Rangers manager Steven Gerrard has been reflecting on the weekend’s win over Wigan Athletic in our most recent pre-season friendly.
What are the odds that title attracts some who should know better?
Rangers completely blew the English Championship side apart in the second half of the game after some choice words, in other words, a variant of ‘rollocking’ at the halftime break from the gaffer, and he not only hit home with fans in his immediate choice of words following the match, a following up interview on Tuesday had a broadly similar effect.
With goals coming from Alfredo Morelos and Nikola Katic before Umar Sadiq hassled Alex Bruce into scoring an own goal, Gerrard had already spoke fondly of the second period whilst raising plenty of concerns about the opening 45.
The follow-up interview was in a similar vain – read his full words by – Clicking Here.
????️ Gerrard: “I always think if I am an opposition player coming here, what wouldn’t I like? And I wouldn’t like an aggressive Rangers team or a Rangers team that is right in my face."
READ: https://t.co/G7HwFHblBa
WATCH: https://t.co/nSsYJIJMYt pic.twitter.com/yYyuqoF7Ve— Rangers Football Club (@RangersFC) July 31, 2018
Suffice to say the gaffer focused on wanting ‘his’ side to ‘own the stadium’ when we play at Ibrox – go out there with pride, determination and attack the opposition the way we finally approached Wigan on Sunday.
“In the second half, everyone got that little bit higher and that little bit more aggressive in possession and out of possession. We got the rewards for it really, really quickly, and the good thing about it is the players noticed it and said it felt different in the second half and it felt better in the second half. So we are really happy with that.”
Gerrard went on to say he wants the players to adopt the following mindset ahead of all games.
“If I am an opposition player coming here, what wouldn’t I like? And I wouldn’t like an aggressive Rangers team or a Rangers team that is right in my face. Once we get used to it and it becomes our nature, then that is when we will find consistency.”
He added that opposition players would want to come here, not be pressured and get time on the ball to attempt to silence the faithful, but if we come out on the front foot and make that second nature, we are always going to upset sides, raise the crowd and find good consistency in results.
Reaction amongst the fans once more to his words was music to their ears.
Sadiq runs so fast he'd pass straight through you
— boyne waters (@boynewaters) July 31, 2018
Spot on gaffer ….. no more sitting back to anyone
— craig (@MakkaRakka777) July 31, 2018
Let’s go!????????
— craig smith (@surfice) July 31, 2018
Just let's hope we do wt Stevie G says Let's go WATP ???????? ????????
— Andy Weir (@AndyWeir20) July 31, 2018
Stevie G is saying the right stuff everytime he speaks .
— SJC (@thegafferbigstu) July 31, 2018
“Be my dad”
— Michael (@mikel2401) July 31, 2018
Hallelujah ????????????????????
— Suffolk&Doddle (@Royar73) July 31, 2018
Gerrard says and does all the right things. Need to give him our full backing. He is the answer, I think it's love.
— Eric Bo Vidmar (@EricBoVidmar) July 31, 2018
Looking forward to Hibs visiting Ibrox for Gerrard's first game at home against them I'm sure it wont be like the first visit last season Rangers are a different prospect now.
— will mac (@scottisunionist) July 31, 2018
Can’t believe this guy is only 2 months into management, brilliant
— Ryan G (@RPGoldie) July 31, 2018