STEVEN Gerrard readily admits that moves to bring Allan McGregor back to Rangers this summer after a six year exile were already well underway long before he was appointed manager at Ibrox back in May.
He was, though, afforded the opportunity to veto the deal and bring in his own goalkeeper by his new employers immediately after taking charge. The Liverpool and England great would have been quite entitled to bring in his own man to occupy what is a key position for any team.
Yet, Gerrard knew all about McGregor having squared up to, and indeed scored against, him during his time as a player and found the decision to sanction the transfer to be one of the easiest of his tenure so far.
His suspicion that the 36-year-old, a huge fans’ favourite in his first spell in Govan, would be a key member of his new-look side proved well-founded.
The Scotland internationalist was once again exceptional as Rangers drew 0-0 with Maribor in Slovenia on Thursday evening to win 3-1 on aggregate and progress to the Europa League play-off against Ufa of Russia.
“I can’t take any credit for the signing of Allan McGregor,” said Gerrard yesterday as he looked back on the game. “It was 99 per cent down the line in terms of the recruitment that went before me. But it was a no-brainer for me.
“All I was asked was ‘do you want to tick the box?’ It was probably one of the stupidest questions I have ever been asked to be honest. It was a ‘yes’ straight away.
“He has experience, is good for the dressing room, is a top professional and a top goalkeeper. He ticks every box. He is coming back to a place that he helped build over the years so, for me, it was one of the easiest decisions I have ever had to make.”
Gerrard, though, will not allow McGregor or any of the players who helped Rangers to progress in Europe on Thursday night wallow in the afterglow of their triumph for long.
A by-product of success on the continent is that games pile-up. They will have to recover quickly and be at their very best to overcome a Kilmarnock team who beat them twice last season at Rugby Park in the Betfred Cup tomorrow. But their manager welcomes the problem and expects his charges to as well.
“We have to move on very quickly,” he said. “The reward for doing well in Europe is these games smack you in the face right away. In 48 hours we have another big game, a tough test, against a strong team in Kilmarnock.
“I understand that a long run, qualification perhaps, will make our schedule a lot tougher in the coming weeks. It increases the volume of games and the demands we place on the players.
“That’s why I am still keen to add one or two players. In certain positions in the squad I still feel we are a bit light. I will be confident if I can get those bodies in to add to the volume and the ability to meet the challenges that will lie ahead.
“We can’t use it as an excuse. Whatever club you are at, if you win football matches then the reward is more games. That’s what this club is about, it’s one of the demands of what being a Rangers player is all about. We won’t use any excuses.”
Gerrard feels the way his team handled Ladbrokes Premiership games against Aberdeen at Pittodrie and St Mirren at Ibrox so soon after away outings in the Europa League proves they can handle the demands on them and perform well against Kilmarnock.
“We have a very tough test at Aberdeen and coped very well with 10 men,” he said. “We had another test with 10 men against St Mirren off the back of a big European game and coped really well. If we don’t get the result we want at the weekend, you won’t see me standing in the press conference saying: ‘Oh, my players are tired’.”
Gerrard admitted the artificial pitch will favour Kilmarnock. But he is determined for his team to go on an extended run in the competition that presents his first chance of lifting a piece of silverware
“Look, it’s different,” he said. “Kilmarnock have got a good manager, good players and they play on this surface a lot. They do have an advantage.
“It is what it is. If we have got any dreams and aspirations of playing in cup finals, you have to go and win these tricky games. And Sunday will be tricky.
“That will be my team talk on Sunday. If you sign for Rangers you are signing up to the expectation to stay in competitions as long as you can and compete.”
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