at Rangers) and we’ve been working hard towards getting some respect back in Europe. We want people to know we won’t be pushovers and that we’re going to fight as hard as we can.”

Rangers must now prepare for tomorrow’s trip to face Livingston at a ground where they lost last season. Gerrard expects another physical test.

He added: “One of the biggest lessons we learned from last season was that you have to switch your focus pretty quickly whether you’re on a high or a low.

“You need to get over it as quickly as you can and move on to the next challenge.

“We’ve done that a lot better this season.”

Rangers manager Steven Gerrard has switched focus.