PERFECT PAIR ARE PRICELESS

Winning mentality of McGregor and Davis an invaluable asset in eyes of Ibrox boss

THEY are Steven Gerrard’s priceless pairing. Such is the importance of Allan McGregor and Steven Davis, the Rangers boss believes he would require the riches of England’s wealthiest clubs to have any chance of replacing their influence on his squad.

McGregor and Davis may be two very different personalities, but they share the same relentless adherence to exacting standards. Their value is witnessed day by day, week by week, season by season.

That importance is arguably higher than ever now that Rangers are closing in on their first Premiership title in a decade.

McGregor (below, left) and Davis (below, right) have been there before, of course. And have the medals to show for it. But experience is far from the only reason why — with a combined age of 75 — both are still such crucial figures in Gerrard’s plans. Neither’s desire has dimmed in the slightest.

Just after the final whistle in last

Sunday’s 1-1 draw at Hamilton, a clearly exasperated McGregor lit up Sky Sports by branding Rangers’ performance as ‘rubbish’.

Gerrard loved that. He described his team’s display as their worst of the season and was pleased to hear some home truths being echoed by a dressing-room leader.

Davis is never likely to be quite so outspoken, yet the professionalism of his work is every bit the equal of his goalkeeping colleague. Together, they provide a perfect character blend to help drive ambitions at Ibrox as Gerrard seeks a response to last week’s disappointment.

‘One thing is for sure: you can’t put a price on those players,’ he insisted. ‘I think we’d have to be at Man City or Chelsea to replace those players like for like. They are two winners, irreplaceable in terms of the level of performance they have given to the team this year. They are both very different, but very similar as well in terms of standards, routine and how they go about it.

‘They are two of the most low-maintenance players I’ve ever seen in a dressing room, and that goes for when I played and since I have been a coach. They go about their business very professionally.

‘They come in, they do the work and they set the level for others to follow. They are a manager’s dream, the pair of them.’

Gerrard admitted a twinge of regret at not starting Davis against Hamilton. You don’t need to be a soothsayer to predict his presence in the line-up when Kilmarnock visit Ibrox this afternoon.

Needless to say, McGregor will also be present after his man-ofthe-match showing last weekend. Indeed, Gerrard revealed he made sure the 39-year-old’s irate television appearance was seen by the rest of the squad.

‘I loved his interview after the game,’ smiled Gerrard. ‘I watched it about six, seven times.

‘There were some really important one-liners within that interview that the rest of the group had to see.

‘And that’s how we started the week off. We debriefed the game.

‘The good thing about this group is they want honesty. They don’t want to shy away from anything. There is accountability and responsibility.

‘The players realise they have had some incredible praise from myself and the staff, from the inside, from the outside.

‘At the same time, you can’t have it one way. You’ve got to have it both ways. There were some truths in the debriefs which is always good.

‘Allan has been absolutely fantastic. I can’t play Allan every single game. I can’t play Steven Davis every single game. Or Ryan Jack. It’s not right over the course of the season.

‘I have to pick and choose and try to manage it. At the weekend, I thought it was the right time to give Davo a bit of a breather.

‘I probably got that wrong because you saw the level improve as soon as I brought Ryan Jack and Steven Davis into the game. We all move forward and try to react in tomorrow’s game.’ Gerrard confirmed he intends to sit down with McGregor ‘in the coming weeks’ to determine what happens after his existing contract ends this summer.

‘We will respect him,’ said Gerrard. ‘He knows his body, he knows where he’s at, he knows where his hunger levels are. ‘He knows how he wants the short, medium and long term to look. He’s at that age now where he will be doing a lot of thinking about what’s next. ‘In my position, I hope that’s to still work with Allan moving forward.

But I don’t know how the next weeks and months are going to shape his future.

‘But we will be very respectful. We will listen to him and make a decision together on the back of that.’

After a couple of 1-0 wins in preceding fixtures, the draw against Accies was viewed by some as Rangers showing a touch of nerves as the finishing line approaches. Gerrard doesn’t see it that way.

‘No, I think it’s natural and normal for everyone to respect and understand where we are and the opportunity we have,’ he said.

‘Players are human and will have emotions and feelings. There is nothing wrong with being excited but it is also a time for staying humble and realising the difficult challenges ahead. It’s about just being prepared for the next challenge to come our way.

‘But we’re not robots. We understand we have a healthy lead and understand we have ten games to go. We’re not painting a picture that we’re stupid here and don’t understand where we are.

‘Having said that, we’ll never get carried away. We have to go and earn it and grab it. To do that, we have to be patient and take the challenges as they come.

‘The next one is Kilmarnock. They’ve got a new manager (in Tommy Wright) and we have to respect that and be ready for it.

‘We have dropped four points since September, which is a phenomenal bit of form. So it’s a case of keeping the players hungry and consistent, making them realise this is not done and that it won’t be done until it’s officially done.’