IT JUST DOESN’T GET ANY BIGGER

Euro progress proves to Gerrard and players that Rangers is the place to be

THE pitch Steven Gerrard plans to make to the all-important midfielder he has been chasing for weeks now will be pretty much the same one he directs at any existing Rangers player who finds himself the subject of offers ahead of midnight tomorrow. There is history to be made here, a chance to walk with the giants of the ages. Whatever options may exist elsewhere, Ibrox is most definitely going to be an interesting place to be.

The ever-present spectre of 10 in a row was always going to give this term an added piquancy, but Thursday night’s tremendous victory over Galatasaray to secure a place in the Europa League group stage has only raised expectations.

What Gerrard must fear is that it has also heightened interest in a number of his star men. The signings of Kemar Roofe and Cedric Itten always reeked of succession planning in expectation of French club Lille upping their £16.25million offer that was turned down for Alfredo Morelos earlier in the window.

However, Ryan Kent also continues to be tracked by Leeds United after their £10m proposal was batted back to them last month, James Tavernier has struck a rich seam of form, Anderlecht have already been told to forget about Glen Kamara and Borna Barisic just keeps building on the impressive progress he made last term.

Gerrard’s primary focus remains on strengthening the engine room of his side with the signing he has been crying out for since making a public plea to the board after a home rout of Dundee United three weeks ago.

However, he knows only too well the unpredictability of the market may throw anything his way between now and the deadline. Money on the table might be the be all and end all.

Yet, in footballing terms, Gerrard (below) believes Rangers, right now, carry more than enough to satisfy the immediate ambitions of those inside the dressing room and that one elusive individual he hopes to introduce.

‘This is a huge football club. It is at an important stage because of what is at stake, certainly in the short term,’ he said.

‘I don’t want to be getting involved in talking about 10 in a row every time I do an interview. We are all aware of the timing of what is at stake.

‘In terms of what players want? What is their motivation? Is it money? Is it playing i n a top-five league in Europe? That is for each individual. But we have a very interesting situation here. We have got European football now, quality groups, really exciting games. You have the opportunity to win here and create history.

‘You have the opportunity to join real big names that have gone before and been successful here, so that is a good position to be in as a manager when you are trying to attract players, when you are trying to keep players.

‘In terms of the next couple of days, anything can happen. Something can get taken out of my hands.

‘There is a financial situation at every club. We are going through a pandemic. Some things might be out of my control. We have to wait and see where we are come October 6 and go from there.

‘My hope is to have the best possible players available for me after the next international break.’

On the other side of that break lies the first Old Firm game of the campaign and then a trip to Belgian side Standard Liege to begin Europa League Group D.

It will begin a breakneck spell that will test Gerrard’s squad to its limit following an encouraging start to the campaign.

Wins over Galatasaray and Dutch side Willem II in European qualifying have evidenced, beyond doubt, that his players are capable of delivering results at a high level. Where the manager admits they still have to assuage doubts is in showing they can grind out results week in, week out in the less glamorous confines of the domestic front after collapsing in the second half of last season.

‘We have that all to prove,’ he said ahead of today’s Premiership visit of Ross County. ‘It is down to us to prove we can stay the distance.

‘The schedule now gets hectic. We have to make sure that we’re ready to go the distance and not how it’s been in the last couple of years where we’ve faded away after the winter break.

‘It’s my job to try and make sure that the squad is in a better place this year. It is why I have been so keen to add to it and move it forward.

‘The concern for me is that we don’t do that and stand still.

‘It’s a mad schedule. The challenge for me is to have the right personnel and depth to deal with the contrast of games.

‘Yes, we are doing well in Europe and the style suits us, but it’s my job to keep adapting it to make sure we have the right things game to game.’

Already this season, Rangers have slipped at Livingston and Hibernian. These failings on the road, matched against consistently excellent results in Europe, remain the great unanswered puzzle of Gerrard’s reign.

‘I don’t think it’s a mindset thing,’ he said. ‘You need to have players of a certain quality to handle playing for Rangers at a consistent level.

‘There’s no doubt the scheduling and the demands of what we have to put into the games every three or four days up to Christmas takes an awful lot out of the team and the squad.

‘That’s why I’ve been so keen to build a squad that’s big enough. You need more than one player in each position of a similar quality so you can handle the schedule. The challenge for me is to try and put the squad in the best possible position to do that over nine months and not maybe five or six.’