TRUE GRIT DELIGHTS GERRARD
Ibrox boss hails his players for passing tough Pittodrie test
STEVEN GERRARD insisted Rangers had posted a statement of intent to defy many doubters on the opening day of their title challenge by beating Aberdeen.
Ryan Kent’s 21st-minute goal handed Rangers victory at the venue where they dropped points in stoppage time of the first game of the Gerrard era two years ago.
And the Ibrox boss believes his boys have silenced a few sceptics by plundering the spoils from Pittodrie.
‘It’s a marker for us because all eyes were on us in the first game,’ said Gerrard. ‘When the fixtures came out, everyone was saying: “Oh, it’s Aberdeen away, will they drop points?”
‘There were questions on us, so we’ll go away pleased at picking up three points and getting a
clean sheet. But no one will get carried away. Aberdeen ran us all the way to the end and we’ll dust ourselves down for Europe. But we have to build on this now.
‘We knew when this game was our first that it would be a big challenge and a tough test. We’ve got big respect for Aberdeen here.
‘So I want to praise my players and give them a lot of credit. I thought we were excellent first half, played some really good stuff, showed some of our style and built on our pre-season form.
‘The second half wasn’t pretty at times but we showed a different side to us, that we are capable of hanging in and a steeliness to win.
‘The important thing is that you don’t fall apart and concede goals and let people take points off you.
‘You’ve got to stay tough, stick together and make sure you do everything out there as a team to collectively get there.
‘We’ve been here many times and allowed Aberdeen to get back in the game. Last year we were 2-0 up and had similar periods of the game where we conceded.
‘Today, we never did and that’s the most pleasing thing for me.
‘We should’ve left here with a win last year, so hopefully we’ve taken strides forward.’
Debutant defender Leon Balogun was a huge figure in that effort, with Gerrard reporting that he was the recipient of a round of applause in the away dressing room following his display alongside Connor Goldson.
‘He was outstanding,’ Gerrard added of the 32-year-old. ‘We trusted him to go in for a debut here.
‘He’s been in the door six days but we’ve seen enough and had seen enough prior to bringing him in.
‘He’s got a little lump on his head but that’s pretty normal coming away in this league. We know it’s physical. He got on with it, carried on and that’s what we want to see.’
Balogun’s head smacked the post in a crowded scrap for the ball while defending an Aberdeen corner but looked well equipped to deal with everything else his Scottish Premiership debut threw at him.
‘I think it was (Scott) McKenna who pushed me into the goal post,’ he reported. ‘I wanted to get up but I couldn’t. It wasn’t quite lights out but a little tough for me. Was I unhappy with the challenge? Well, obviously — it shouldn’t happen.
‘But it’s part of the game so I think about it as a message of: Welcome to Scottish football.’
While McKenna tried his best to unsettle the Rangers new boy, the empty Pittodrie stands posed none of the hostile issues in what is a traditional grudge game.
‘The players would prefer to play in front of a crowd, that’s what you get involved in the game for,’ stressed Gerrard.
‘But there’s no doubt that today was a much calmer place to what we’re used to. Aberdeen make it hostile here and put us under pressure. They did it today without fans, it was a good game.’
Gerrard reported that Rangers were ‘close on a couple of things that are brewing away’ on signing targets after watching Alfredo Morelos lead the line amid continued transfer speculation.
‘We can’t go much longer with just one fit forward — I want one in yesterday,’ said Gerrard.
‘I thought, in the main, Alfredo did a good job for us. He had a couple of chances that, with more game time, he might have got on the end of and killed the game off for us.
‘But it’s important Alfredo stays focused on Rangers and playing well. The Rangers fans deserve that focus — whatever happens will happen.’