Stewart sure Ibrox side can continue to raise standards
GREG STEWART expressed belief that Rangers can display further improvement in the second half of the season after Steven Gerrard’s squad warmed up for their return to action with a comfortable friendly victory in Dubai.
The 29-year-old netted the final two goals against Uzbeki champions Lokomotiv Tashkent, adding to earlier efforts from Jermain Defoe, Sheyi Ojo, Steven Davis and James Tavernier on a blustery afternoon at The Sevens Stadium.
Gerrard used 24 players in total — switching his entire team at halftime and involving three youngsters — as preparations were heightened for Friday evening’s Scottish Cup fourth-round tie against Stranraer.
That match is followed by a congested run of Premiership fixtures, with Rangers aiming to build on the Old Firm victory which took them to within two points of Celtic with a game in hand.
Stewart is looking forward to those challenges after revealing Gerrard’s central message over their UAE training camp had been about continuing to raise standards.
‘It is just to do what we have done all season and keep working on that and keep getting better,’ said the forward. ‘We feel that we can keep getting better and we will work hard in training on what we do and what we have been learning all season.
‘Hopefully it can take us to something special at the end of the year.
‘It has been a tough week of training and we hope that it has set us up for a great second half of the season. We had a week off to recover and are buzzing to be back.’
Stewart is hoping he can play his part as
Rangers seek to fight on three fronts, with a
Europa League last-32 meeting with Braga adding to domestic commitments.
‘I have said before how difficult it is to get a game because the squad is so good and so big,’ said Stewart.
‘When you get minutes under your belt, you can only do your best and try and contribute.’
Stewart didn’t do his cause any harm by converting a penalty after Jordan Jones was fouled. He then completed the scoring in the final minute, by which point Lokomotiv were becoming more reckless with their challenges.
That bit of needle didn’t match his last experience of the opposition two years ago, when Derek McInnes admitted fearing for the safety of his Aberdeen stars in another friendly.
‘I have played against them before, so I knew what to expect and I let the boys know,’ said Stewart.
‘I had memories of that game. Sometimes you want that anyway to get something out of the game. It was a good win and a good exercise to play well and get six goals.’
The high winds inside the stadium were a hangover from rainstorms the previous evening that left roads flooded and ensured a cooler-than-expected finale to the Ibrox squad’s six-day training camp, which concludes today.
Gerrard, however, was more than pleased by the application shown. Allan McGregor and Alfredo Morelos, banned for the first three games after the winter break, were the only senior players to sit out proceedings.
Nathan Patterson added a youthful touch to an otherwise experienced starting line-up. The 18-year-old recently turned down interest from a number of English clubs to sign a new contract at Ibrox. Highly rated by Gerrard and his staff, he was handed a chance to impress on the opposite defensive flank to Roma target Borna Barisic.
Defoe didn’t take long to sharpen the scoring senses that will be all the more needed while Morelos is suspended. Eleven minutes had elapsed when the 37-year-old drifted to the far post to meet a low cross from Ojo. The outcome, inevitably, was an early lead.
A second goal for Rangers followed after 27 minutes. Brandon Barker botched an initial chance to break into the box but Ryan Jack ensured the danger was maintained. He found Ojo for a finish high past Lokomotiv keeper Ignatiy Nesterov.
Gerrard swapped every player at half-time, but the flow of the game remained the same.
Davis made it 3-0 after 49 minutes by surging forward to thump in an unstoppable 18-yard drive via the underside of the bar.
Tavernier then got in on the act with 20 minutes to go. The skipper was the beneficiary of a fine run and cross from Ryan Kent that allowed him to finish with a downward header.
Both players subsequently made way to allow youngsters James Maxwell and Kai Kennedy some involvement.
Abdulaziz Yusupov pulled one back before a Stewart penalty, after Jones was fouled, restored a four-goal margin. Jones then played in Stewart to net again in the
90th minute.
RANGERS (first half): Foderingham; Patterson, Edmundson, Katic, Barisic; Jack, Arfield, Aribo; Ojo, Barker; Defoe. (Second half): Firth; Tavernier (Maxwell 71), Goldson, Flanagan, Halliday; Davis, Kamara, Docherty; Jones, Kent (Kennedy) 71; Stewart.