Vintage Davis raises the bar
Play as long as you can, says Ibrox boss
AMID the chaos and cacophony of noise which surrounds his role as Rangers manager, Steven Gerrard still has plenty of time for quiet reflection. There are moments when he remembers the good times. Lifting the Champions League on that famous night in Istanbul 15 years ago, two FA Cup triumphs, a three-time winner of the League Cup as well as one UEFA Cup.
These memories of the happy days at Liverpool, and being capped 114 times for England, remain.
So, too, do the regrets. Ending his playing career aged 36 without an English Premier League winners’ medal will always be one of the biggest.
But it is those experiences on the pitch — the agony and ecstasy — which he can pass on to the leaders who now work under him at Ibrox.
Gerrard is not short of experienced professionals who aim to halt Celtic’s quest to win ten in a row.
Certainly, the signs so far this season are promising.
Standing out among those who have impressed is Steven Davis. The Northern Irishman, now his country’s most capped player with 120 appearances, has been a steady figure for Rangers.
Having previously enjoyed a fourand-a-half-year spell at Ibrox, Davis arrived from Southampton initially on loan in January 2019 before the move was made permanent in the summer of that year. His latest Rangers contract was extended last December until next summer.
This term he has played 18 times for club and country. Alongside the likes of Connor Goldson, Allan McGregor, Scott Arfield and captain James Tavernier, Gerrard is keen for 35-year-old Davis to cherish his playing days.
‘I think there was a valid reason for his slow start,’ said the manager of Davis’ arrival from the south coast. ‘He hadn’t played much football towards the end of his Southampton stay.
‘I don’t think anyone has ever doubted his ability and his quality. As a human being he’s top, very professional. He’s really confident at the moment.
‘I’m very proud and happy with all the leaders in the group. You look at your Goldsons, your McGregors, Arfield, Tavernier, all the players that are maybe a little bit older and have been around a little bit longer.
‘They really set the standards for the younger lads to follow. I’m really pleased with them.
‘In terms of Steven, my advice to him is to play as long as you can. As a player who played until 36, I wish I played a little bit longer because you miss it. I certainly did. ‘They’re the best days of your life. Coaching and management is nowhere near as good as it, let me tell you.’
Nevertheless, Gerrard can afford to smile in the dugout, with his team unbeaten in 17 matches this season and having kept 14 clean sheets. Rangers travel to face Kilmarnock today knowing they can open up a nine-point lead over Celtic at the top of the Premiership, albeit they will have played a couple more games than their rivals. The boss is monitoring knocks suffered by Alfredo Morelos and Ryan Jack in Thursday’s Europa League victory against Lech Poznan. Rugby Park has not been a favourite venue for Rangers over the last few seasons, with a 2-1 loss in February further derailing their title ambitions before last season was cut short.
‘At times, we’ve been disappointed and come away from there frustrated because we’ve felt we deserved more,’ said Gerrard. ‘We’ve been in control on quite a few occasions and then the momentum has changed.
‘I wouldn’t say they’ve stolen points off us but they’ve managed to knock us out of our stride. We know it’s a tricky game and our record is not as good as it should have been but we’re going there in good form.’
Morelos’ goal on Thursday — which equalled Ally McCoist’s European scoring record — ensured Rangers made it two wins from two games in Group D and, fitness-permitting, Gerrard wants to see the Colombian push on after being benched for the last couple of matches.
‘We felt it was the right time to take him out of the XI for a couple of games to freshen him up and hopefully it will help him,’ added the manager. ‘It did on Thursday night but now we need him to build on that 30 minutes and try to get him back to his best form.’ The supplier of that goal for Morelos was left-back Borna Barisic. Those teasing deliveries have become a treat to watch for Rangers fans, but Gerrard has warned the Croatian and fellow full-back Tavernier that they should be looking over their shoulders.
‘When Borna is in the right place from a mental point of view, he’s capable of a performance that he gave on Thursday night, which is high-level,’ said Gerrard. ‘That’s the reason why he’s named and picked as the best left-back in Croatia.
‘When he gets into the final third, he’s got incredible quality. His delivery is exceptional. His numbers for a full-back alongside James are really admirable for that position.
‘It’s interesting to watch Borna and James because they’ve now got big competition for places. I wouldn’t think twice about putting Nathan (Patterson) in to start a game the way he’s looking and training.
‘Calvin (Bassey) has already proved that he’s capable of stepping in as well.
‘Both James and Borna know they have a challenge for their positions, which is good for us.’