Gerrard hails Scott Arfield’s inner strength
Gers boss hails midfielder’s inner strength and commitment
A dip in form has seen Scott Arfield come in for criticism from Rangers fans. But Steven Gerrard last night leapt to the midfielder’s defence, hailing his inner strength and commitment.
Arfield was one of the star performers of last season for the Gers, but has struggled to hit those heights again in the current campaign.
A tiring summer stint with the Canadian national team has been suggested as a possible reason for Arfield’s loss of form by a section of fans.
Some of them have called for him to be dropped after his quiet showing against Hamilton Accies last weekend.
But his manager insists he will never turn his back on the former Burnley man – and revealed he has been dealing bravely with a personal issue in recent weeks.
“Scott has had a situation, off the field, rumbling on for a few weeks and it is his private business,” said Gers boss Gerrard.
“It’s up to him whether he divulges that or not. He’s had a tough few weeks.
“In terms of form, Scott will be the first to admit that he’s maybe not hit the heights of last season.
“But he set such high standards last year, certainly towards the end of the campaign when he was on fire. He was in the zone.
“Scott is one that we trust. We’ll stay with him and keep believing that he’ll get back to his best form.
“But he’s one that’s still very much part of our plans. I really appreciate what he’s given us since he came through the door, on and off the pitch.
“We won’t turn him away, that’s for sure. “Fans don’t see that kind of thing, and I don’t want to divulge too much of his private business.
“But it’s my responsibility to protect Scott. That’s what I try to do when a player has a situation where they’re not themselves.
“But what I’ll say about Scott Arfield is that he’s always there for you. Maybe other people might have stayed away from the place. “So fair play to him, he’s some man.” Today’s clash with Hearts is followed by Wednesday night’s trip to Aberdeen, before next Sunday’s Betfred Cup Final with Celtic.
Understandably, Gerrard is operating largely on a one-game-at-a-time basis.
But with the chance of a first major trophy for eight years just seven days away, he has half an eye on a potential team for Hampden.
As a result, he knows where there are opportunities for players on the fringes to play
themselves into contention over the coming week.
“Is there a chance for players to grab two or three spots that might be available in the cup final team? I don’t think there’s three,” said Gerrard.
“At times, I’ve thought I knew my best XI. But things change in football, sometimes people grasp an opportunity.
“Players surprise you, and then others don’t take their chance by not doing themselves justice.
“So there’s a bit of that going on in one or two situations within the team.
“What I would say is a lot of players are very consistent at the moment, which means I’m finding it hard to get certain people in. So work that out.
“You’ve always got places to lose at a club the size of Rangers. The players have to grab a shirt.
“If you’re complacent at Rangers, there will always be someone ready to step in.
“I’m not going to just forget someone off the back of a bad performance, a mistake or a little barren spell.
“So everyone should have hope and belief that they’ll get an opportunity.
“We’re, for sure, better placed to make changes this year than last.
“The players we have available now are more robust. That’s a positive. I’ve got more confidence in making changes, even though I want to be subtle about it
“I don’t want to be making five or six changes from game-to-game because it can affect your rhythm.
“But the squad is certainly stronger than last year. There are more options.”