STEVEN Gerrard last night insisted he can still be a success as Rangers manager – but admitted that he needs to win a trophy by next season to avoid the sack.
Gerrard’s hopes of lifting silverware in the 2018/19 campaign suffered a serious blow on Tuesday evening when his side were beaten 2-0 at home by Aberdeen in the William Hill Scottish Cup quarter-final replay.
The Glasgow club, who take on Kilmarnock at Ibrox in the Ladbrokes Premiership this afternoon, are eight points behind their city rivals Celtic in the top flight table with nine games remaining.
The Liverpool and England great, who was appointed last May, stressed he is still confident he can turn Rangers into a side who are capable of challenging for major honours if he is given time.
However, he is well aware of the demands that are on him to succeed and knows the consequences if he fails to win the Betfred Cup, Ladbrokes Premiership and William Hill Scottish Cup.
“I will make it my business to make this team better to compete better and to keep closing in (on Celtic),” he said. “I can guarantee that will happen. If it doesn’t then I understand the situation.
“Sitting here right now I have confidence I can take this team forward and make it a winning team.
“Of course, there has to be an element of patience. Everyone who is educated about the game knows that Rome wasn’t built in a day and knows the size of the job I took over.
“But we need to win now. We are at a club that demands we need to win now. I’d be very naive to say this is a project and say that I need two years, three years, four years.
“We need to compete for what’s available now. We have nine games to finish the season as strong as we can and to push and that’s the short-term plan.
“Then my job is to make us compete for the next trophies that are available. I’m here to win what’s next available. I don’t want to be part of a project. The players need to understand that and the message to the fans is that’s my thinking.
“But if I don’t win the next three or four things that are available maybe I won’t be sitting here. I’m aware of that.”
Gerrard added: "We need to win yesterday. I’m at a club that demands you need to win now. I’d be very naive to say this is a project and I need two years, three years, four years. We need to compete for what’s available now.
"We’ve got nine games left now to push and finish the season and see if something happens. That’s the short-term plan.
"And then my job is to improve things and make us better to try and compete for the next thing that’s available.
"I’m here to win the next thing that’s available. I don’t want to be part of a project. I want to win what’s next. The players need to understand that. My message to the fans is that’s my thinking.
"If I don’t win the next three or four things that are available maybe I won’t be here speaking to you. I’m aware of that. I want to win the next thing. That’s my mentality. The next thing."
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