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Steven Gerrard bullish about Rangers' prospects: 'There is only so long you can say we are building'

Steven Gerrard made a winning start in European competition with Rangers - PA
Steven Gerrard made a winning start in European competition with Rangers - PA

Steven Gerrard was in bullish form in the aftermath of Rangers’ 3-1 Europa League first leg victory over NK Maribor, as well he might have been, given the rare circumstance of the Ibrox side being the only Scottish team to have registered a European win this week. That said – and including Aberdeen, whose Europa League defeat by Burnley occurred after extra time – no Scottish side has lost over 90 minutes in 17 European qualifiers this summer.

In Rangers’ case, they have given themselves a fighting chance of a place in the Europa League play-offs for the first time since they lost – to Maribor, as it happens – in August 2011. The raucous reaction of the support to Rangers’ second-half performance on Thursday was reminiscent of the years before the financial meltdown which occurred in Govan in 2012.

“The Rangers fans should be excited,” said Gerrard, whose players face St Mirren tomorrow in his first home league game as manager. “We are not hiding away from the fact it is our responsibility to get them excited.

“There is only so long you can say we are new or building or whatever. We have got good players and we are a good team with a good system. The confidence is growing and performances and results like last night help.

“The players can feel the supporters right behind them. They understand what we are trying to do. We are still trying to make changes and tweaks to the squad to become even better. We won’t stand still.

“If you were a player there last night, experiencing that stadium rocking - if you’re not enjoying playing in front of that, I don’t know what you’re going to enjoy. I can feel the buzz and it is my job to build some momentum and snowball that effect.

“To do that we need to find consistency and keep churning out positive performances. It’s not always going to be up, up and up. There are going to be times when we have a bit of turbulence or we suffer, but the important thing for me is that we are all together as one, the supporters, the club, the board, the team. If everyone is together as one we can get through the good times together and the bad times.”

The Maribor tie was watched by Gerrard’s latest acquisition, Borna Barisic, the Croatian defender signed from Osijek, who lost to Rangers in the Europa League second qualifying round. “It was top,” said the 25-year-old, who joined for a fee of around £2.2 million.

Rangers James Tavernier - Credit: PA
James Tavernier was subject to interest from the Premier League Credit: PA

“The crowd was amazing, very loud. It’s crazy, but positive crazy.  You feel that all the stadium was very happy. I will be happy if I play in that.”

Rangers’ margin for error at the halfway stage of the Maribor tie was contributed by Lassana Coulibaly with what appeared to be a header for the third goal, but which was subsequently revealed by TV replays to have gone in off his shoulder. It was an inelegant but merited reward for Coulibaly’s overall display, which gratified his manager.

“He’s ahead of where I thought he would be at this time,” Gerrard said. “As a player, when I did pre-season, I always felt I needed four or five friendly matches under my belt, maybe two or three in the season, to feel in top shape and ready.

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“He has played three games in terms of maximum minutes. Realistically he is still in pre-season in terms of match fitness, sharpness and game time, so we believe there is still more to come but he has found his consistency and the fans are buying into him. When you play for a crowd as passionate as the Rangers crowd, if you empty the tank for them, and give everything you have possibly got in your body, they are going come with you.

“Lassana knows that. He is committed to it and he has got the fans onside. Now it is about him just polishing his game and finding that consistency and he will be a helluva player for us.”

The visit of St Mirren will reunite Gerrard with former Merseyside playing rival, Alan Stubbs, now in charge of the Buddies.  

“We’ve had some really tough battles against each other over the years. “The Merseyside derbies are very similar to the derbies up here. We’ve been rivals for a long time and we live in a similar area so I know Alan quite well and I’ve got a lot of respect for him as a player and he’s obviously cutting his teeth as a manager, just like me, although he has more experience. I’m looking forward to another battle, I know he will be desperate to get one over on me.”

  • Borna Barisic appeared on behalf of Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland, national charity partner of Rangers for 2018/19.