GERRARD IN RALLYING CALL TO STRETCHED IBROX SQUAD

LAST weekend’s call to the boardroom for reinforcements failed to bring the desired result. The demands being made by Steven Gerrard on the dressing room as a consequence must bring a considerably more emphatic response. Otherwise, the hard work that has gone into racking up eight straight clean sheets and building a platform for the campaign ahead could be undone in a flash.

Rangers face four huge games in the next 11 days, starting with today’s trip to Hibernian, that will make or break their hopes of reaching the Europa League group stage and decide how they are placed ahead of the first Old Firm clash of the campaign.

They travel to Dutch side Willem II on Thursday, visit Motherwell next Sunday on league business and will hope to play host to Galatasaray or Hajduk Split in a European play-off on October 1.

A home match with Ross County is likely to be rescheduled to the following Sunday should Rangers get that far in UEFA competition and will be the Light Blues’ last fixture before going to Parkhead after the international break.

Gerrard made that plea for new faces to no avail after seeing four players bite the dust during last Saturday’s 5-0 win over Dundee United.

Even though Kemar Roofe and Leon Balogun are fancied to shake off knocks for this afternoon, the manager still has Joe Aribo, Brandon Barker and Ryan Jack out injured.

It is why the ultimatum to those left in the frame is clear: Stand tough, stay fit and prove you really are resilient enough to be trusted with ending what has been a painful cycle of failure at Ibrox.

‘I’ve made no secret we are actively trying to pursue targets, but the most important thing is the players in the building right now,’ said Gerrard.

‘I need them to stand up. I need them to be robust and pull through and be available for me. Certainly in the next couple of weeks as the games are coming thick and fast.

‘We’ve got too many in the treatment room at the moment.

‘In terms of numbers in the forward areas, we’re pretty happy. It is the midfield area where I’ve said we need to add and where I feel we’re slightly stretched.

‘I have a lot of confidence in the squad, that we have the right quality. To win 5-0 and win comfortably with the injuries we’ve got (against Lincoln

Red Imps on Thursday) was pleasing, but we need to continue without those players.

‘And with all due respect, the next two weeks are going to get a lot tougher.

‘The challenges are coming thick and fast, so I need my players to be big, to stand up and be bold and show the character that I believe they have to get through the next two weeks.’

Gerrard expects Willem II, fifth in last season’s Eredivisie when it was suspended in March, to ask serious questions of his side on Thursday — and has been impressed by striker

Vangelis Pavlidis. Although losing their league opener 2-0 at Heerenveen, the Tilburg side beat Progres Niederkorn 5-0 on Europa League duty with the 21-year-old Greek scoring twice.

‘Willem II are a good team,’ said Gerrard. ‘They have exciting attacking players. They play with a striker who is quite physical in Pavlidis, who is a goalscorer. A good player.

‘So we know the level of the competition is going to get tougher. That’s been the case in the previous two years and we expect that again next week.

‘Hopefully, we can get through the Hibs game with a win and be in a fantastic place to go into the Willem game.’

Gerrard admits, though, that playing behind closed doors changes the face of away games ahead of these testing trips to Hibs, Tilburg and Motherwell.

‘I wouldn’t say it’s easier,’ he said. ‘We won at Pittodrie and it was a tough game, even though we played very well and we had to stick together to get over the line.

‘It was different going there without the atmosphere and the intensity that comes from the terraces, though. Maybe that is a slight advantage for the away team.

‘I think the actual game doesn’t become any easier. You’re still playing against good players and facing good coaches. It is unique in that there isn’t that intensity.

‘I’m sure certain individuals will benefit from that environment being a little bit more calm.

‘In terms of getting messages on it’s a lot easier. When Ibrox is rocking or you’re in an atmosphere where it’s noisy, it can be difficult at times.’

Gerrard knows his side’s record of eight consecutive clean sheets to start the campaign will come under serious threat in the coming days.

‘There’s still a lot of work to do and I think we can still get even more,’ he said. ‘We’ve still got levels to go from an organisation and defensive point of view, which is a good place to be in.’