Rangers boss Steven Gerrard has postponed the club’s Christmas Party ahead of a crucial period.
The Gers have several important league matches on the horizon, alongside the League Cup final and two remaining Europa League group games. With fixtures coming thick and fast, he doesn’t want any distractions for his stars.
“We will find the right time for the players to relax and enjoy themselves,” he said, as quoted by the Glasgow Evening Times. “I’m a manager who is very fair in terms of giving them time off and family time. In terms of celebrations, as a footballer, you have to make sacrifices.”
“I’m certainly a person who likes to work hard and play hard, no problem at all. I like a glass of wine at the right time myself, but I’ll sacrifice it at the right time and we have a winter break coming up.
“The non-internationals have just had a week off recently, I’ll give the internationalists an extra bit of family time too. We’ve been very fair across the board so the players will have to sacrifice and really be focused and professional throughout this run of fixtures.”
Verdict
The decision to hold off on an official squad night out shows Gerrard means business ahead of what is a season-defining spell for the Gers.
The club are currently scrapping away on three fronts and with games coming every few days between now and the trip to Parkhead on 29th December, there’s no natural break during which a night out might be acceptable.
Clearly, by the time we reach the winter break, there’ll be some tired legs in the camp, especially for those who have recently been on international duty.
Yet, clearly some sort assistance will be provided to those players, with Alfredo Morelos, for example, looking likely to be rested at Hamilton on Sunday.
Mentally, it’s all hands on deck for the next while, and although it will be tough on the players, ultimately, it’s their job and they are very well paid for it. Every single member of the squad should be hungry for silverware, and small sacrifices such as a giving up a Christmas Party, are all part of what is required to be successful.
