Glasgow Rangers boss Steven Gerrard suggested that he may not look to bring anymore signings to Ibrox this summer.
The new Scottish Premiership season may only be two games old, but Celtic and Rangers have already opened up a gap to the rest of the teams in the division, with Steven Gerrard’s men and the Hoops winning both of their opening fixtures.
The Gers’ 6-1 win over Hibernian at Ibrox at the weekend was a real statement of intent after the Bhoys had taken little time to grasp the initial momentum with the 7-0 mauling of St Johnstone on the opening day.
And with Neil Lennon’s side receiving the blow of getting knocked out of the Champions League qualifiers in remarkable circumstances this week, Rangers will be hoping to prove in the coming weeks that a shift is taking place and they are the ones in the ascendancy.
And Gerrard appears to have sent a potential further warning to Celtic this week by suggesting that he is not expecting to be on the lookout for any further players – although he did later add that they could be interested in a midfielder, which now looks set to be Andy King (via BBC Sport).
“I’m not,” he told Rangers TV when asked about where he is looking to strengthen his squad. “I’m happy, I think we’ve made enough signings, we’re really happy with how the squad is shaping up. If something unique happens or changes, or someone comes and takes one of my players, that could change things, if there’s a bargain before the window shuts – it would have to be a real big bargain – then we might go back in, but at the moment, everything is okay.”
It is still going to be a huge task to catch Celtic this season. But Gerrard’s comments exude a confidence that suggests that he believes that he already has the squad at his disposal that can do something special.
The Rangers boss may just be playing his cards close to his chest ahead of the final weeks of the window. But there was a certain amount of arrogance in Gerrard’s response to being asked about their remaining plans in the market.
Pedro Caixinha was ridiculed for famously claiming that he felt that he had the best squad in the country when he took over at Rangers. While not all his fault, he was quickly made to look foolish as they finished that campaign 39 points behind Celtic in third place.
Gerrard appears to be a lot smarter when it comes to expressing how much belief he has in his squad. He has previously shown little hesitation when it comes to publicly slamming his players, so his claim that Rangers have a squad that he is happy with immediately boasts more credibility.
And given that Celtic are now looking to bounce back from one of their most disappointing defeats for a number of years, Gerrard’s comments may have been designed to provide his squad with further belief while also sending a warning to the Hoops.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
