A cry of no more slip-ups is the message as former Rangers star Kevin Thomson warns Steven Gerrard.
The former title-winner, who was a success at Ibrox under Walter Smith back in 2008 and 2009, believes only a win will do against Dundee at Ibrox on Saturday.
Rangers go into the game on the back of an Old Firm set-back. Rangers lost 1-0 at Celtic Park, and their only league victory this season was putting St Mirren to the sword in a 2-0 win.
Gerrard’s men also put in an impressive dismantling of Steve Clarke’s Kilmarnock at Rugby Park. But that win came in the Betfred Cup.
“You have to bounce back at this club, that’s fundamental. There’s no denying Celtic are capable of going on a big run so Rangers need to try and hold onto their coat-tails for as long as possible.
“Following a defeat, sometimes it’s difficult when there’s an international break as you just want to get straight back onto the training pitch and make things right.
“The manager will know that, come Christmas time, they need to be there or thereabouts if they’re going to give themselves an opportunity to be successful this year.”
Spot on
To be frank, Thomson is spot on. Nothing less than a home win on Saturday will be acceptable for a support craving domestic success.
Dundee aren’t likely to pose stiff opposition. The numbers weigh heavily in Rangers’ favour and Neil McCann’s side have lost all four games to start the season. Added to that, they’ve only managed to score two goals.
It’s fair to say that, in order for Rangers to falter in this one, they have to have their worst game yet. It’ll therefore be interesting to see how the players away on international duty will recover.
It can be helpful to create targets like Thomson has hinted at. Being near Celtic at Christmas would be a decent goal, but it’s important not to just be obsessed with them. Hearts are the early pacesetters, and at the moment, catching them should be the aim.
Winning the league this season would be a stunning achievement. It wouldn’t be the end of the world if it didn’t happen though. Each and every fan would agree that big progress is being made under Gerrard, that in itself is great to know.
Rangers are going to face more challenges than ever this season having qualified for the Europa League. Games such as this one against Dundee are simply essential. The players should be feeling refreshed and ready to go after the internationals.
A win, and we can all start looking forward again.
