The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Gerrard hails Gers’ ‘phenomenal’ year
Rangers boss Steven Gerrard has backed his Ibrox frontrunners to streak across the Premiership finish line this month after watching them sustain title-winning pace all season.
The Light Blues fans are set to have a March to savour, with their team just three wins away from their first league crown in a decade.
They could also grasp a place in the Europa League quarter-finals if they can fight their way past Slavia Prague.
But Gerrard reckons this month is no bigger than any other they have faced this season after watching Gers negotiate hurdle after hurdle with every page turn of the calendar.
He said: “We’re coming into March and everyone thinks it will be the pivotal month.
“But if I can take you back, we had to start the season strong, then we had to build on that.
“Then people were telling me we had to make sure we had a real positive Christmas period because of the amount of games coming up.
“Then January was the key month because we had Aberdeen away, we had Hibs away, we had the Old Firm. It was like January was the biggest month of all.
“But when we came through January, all of a sudden February was important.
“Now we’re in March and everyone is talking about March.
“However, every month so far has been key and important. We’ve completed them all because we’ve been consistent, been hungry and got the right results.
“The only setback we’ve had has been St Mirren, which has been a phenomenal season so far.
“March presents the opportunity to get over the line in terms of the league. We want to grab that as quick as we can. We don’t want to wait or to stumble. We want to win this league and that starts tomorrow at Livingston.
“I don’t see any nerves or anyone looking tense. Our performances recently have been of a really high level and I want to see that from now until the end of the season.
“In terms of the Europa League, we are really excited and believe we have a decent chance to improve on last year’s journey if we can find the same level we found against Antwerp.
“But we also know Slavia will be a bigger challenge because they are in the last 16 and to get to this level you have to be a really good team.”
Livingston are next up tonight as Gerrard’s team look to tick off another step on the way to the title.
The Tony Macaroni Arena has been a difficult venue for Gers in recent seasons but Gerrard is expecting a different challenge this time from Davie Martindale’s beaten Betfred Cup finalists.
“Livi are on the back of a tough weekend so we’re aware they are going to be wounded and looking to react,” he said.
“I think Davie has done a magnificent job since he became the number one coach.
“I know he was there prior and had a big influence but I see a more positive Livingston now.
“I see a Livingston that is pressing higher that has more energy and more quality than previously, with all due respect.
“The last game we played through there, we played a low block that didn’t have any ambition to come anywhere near our goal. That was a challenge for us as we didn’t have enough quality to break that down.
“But over the last 10 or 15 games under Davie, they are certainly more front foot, more aggressive and certainly creating more, so we see this as a slightly different challenge than we faced previously.
“We’ll have to compete, we’ll have to fight and do the ugly side of the game. Then hopefully our quality will take over.”
Rangers’ right-back problems continue to mount after Gerrard confirmed Leon Balogun is a major doubt for the trip along the M8.
Livingston’s Efe Ambrose should be fit for the clash with Gerrard’s men.
The Lions’ defender picked up knock to his knee in the Betfred Cup final defeat by St Johnstone on Sunday.
Defender Jackson Longridge could return to the squad after recovering from a medial knee injury but Alan Lithgow (hip) and Keaghan Jacobs (foot) remain out.