Rangers boss reveals Rafa role in revival
Rangers’ new defensive strength has been built by a Liverpudlian – but the architect comes from Spain.
Ibrox boss Steven Gerrard was delighted with the way his men kept another clean sheet in Maribor on Thursday night. The Light Blues have only conceded once in domestic football so far this season— a goal that came in added-on time at Aberdeen after they had ben playing with 10 men for most of the match. There’s no doubt the Rangers’ revival has been based on a strong backline, and that’s in contrast to Celtic’s defensive woes already this season. While Gerrard played under Parkhead boss Brendan Rodgers, it’s another Anfield manager he happily credits for educating him in the art of defending. The Reds were masters of seeing out tricky away ties during the Rafa Benitez years. Newcastle United kept their place in the Premier League last season, thanks to the Spaniard making them a tough nut to crack. Gerrard said: “You certainly try to dig into your experiences as a player and the coaches you worked under. “Rafa was the master of defending away in Europe and being hard to play against and then using the power of Anfield in the home leg. “He helped me become a better player tactically. “When Rafa first got me, maybe couldn’t be trusted fully positionally. “I maybe had too much energy and would lose my slot at an important time. “I had too much enthusiasm to go forward and get goals. It was maybe a bit of ego. “But individual performances don’t always get you the right result in Europe. “It is about the team, the structure, the organisation. “Rafa was a master at it and he improved that side of my game massively.” Gerrard is unapologetic for having invested in defensive players. “It’s the only way to progress, not just in Europe,” he continued. “Big players have stood tall and put in big performances for us, sometimes heroic performances like Allan McGregor the other night. “I can’t take any credit for his signing because it was 99% down the road. “I only had to give it the yes or no, and that was one of the easiest decisions I’ve ever had to make. “Connor Goldson and Niko Katic’s consistency has been superb, while James Tavernier and Jon Flanagan have bought into us being hard to beat. “Hopefully, we can maybe add one more in that area as well because I do feel we are a little bit light at the heart of our back four.” While Brendan Rodgers has found it hard to persuade the Celtic board to bring in new recruits, Gerrard is hopeful of getting a positive response. He said: “I think the board are experienced and wise enough to know that if we are to get through in Europe in a couple of weeks’ time, then the schedule’s going to be tough for another chunk of the season,” he continued. “We’ve presented to them where we feel we are a little bit short, and certainly it’s in the heart of the defence. We are hoping we can get them done in time. “I’ll be very confident we’ve got a squad of players to compete and face the challenges that are coming our way if we can add one or two more.” The immediate challenge is Kilmarnock in the Betfred Cup at Rugby Park today. Gerrard said: “I will have to make a couple of alterations in the team to try and keep some energy, and freshness, because the schedule is tough at the moment. “We’ve answered all the questions so far. “We will have a setback at some point. I just hope it’s not today.”