HITMAN CAN PAY US BACK IN THE DERBY
Arfield tips Morelos to make up for madness as Gers bounce into derby
SCOTT ARFIELD says Rangers are ready to bounce into Parkhead – and he wouldn’t be surprised to see Alfredo Morelos atone with an Old Firm goal.
The Ibrox midfielder insists the players are ready to pick themselves up from their knees after their most physically draining match of the season.
Red cards for Morelos and Jon Flanagan left Gers up against it but the nine men held on against the odds for a 1-1 draw at Ufa, a 2-1 aggregate win and a potential £10million jackpot from the Europa League group stage.
The joy with which Rangers players embraced at the end spoke of a side that has learned to trust one another just three months after being assembled by Steven Gerrard and Gary McAllister.
Forgiveness also hung heavily in the air as Arfield moved speedily to put an arm around Morelos, red-carded for the second time this season, rather than rush to condemn.
Arfield said: “A team was born out there . The expectation we held was that we fully expected to score.
“It was great to get that early goal and then we had the setbacks with Flanno and Alfredo. They were difficult to take but we really dug in.
“Alfredo doesn’t do it out of badness or malice. He’s a typical South American, he plays with his heart on his sleeve.
“I’ve come up against it many times, that’s just the way he plays. He’s very remorseful and it’s up to the lads to rally round him.
“Thankfully it’s a good time to get back on the plane. After the Aberdeen game he came back and you look at his goals against St Mirren and Kilmarnock.
“Perhaps European referees see more than Scottish referees.
“There are different ways to win a game of football and certainly in that dressing room there was no one pointing fingers or blaming anyone. We win together and lose together.
“We know have a massive game to look forward to on Sunday. It’s one of the most iconic matches in world football and we have a bit of momentum going into it. We don’t go there fearing anyone. We will go into Parkhead bouncing.”
Gerrard last night landed central defender Joe Worrall on a season-long loan deal from Nottingham Forest and is also in advanced talks to land Eros Grezdo in a £2m deal from Osijek.
It will take the number of players involved in Gerrard’s summer overhaul to 14 arrivals, with more than 20 being shipped out the door.
Arfield said: “I sensed in my first season at Burnley after promotion there was an expectation there. I sensed that again on the first day of pre-season with Rangers. I felt we could be successful.
“You have someone of the manager’s stature coming in, his backroom staff and all the signings. I fully expected it to gather momentum quickly.”
Gerrard now wants to face European heavyweights to give Rangers fans the nights they deserve and his players the
challenge they will relish. He said: “I hope the draw is really tough. I hope we get big teams, big players and big challenges because that’s where I want my players.
“That’s where Rangers should be. We should be rubbing shoulders with big players, big stadiums, big tests. Why not? Bring it on.
“If we play an English team and it doesn’t go how we want it to, it will do my players no harm at all.
“The board have been superb with me. I’m very happy with the squad we’re trying to build here. We’re not finished yet. We’re going to get setbacks and bumps but what I’m proud of tonight is that we have become a team and a squad.
“I always had one eye on this moment. This was a moment I really wanted to push hard for because it was the first thing we could achieve as a team. When you achieve something, it brings confidence, belief and satisfaction.
“Then you build on it. But that doesn’t mean everything is perfect now. We’ve got a lot to learn, a long way to go.”
Rangers have 28 yellow cards already
this season in all competitions, including four reds– in eight European matches alone their crime count is 20 cautions and two dismissals.
Gerrard said: “We don’t seem to want to do things the easy way or in a controlled way. Up until the first red card we were in a good place, leading in the game and in control. I really liked the shape about us.
“I actually thought the game was won and we could build on it. But obviously the first sending-off changed it a lot.
“Whether it was the right decision or not I will have to have a look. I’ve already spoken to Alfredo about learning from these things as quickly as possible and the same with Jon.
“That made the job doubly hard for the team. I mention discipline before every game and you need to focus on it even more in Europe.”