STEVEN GERRARD is confident Rangers can remain focused on the job in hand in the Premiership and block out the noise surrounding their title bid this term.
Striker Cedric Itten earned Gerrard's side a point against Motherwell on Sunday as the Gers were held for the first time since September on league duty.
Rangers remain 21 points clear of Celtic at the top of the table and well on course for their first Premiership crown in a decade after maintaining their unbeaten top flight run.
“It’s going to be a challenge because the reality is there are big prizes to play for," Gerrard said when asked if it was hard not to get carried away given the noise around Rangers this season.
"It’s impossible not to realise where we are as a group and what’s at stake. But it’s important that we stay focused and don’t get ahead of ourselves and stay focused on each challenge. That’s where we are trying to keep the boys in terms of their thinking and the preparation.
"After a fantastic win no-one’s getting too high and if we have a bump or don’t get the result we want it’s important to stay calm. We haven’t managed to stretch our lead today but at the same time we haven’t lost anything either.
"You’ve seen two sides of us today, a first half showing that wasn’t us and wasn’t good enough but the second half was an awful lot better.”
Rangers were far from their best at Fir Park as Itten came off the bench to cancel out a first half strike from Devante Cole.
And Gerrard was frustrated with aspects of the performance as his side missed the chance to extend their advantage over their Old Firm rivals.
Gerrard said: "I think as a group we all know where we are at and where we are trying to get to.
"Last week the players were outstanding for 60 minutes but we left the game too early. Today it was a little bit the opposite.
"We had to get into them at half time and demand more from them in and out of possession. We got a reaction from them.
READ: Ratings: How Steven Gerrard's side ranked as Rangers are held by Motherwell at Fir Park
"We were really good in the second half and we were unlucky not to get another goal or two.
"We had more quality from the sides. We had a front three that looked dangerous. In the first half everything was too safe in front of Motherwell.
"They were comfortable and Liam Kelly did not have much to do. That’s on us, that’s on me. That’s the reason I asked for more at half time."
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