Steven Gerrard’s reaction to the St Johnstone performance was mixed, but one aspect of it stood out.
It took an Alfredo Morelos brace in the second-half to keep Rangers on track in their title-charge. The Colombian’s brace at McDiarmid Park closed the gap on Celtic at the top-of-the-table to one point. Celtic have one game in-hand ahead of a huge week where the Old Firm meet at the end of it.
The Morelos goals were enough to wash away the painful memory for many Gers fans of the first half. Despite having plenty of possession, it was ponderous and lethargic from Rangers. They shifted the ball from side-to-side, without ever looking likely of breaking down their opponents.
Gerrard was quick to pick up on this post-match. Speaking to Rangers TV, the former Liverpool hero lambasted his players for their opening half display.
“We played like Rangers players in the second half.
“But the performance in th first 45 was very concerning. We were second-best all over the pitch, and we didn’t have an individual out there who was standing up and doing the shirt justice.
“You certainly seen two sides of us today. I’m really worried about the first-half showing, but delighted with the second.”
The character of real title-contenders
It’s not a situation Rangers will often want to be in this season. Regardless, they showed incredible fighting spirit and character to turn around a game at a very tricky venue.
St Johnstone had only just seen an eight-game unbeaten run come to an end last week. Therefore, Rangers really had to produce a big performance in the second-half, and they certainly did.
Morelos’ goals, however, did spare the Gers’ blushes. The first 45 was just too slow, and St Johnstone created the better chances of the opening half. The likes of Matthew Kennedy and Liam Craig all had terrific chances before the former did open the scoring.
Gerrard is right to pick up on it, as it’s not a start that can be afford against Hibernian or Celtic. It’ll likely be at the forefront of the manager’s mind in training over the next couple of days.
Despite that, however, it’s terrific for supporters to see that kind of spirit in the squad. Last season, and certainly the year before, it’s a match Rangers would’ve dropped points in.
Now, they have a larger sense of character about them.
