SUNDAY BEST
Gerrard: Teams need late kick-offs after Europa ties
STEVEN GERRARD believes the quality of Scottish football’s flagship product will be jeopardised until Sunday-night games are introduced after Europa League midweeks.
The Rangers manager, whose team have faced four lunchtime kick-offs following Thursday ties, insists title rivals Celtic have been dealt a harsh hand today.
In the wake of the intensity of their heroic defeat of Italian giants Lazio, Neil Lennon’s side are at Pittodrie for a 12.15pm live television start.
That, says Gerrard, is insufficient recovery time for players to perform to their peak and, therefore, endangers the entertainment value in Aberdeen.
Gerrard stressed that the importance of extra-hours preparation on the same day cannot be overlooked and would like the authorities and broadcasters to reconsider.
When asked if it was inevitable that performance and entertainment will suffer, Gerrard said: ‘Yeah, I think so.
‘There’s no doubt about it in my mind that, if Aberdeen v Celtic was at night, you would see a better quality game because of the recovery time, etc. Night
games are always better than morning games anyway.
‘I think Celtic have the worse one this weekend. They have to travel up to Pittodrie and they have the early kick-off.
‘We’ve been there. It’s a massive fixture, so I can understand why Aberdeen v Celtic should be on TV.
‘But sometimes we feel like there are other fixtures in the league which could maybe be on that early TV game rather than ourselves, especially after Europe.
‘But we get no support from that point of view. That’s my personal opinion. We have just got to crack on, confront and accept it.’
Gerrard (below) is sure more can be done to help the Glasgow giants as they go about boosting Scotland’s flagging UEFA coefficient with an upturn in results.
When asked if even a 4pm kick-off would be of assistance to improving the product for stadium and armchair fans, Gerrard replied: ‘Of course. If you think about a 12.15 kick-off, you’ve got to have your pre-match meal, you’ve got to be out of bed at 7.30 to prepare yourself for travelling to wherever you are. ‘So you are losing sleep, losing preparation time, losing time for the body to get back into the shape you need it to be in to perform. ‘There are all kinds of small details within it which are not beneficial.
‘I think that’s where the governing body have to help teams playing in European games and give you the kick-off that helps the players be more recovered and be in the best shape to go and entertain the people who are watching on TV.
‘Surely the players’ safety is better? Surely the outcome of Scottish football is very important?’
Rangers have played St Johnstone and St Mirren away at 12.15pm, Kilmarnock at 1.30pm and hosted Celtic at noon following Europa League fixtures.
Celtic flew back from a Thursday night in Stockholm to host that first Old Firm clash and also travelled to Livingston to lose a midday start after their revenge win over Cluj.
Lennon’s men are expected in Dingwall for another noon kick-off on Sunday, December 1 after they have played Rennes on Matchday Five.
Two weeks later, following the final round of group games, it’s Rangers’ turn for TV again at midday in Motherwell.
Gerrard added: ‘It is definitely something that needs to be discussed.
‘I don’t know if Derek (McInnes) and Lenny have the same opinion. From where I’m at, if you have the schedule Thursday-Sunday, it is a very difficult kick-off time.
‘The worst one is being away and then you have to go away again and you have a very early kick-off.
‘That’s hard to prepare for. Not just physically, mentally as well.’
Following their excellent point in Porto, Rangers face a 3pm top-flight visit of Motherwell today.
Gerrard believes his players, sports science department and backroom colleagues are all better equipped for the demands of the schedule in their second season at the club.
Unlike his Parkhead counterpart, Lennon, Gerrard trains his players on the Friday after an early-hours arrival home from an away night in the Europa League.
He explained: ‘We probably got to our beds at quarter to two in the morning, so we put the session back for Friday. It was more of a lunchtime thing, so we got a bit more sleep.
‘But we can’t afford to give any days off now because we have very little time to prepare for
Motherwell.
‘It is an important game, a massive game. We need the two full days to prepare for it.
‘I think from the final whistle on a Thursday to the next kick-off you’ve got to do everything you can, across the board.
‘Even if it is small things like your compression socks. There’s your diet, hydration, sleep.
‘Players now have got to be more professional and really — to the very smallest detail — make sure they do everything perfectly to recover.
‘We’ve just had Ryan Kent and Ryan Jack back from injuries and play a game with that intensity away from home.
‘The turnaround is very quick to have them ready to go again, so we are in constant dialogue with the sports science.
‘Are they ready to go again? Or do we need to protect them?
‘Some need more protection than others, so sometimes you’ve got to pull back a little bit.
‘The temptation is always there to play your best players. Trust me, I wish I was in a position to pick my strongest team game after game after game.
‘But if I did that then, they would be done by the end of November.’
Meanwhile, Brighton and Crystal Palace are among the clubs monitoring Rangers midfielder Glen Kamara.
The 23-year-old Finland international has caught the eye of English suitors with his composure and measured passing both at club and international level. The former Arsenal trainee was outstanding in Oporto in midweek.
English Premier League scouts have been making favourable reports, with Burnley and Aston Villa also thought to be interested in the players Rangers signed from Dundee in January.