Rangers defender Nikola Katic has come in for criticism in recent days.
Rangers boss Steven Gerrard has told The Scottish Sun that he has spoken directly to Nikola Katic ahead of tonight’s game with Braga.
The Gers were on a major high after a stunning fightback to beat Braga 3-2 at Ibrox last week, but came crashing back down to earth on Sunday.
Rangers only managed to draw 2-2 away at St Johnstone, all but ending their hopes of winning the Scottish Premiership title as Celtic opened up 12 point gap.
Gerrard’s men must now turn their focus back to Braga with the crucial second leg upon them tonight, and Katic really needs to hit back after a nightmare showing at St Johnstone.
The Croatian defender looked uneasy throughout, failing to deal with the ball on the deck or in the air, and was arguably at fault for both goals.
His skied clearance allowed Callum Hendry to get in and score St Johnstone’s first, before he couldn’t clear a corner, merely diverting the ball straight to Stevie May to score the equaliser.
Katic’s place is a lot less secure than it was after his winner against Celtic in December, and Gerrard now thinks that he just has to take the rough with the smooth with that Celtic goal in mind.
Gerrard admitted that he has spoken directly to Katic about his errors, and believes that he always takes accountability, meaning he doesn’t have lingering concerns about the defender ahead of tonight’s big game.
“I have spoken to Niko, yeah,” said Gerrard. “He is a good type, the ultimate professional, and to be fair to the kid, for his age he is one who will take accountability. He will stand up and will never hide. If he’s ever made a mistake, his hand goes straight up.
“Criticism is part of being a Rangers player. The praise is good when you score the winner at Celtic Park. You have the reverse, as people think you are the best thing on the planet and you lap the adulation up. I think he enjoyed that, so you need to take the rough with the smooth. That’s the life of a footballer. Sometimes it’s good, sometimes it isn’t. When it’s up, it’s up. When it’s down, you need to work even harder, reset and regroup,” he added.
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