What does Steven Gerrard need to do?
Ibrox Noise is disappointed at the start that Rangers have made this season, and he is not alone. I don’t think he is being over critical, he tells it as it is – no fake news here! He merely writes down what 99% of us are already thinking, and he has the guts to go with it.
Similarly Steven Gerrard was brutally honest in his own summation of the team’s performance, or lack of it!
Ibrox Noise suggested yesterday that the players that were at Rangers last year were the same ones that failed to impress this season, and he is right. The best players on view were McGregor, Goldson, Katic, Flanagan plus Ejaria and Middleton when they eventually came on.
Scott Arfield was sorely missed due to his knee injury and loan signings Lassana Coulibaly and Umar Sadiq were not fully fit and ineligible to play following their respective loan moves from Angers and Roma.
Therefore, Gerrard was more or less forced to go with a limited and similar pool in the two Europa Cup matches. They are possibly fitter than last year, but the talent of last season’s players doesn’t seem to have increased. Stevie must play everybody in their right positions – Candeias and Windass!
We didn’t have Rossiter, Wallace or Dorrans available through injury, but there is no guarantee that they would have performed any better. Although I really rate young Rossiter as a player, but he’s never fit.
Sadiq and Coulibaly are still working hard to become fully fit and the sooner they are available the better Rangers should be. According to Gerrard, the two of them are two weeks off the fitness required to start games, and they may not be ready for the next Europa away tie which is a week today.
What is missing from the present starting XI we’ve witnessed for the Bury friendly and the two cup ties? The forward players have certainly been the most disappointing by continuing to miss too many chances. Their heading ability needs loads of work done on the training pitch for a start.
A genuine midfield maestro wouldn’t go amiss with this young team to feed off either, but he will cost us millions for the right player, and we may not have the money to spend right now.
From what I have witnessed so far with Gerrard’s new team, I would start with the young Liverpool star, Ejaria who is looking comfortable playing for the ‘Gers and feel that he could improve the team and become a fixture.
Gerrard must also sign a first class attacker who will cost us a few bob, but it is necessary if we are to win trophies this season. We only have Morelos, Sadiq who is a loan signing and young Rudden at the club at the moment.
It is a work in progress and hopefully we start to see the fruits of that labour in due course.