Worrall wants to win in Moscow – and then bring that sort of form home
Joe Worrall maintains there’s every reason to believe Rangers can win in Moscow this week.
And the defender says it’s high time the Light Blues brought their impressive European form to domestic football.
Worrall is relishing the prospect of travelling to face Spartak Moscow in the Europa League on Thursday.
Rangers have gone 11 games without defeat in the competition, and it’s a measure of their progress that drawing with Spartak at home two weeks ago was a disappointiment.
Losing to Aberdeen in the League Cup semi-final and then drawing with Kilmarnock, however, was a lot harder for the fans to take.
But Worrall, on loan for the season from Nottingham Forest, welcomes the demands of the Ibrox crowd.
He said: “We haven’t played the best over the past few games, and have struggled to score goals.
“We have conceded some poor goals and I hold my hand up for a few of them.
“We realise the expectations are huge because you draw at home and get slaughtered.
“You need the pressure as you can either crumble or grow and start scoring goals every game.
“We should be beating teams three and four-nil at Ibrox. It doesn’t matter who they are – unless they are Barcelona!
“We are more than capable of really rolling teams over.”
Performing in front of 50,000 spectators at Ibrox isn’t something every player relishes.
Worrall accepts the crowd can play a part but understands their impatience for success.
He said: “It is intimidating. It’s not something that really affects me, but you can see why it would with some players.
“It can have a negative effect and a positive effect.
“If you’re playing well and the fans enjoy the football you play, then it’s really good. But if you’re not performing, conceding goals or not scoring goals, they can get on your back.
“I don’t blame them. I’d be the same if I wasn’t a player.
“Rapid Vienna at home was an incredible atmosphere, probably the best I’ll ever play in. You’ve just got to bottle that up and think: ‘I want that again’, and aim for that.”
The 21-year-old has an explanation for the difference between European and domestic form.
He went on: “In Scotland we face a lot of teams who sit behind the ball, and give us a lot of respect.
“In Europe, we are viewed as underdogs and they come for us. We can then play through the press.
“The manager fields a team tailor-made for the opposition.
“It shouldn’t matter who we are playing. If we get the formula right, we should be blowing teams away as that is what we are capable of.
“I believe 100% that we can go to Moscow and get a result.
“I think we should have won the game at Ibrox. We had good chances to score late on.
“It is not really falling for us at the moment.
“But the lads have really bought into the Europa League campaign and it’s totally different to playing your domestic football.
“I think if we can keep producing in Europe, it will rub off in the league.”
Meanwhile Gary McAlister is sure Steven Gerrard will go from strength to strength in the dugout because he’s been managing on the pitch for many years.
The Ibrox assistant boss played alongside Gerrard when they were challenging for honours at Liverpool.
McAlister isn’t predicting the Ibrox men can emulate Liverpool’s 2001 UEFA Cup triumph over Alaves, but he does feel manager Steven Gerrard is using his experience of past campaigns in Europe.
He said: “That’s why Steven’s transition into management has nearly been seamless.
“He’s managed games his whole life on the park, and that’s a big advantage.
“You’re actually managing from the frontline, and then to come to the side, he’s actually reliving loads of experiences.
“Europe has been a momentum maker. And when clubs like this gather that, anything can happen.
“We’ve just experienced a couple of murmurs domestically, but the European run has been very exciting and I’ve really enjoyed watching some of the games, the players have been excellent.”
McAlister expects Rangers will be facing a more adventurous Spartak Moscow on Thursday.
The 53-year-old said: “It would be dangerous to go there and play for a point.
“I think we’ll be looking to try and create something.
“Spartak have got to try and come and win the game, so we have to look to exploit that.”