Steven Gerrard has confirmed, via The Scottish Sun, that he will make changes to the Rangers side that lost to Malmo for Friday’s League Cup clash with Dunfermline.
The Gers bowed out of the Champions League qualifying stages in the third-round on Tuesday night. Malmo won 2-1 at Ibrox to extend their aggregate advantage to 4-2 and book a showdown with Ludogorets next week.
The result marked Rangers’ third-straight defeat after losing at Dundee United in between meetings with Malmo. Gerrard’s side went unbeaten as they won the Premiership title last season, and only lost their first game in any competition in December in the League Cup.
Gerrard has now issued a defiant statement ahead of facing Dunfermline, urging Rangers to respond to the Malmo result.
“I will be chatting to my senior players,” Gerrard said. “Trying to pick them up and then we will prepare in the best way we can. I will make some changes for Friday night. But I will still be picking a team that has got match-winners on the pitch.
“There won’t be drastic changes. I will pick an 11 to get the job done to try and move into the next round of that competition. That is my job, that is what I need to do. Pick the players up, reset and really think about what the right team is to play on Friday with the game being close to this game. That is what we will do.
“We haven’t had a good week. We have to accept that. We’re responsible and it is my job to pick the players up and react on Friday to try and get a positive win, so we feel a bit better about ourselves.”
Gerrard using experienced Rangers stars to turn the tide at Ibrox
Gerrard clearly intends to use the experienced heads in the Rangers dressing room to turn the tide at Ibrox. Recent results are a far cry from the dominance the Gers displayed last season, bringing disappointment back to Glasgow.
Supporters will have been desperate to enjoy a European tour in the premier UEFA competition this season. Instead, heads have now dropped and Rangers host Dunfermline needing a win to build some momentum.
A fourth-straight loss could be catastrophic for Rangers with a Europa League play-off to come next week. Gerrard will be loath to bow out of another UEFA competition so quickly, so will try and use Dunfermline on Friday as a springboard to a return to better results.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
