Glasgow Rangers currently sit second in the Scottish Premiership table, but are some way adrift of the league leaders.
Peter Lovenkrands has suggested that it is vital that Rangers qualify for Europe this season and explained that this period of the campaign could be crucial to their hopes of doing exactly that, the Evening Times reports.
Mark Warburton’s men have made a promising start to their first campaign back in the Scottish Premiership. Though they sit second in the table, their hopes of lifting the trophy look very bleak as they currently trail Celtic by eight points, having played three games more.
Rangers manager Mark Warburton
While it seems unlikely that the gap will close that much during the rest of the campaign, Lovenkrands has suggested that qualifying for continental competition would improve their chances of mounting a future challenge domestically.
“We need Rangers back there. It might not be Champions League next season but it will be massive to get into the Europa League,” he said, as reported by the Evening Times.
“It gets the name out there again which attracts players and, of course, it brings in a lot of money too.
“So it’s vital that Rangers get into Europe and I feel this phase of games can take them a long way towards that target.”
As the Dane suggests, playing in Europe may enhance the Gers’ chances when it comes to competing with some of the biggest clubs for certain players and subsequently, luring them to Ibrox.
And if they can begin to raise the standards within their squad, it may simply take just one future window – where the Light Blues make some inspired signings while their Old Firm rivals’ acquisitions fail to hit the heights – for the door to be left open for Warburton’s men to reach the summit in the top flight and book themselves a ticket to the Champions League.
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