‘We all want to play — it must be nightmare for boss to pick team’
RANGERS FANS TO ESCAPE THOMAS COOK CHAOS
ONE year on from seeing his threadbare squad fail to cope with the demands of a war on all fronts, Steven Gerrard is bedding in for the winter in a far more optimistic frame of mind.
The Englishman’s first season as Rangers manager had many laudable aspects to it, yet he was essentially undone by having too few players of the requisite quality.
Saddled with the likes of Ovie Ejaria, Lassana Coulibaly and Umar Sadiq, Gerrard’s squad spilled ten points in their opening seven league games and would progress no further than the semi-finals of the Betfred Cup.
In six league games to date this time around, a home defeat in the Old Firm game remains the only blot on the copybook. They have won and proven nothing yet, of course, but the way in which they are ticking off the boxes containing the top flight’s also-rans contrasts sharply with how they toiled last season.
While the enhanced depth and competition for places can be seen throughout the side, it’s most striking in the forward area where Alfredo Morelos and Jermain Defoe’s tag-team partnership is driving the pair on to outdo each other.
The Colombian’s hopes of grabbing the headlines appeared safe at Perth at the weekend when he bulldozed his way to a vital opening goal, only for the Englishman to clamber off the bench as his replacement and claim a late quickfire double.
Given Gerrard’s preference for a one-striker 4-3-3 system, the sum total of Morelos and Defoe’s interaction will rarely amount to more than a friendly handshake at the side of the park.
But with their combined efforts now contributing 20 goals to the cause in all competitions, they are fast becoming as valued as any on-field pairing the club have boasted down the years.
‘It is not just me and Alfredo, it is the whole team to be honest,’ said Defoe after taking his season’s tally to eight against St Johnstone on Sunday.
‘There were a few changes from midweek and, like I have said all season when I have come in, when you get an opportunity, you have to take it.
‘That has always been the case at every club I have been at. When you get a chance, you have to take it when there are other players that can come in and play well. It is good.
‘It is probably a nightmare for the manager trying to pick a team, but it is good and it keeps us winning and that is the most important thing.’
It will take Scott Tanser some time to flush Morelos from his memory bank. While the St Johnstone defender’s positioning was all wrong as he contested a loose ball with his opponent in the opening minutes of the second half, the Rangers striker took him to school thereafter.
‘He has been brilliant,’ said Defoe of his team-mate. ‘It is difficult with the English, but his English is improving.
‘He is a fantastic player and, when he plays, he is going to score goals, like he showed last season. He will do the same this year.
‘He is so strong and when defenders get that tight to him, that is when he is at his best, when he can roll people. His link-up was good, he kept the ball every time.’
Ahead of a tricky Betfred Cup quarter-final tie at Livingston tomorrow night, Gerrard (right) will appreciate the folly in taking too much satisfaction from a far steadier start to his second season in Glasgow.
Nonetheless, for the Rangers manager, there is certainly a degree of comfort to be taken from the way all bar one of his side’s domestic assignments have been taken care of amid a hectic European schedule, which has also produced positive results. The captures of Joe Aribo and Sheyi Ojo, together with full pre-seasons for the likes of Defoe and Steven Davis, have contributed to give Rangers a far more robust look. ‘We have added a lot of quality and the players that have come in have done really well,’ added Defoe. ‘It is not always easy to come in and play for a club like this, and I feel the players that have come in have done really well and added more quality to the squad. It is bigger and it gives the manager a chance to rotate for games so when you do play you can come in fresh and perform.
‘Joe (Aribo) has been brilliant since he has come in. He is fantastic. He keeps the ball, he glides by people. With my second goal, I didn’t think he saw me but he played a clever pass through the defender’s legs. He is a fantastic talent.
‘He is brilliant and I thought Davo (Davis) was unbelievable, and Jacko (Ryan Jack) again.’
With two goals in the last three minutes against Saints, Defoe, even at 36, still commands much the same superlatives.
While the form of Morelos means he might have to be satisfied with brief cameo roles for much of this campaign, the Englishman’s ability to make a stellar contribution is undiminished by the passing of time.
‘On a personal note, it is always nice to score goals and it was good,’ he continued. ‘Sitting on the side, I did realise that if I came on I would get chances because second half we created so many and we dominated. It was nice to come on and get the two goals.
‘I said to the referee (after going on): “How long is left?” and he said: “Ninety seconds”, so I said: “Hold that whistle!”
‘It is always nice to score goals, it is something that gives you that buzz. But the three points were important. It is not an easy place to come and in the end it was a good win.
‘It was a game we had to win. I felt in the first half they made it difficult for us to play with that intensity that we showed last Thursday night (against Feyenoord). It was important in the second half that we tried to get an early goal, and we did. After that, we dominated and it was a good win.’
RANGERS fans should escape the worst impact of the Thomas Cook collapse. The club decided not to take any tickets for the next Europa League away match, against Young Boys in Berne, as a gesture following a series of UEFA sanctions. Although supporters have been asked to register for the away meeting with Porto on October 24, meanwhile, it is believed that no payments had yet been taken for flights and hotels with the club’s official travel partner. A Rangers spokesman said: ‘We are of course analysing the consequences of what’s happening right now and will be ready to take whatever actions may be necessary. ‘We’ll make further announcements when we have more details.’ Meanwhile, an SRU spokesman said they were being kept up to date with developments regarding Thomas Cook, who are their official rugby ticket and hotel break company. ‘There is no Thomas Cook involvement in the Rugby World Cup in relation to fans or the team,’ said an SRU spokesman. ‘Obviously, the staff there have a lot going on just now but they are in contact with us.’ However, in England, thousands of football fans were in limbo yesterday, Thomas Cook having partnerships with Premier League clubs to offer official package holidays for European games. Several top-flight clubs had appointed the British travel agent as their travel supplier, meaning many fans trusted that route to book tickets and travel for forthcoming Europa League and Champions League games. Liverpool offered 360 hospitality packages for every home game through the 178-year-old firm. News that the company had ceased trading yesterday cast serious doubt over whether any such tickets and packages will be valid. Among the more pressing fixtures affected is Chelsea’s Champions League group match against Lille next week, for which fans had been offered a same-day return package costing £119-a-person plus the cost of a ticket. Manchester United and Wolves fans, who had bought packages to next Thursday’s Europa League games in the Netherlands and Turkey with Thomas Cook, had similar concerns. Chelsea had initially told supporters it was ‘business as usual’ at Thomas Cook Sport, despite the company’s website having been shut down along with a message stating that it had ceased trading. The club did not respond to requests for comment. Liverpool said they were working out a contingency plan for the hospitality packages held by Thomas Cook at Anfield. A spokesman said: ‘We are currently assessing the impact of Thomas Cook ceasing trading and the impact for those supporters who have purchased packages from Thomas Cook.’ Manchester City, Tottenham and Wolves — whose owner Fosun International was Thomas Cook’s majority shareholder — also had partnerships with the company.