SECOND is not good enough for Rangers but it might just have to be good enough for Steven Gerrard in his first season as manager.
In a purely football sense, the club have progressed. They remain in with a chance of winning the title at a time when best of the rest was what most, Rangers supporters included, felt would be acceptable given everything that has happened.
But then there was hope.
Rangers have been top of the league and ended the year on the same points as Celtic. Not many would have predicted that. It allowed fans to wonder "what if?"
And even fewer would have thought that an away game at tiny, here-to-make-up the numbers Livingston would turn out to be so difficult and vital in terms of a league title race.
“I think we have missed certain opportunities to be in a stronger position, without a doubt,” said Gerrard. “Wednesday night at Kilmarnock was one of those as was Livingston a few months ago.
“We have had games and performances where I have expected more. But, I’m also wise enough to know if we get a positive result on Sunday we are still within touching distance. I’d be stupid if I said I think I expected us to be top and clear right now.”
James Tavernier, the Rangers captain, said a few days ago that he felt that Rangers now had to, more or less, win every game to finish above Celtic, Kilmarnock and Aberdeen. This is not a two horse race.
This isn’t entirely accurate but his manager wasn’t about to offer any contradiction.
“I agree with James, the job has become more difficult after Kilmarnock. That's a fact,” said Gerrard. “But we can't just be obsessed with Celtic. Kilmarnock and Aberdeen are there for a reason so we can't be obsessed with one challenge.
“We need to worry about ourselves and get our game right. If we're concerned with others, we're losing focus. But James is right, there has to be a reaction for us to push on. For us to fight all the way, we need a result on Sunday.
“We're on the back of a poor result that's damaged us. We need to get back to winning ways. We've gone from everything being so positive to playing for 20 minutes. We paid the price for that.
“And if we don't perform at Livi we might pay a further price. If you're looking at ambitions of winning the title, every game now is win or bust. We have to go into them with that cup final mentality. We have to put a run of games together where we find more consistency.”
Rangers have won only four times away from home in the league, which isn’t good enough. No team can be so sloppy on the road and expect to find themselves ahead of the rest, and Livingston away is far from an easy game.
“At times, it has happened for us away from home,” admitted Gerrard. “But it's definitely an area that we're looking to improve in and be more consistent. When you analyse it, we've gone away and performed well in some games. But in others we haven't. Mentality is a big part of it. But it's not just mentality, it's about quality and not making big errors at important times. It has to come from within the group. Players have to take responsibility when we go to these places.
“We know we're good enough to get results so it's down to them to carry out the correct game-plan and deliver. With experience you get mentally stronger. But there's enough experience, talent and know-how in this dressing-room to go away and get results. I've got no doubts about that. We just have to find more consistency. We have to win ugly at times.”
Gerrard has been here before, with Liverpool, when finishing second wasn’t good enough, but that was the best he managed.
“You have to accept that pressure and the players have to learn from Wednesday,” said Gerrard. “We haven’t got learning time. We haven’t got a honeymoon period where the media or fans will give us time to compete. We are in the now. And we need a reaction. At times it was difficult to play under that pressure but that is why Rangers and Liverpool are big successful clubs because more often than not they have people that can handle it.”
This afternoon is a huge day for Gerrard’s Rangers. Lose, which could easily happen, and that might be it for this season’s aim to stop Celtic. His team need to win, simple as that.
“The last time at Livingston, it wasn't there from start to finish,” said Gerrard. “So one thing's for sure, we need to find a performance. Otherwise we'll be having the same conversation after Sunday."
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