Gerrard: No pressure on the board
Steven Gerrard says he will not put pressure on the Rangers board over his transfer plans amid growing financial uncertainty in the world of football but he insists the directors are as ambitious and hungry for success as he is. Gerrard hopes to strengthen his squad after Rangers’ title challenge fell away after New Year before they exited the Scottish Cup against Hearts.
Rangers made a loss of £11.3 million in 2018-19 and expected to need £10m of funding from shareholders and investors to see them through the season before the coronavirus pandemic.
However, Gerrard is talking to sporting director Ross Wilson about transfer plans and is working hard to identify targets.
Gerrard told TALKSPORT: “We have to see how it all plays out. All managers and all clubs are going to be in very similar situations but I’m in daily contact with the board and they are as hungry and as ambitious as I am.
“But one thing is for sure, there will be no pressure from my point of view. I certainly respect the situation we are in. It is a very unique and strange time.
“But one thing I can say is that from the top of the club to the bottom we are all as ambitious and hungry to keep trying to move things forward and improve because it’s the only way we can find success.”
Steven Gerrard has said the speed at which the SPFL has moved to terminate the league season has not gone down well with Rangers.
The Ibrox manager would have preferred if Scotland had followed a similar path to the Premier League and English Football League.
The SPFL has ended the season in the Championship, League 1 and League 2 and has the power to do likewise in the Premiership.
Gerrard, whose Rangers side trail leaders Celtic by 13 points, feels the league body has jumped the gun.
“For myself, and everyone at Rangers was on the same page, what we wanted was to give it the best chance we can.
“There was certainly a difference in the view from the Premier League and the EFL that they wanted to wait and give this season every single chance to be played out.
“Listen, we all know and respect the fact there might come a stage where that is impossible to happen, we get that.
“There seems to be an almighty rush from where we were to finish it and get it done, get the boats in as soon as possible. That didn’t sit well at all.
“For me, our view hasn’t changed on it at Rangers. We want to get back playing and finish the season off when it’s physically safe to do that, because we all respect the situation that we’re in.”
There are eight rounds of fixtures left to play in the Scottish Premiership. Rangers have a game in hand over Celtic and are still due to play their Glasgow rivals twice more.