Euro QR4 Draw: Legia Warsaw/Atrimitos v FC Midtjylland/Rangers

[JFK-1 1,661]

While i'm hoping to avoid the likes of Wolves if we drew them I wouldn't automatically think we were out. The sheep took Burnley to extra time in the second leg at Burnley last season after a 1-1 draw at the sheep pen. And we're a far superior outfit to that sheep side.

[Bill 13,717]

I think we should approach any opposition with expectation, if not confidence, and the sooner these games come up the better our chances.

[JFK-1 1,661]

Gerrard expecting another high scoring game with potentially even more goals than the first leg due to the superior surface and lower temperatures. And there will be no easing up despite the fact it's already sealed.
 

Quote

THE second proper match of the season for Rangers will be competitive in name only this evening as St Joseph’s make the trip to Ibrox.

 

In truth, it will be more along the lines of the friendly fixtures that Steven Gerrard’s side have played already this summer.

 

The 39-year-old won’t allow his players to operate at bounce game pace, though, as Rangers look to win even more emphatically than they did in Gibraltar last Tuesday night.

 

That victory came in the middle of 5-0 and 4-0 wins against Oxford United and Marseille on successive Sundays in front of the Ibrox crowd.

 

Rangers will cruise into the second qualifying round of the Europa League but Gerrard will still have demands on his players.

 

Gerrard said: “We have started pre-season pretty well.

 

“We put in a positive performance away from home against St Joseph’s and I was really pleased with how we played against Marseille.

 

“There will be changes [tonight], but I expect the same outcome. I am looking for a strong performance from the players.

 

“I’m told the stadium will be full. In front of a packed Ibrox and on a European night I expect a high level of performance. The support we get doesn’t surprise me. We had two friendly matches there in the middle of summer and we still had 25,000 punters coming to watch. The fans are magnificent.

 

“There will be no sympathy shown. The scoreline from the first game has gone. We start 0-0. We want to win the game and we want to win it comfortably.

 

“We want to entertain the fans. There has been that level of intensity so far and I want to see it continue.

 

“We want to push the fitness levels and the standards in every department. We have stronger players coming in with stronger profiles.”

 

It took until the opening minutes of the second half for St Joseph’s resistance to be broken last week.

 

In the end, goals from Ryan Jack, Sheyi Ojo, Borna Barisic and Alfredo Morelos were more than enough.

 

And Gerrard reckons the defensive setup of St Joseph’s could be an early sign of things to come this term.

 

“I think we will definitely use it as a good test and I expect it will depend on how we play,” he said.

 

“We don’t focus too much on the opposition. It is always an 80/20 scenario and we focus on ourselves and how we want to play. If we play how we want to play then we force them into a block and it will be up to us to try and solve the puzzle.

 

“We will have enough talent and ability on the pitch to go and cause them problems.

“What I will say is that it should be better for us because we are on a better pitch, the surface is perfect. It should be greasy so we can move the ball nice and quick and we don’t have to face 30 degree temperatures and a sticky, slow Astroturf pitch.

 

“So St Joseph’s have got a bigger problem than they had last week and I am hoping that the players show no mercy and go and put in a strong performance.”

 

This time last year, Rangers progressed to the second round with a goalless draw away to Shkupi.

 

Fans are encouraged by what they have seen this term, while Gerrard is satisfied at Rangers’ direction.

 

“We won’t get carried away with that,” Gerrard said of a record that shows 13 goals scored and none conceded so far this summer.

 

“You’ve got to take into consideration the opposition. Obviously Marseille was a fantastic performance and that gives a true reflection of where we are at the minute and we are looking really good.

 

“We certainly won’t be getting carried away but we are happy with the players being ruthless in front of goal, taking their opportunities and entertaining the fans.

“It is critical that we defend better this year. We conceded too many goals last year and that’s one area where we are trying to improve on.

 

“So far so good but the challenges and the tests are going to get tougher as we go along.

“It’s difficult to gauge that (if we are better than one year ago) but I’m more confident sitting here now than I was last year.

 

“There were a lot of new things happening last year – my first job, meeting a group of new players, having to make so many signings, getting used to the league, individuals players and managers, the different environments we had to travel to.

 

“There were a lot of eye opening things last year. This year I’m quite content where we are.

 

“I’m confident we can put a better challenge up this year. Having said that, there’s a lot of work ahead and still some improving to do so we’ll keep pushing in every area we can.”

https://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/17776815.steven-gerrard-won-39-t-allow-rangers-ease-cruise-next-round-europa-league/

[craig 5,195]

On 16/07/2019 at 19:21, RANGERRAB said:

The only team I’d like to avoid is Wolves and maybe Espanyol .The rest we shouldn’t fear for including Eintracht who have just sold their best player to West Ham

Have we not noticed our progress underSG ? The dhims have got rid off their Swedish international RB because of last season. Now they can’t decide who to sign at RB to face Ojo

Ojo  doesn’t play on our left hand side

[craig 5,195]

5 hours ago, RANGERRAB said:

Why shouldn’t we expect to qualify for the EL group stages? We managed it last season. And we’re a team which has improved since then

We were lucky last season and on multiple occasions we got very favorable draws.

 

chances of that happening again are slim !

[JFK-1 1,661]

Draw for the 3rd qualifying round is Monday so we will see what emerges from that but I'm remaining confident. I think we have a good side and certainly a better side than last time. While we're hoping to avoid some of the top seeds I would wager a number of them are hoping to avoid us too. 

[JFK-1 1,661]

Shortest odds of the day for this round and this is the best odds you can get on Rangers to win.

 

Rangers 1/33 - St Josephs 80/1

 

Others are offering 1/200 Rangers.

Draw 22/1

[buster. 4,808]

9 hours ago, JFK-1 said:

While i'm hoping to avoid the likes of Wolves if we drew them I wouldn't automatically think we were out. The sheep took Burnley to extra time in the second leg at Burnley last season after a 1-1 draw at the sheep pen. And we're a far superior outfit to that sheep side.

It's difficult to know how teams will perform in summer qualifiers and some of the bigger teams (in terms of budget) can be caught relatively cold.

Obviously that can also work against us but with SG&Co in charge, a feature has been getting up to speed quickly.

 

If we do get to QR3 and get a 'big team' then bring it on.

It's an opportunity for the players to show how good they really are.

 

As for juggling group stage football and the League challenge.

You can only go with whatever comes along and if we were to get to the EL groups, then it'd be a very welcome financial boost.

IIRC financial projections have been made presuming that we qualify for European group stage football in 3 out of 5 years.

 

The squad is a lot stronger now and better equipped to deal with various fronts.

Group qualification may mean more quality being brought in.

Not to mention that being seen regularly in the group stages brings prestige and other benefits.

 

Here is a list of the League games that would immediately follow EL group fixtures in the event of us reaching that stage.

 

St.Johnstone (A)

Hamilton (H)

Motherwell (H)

Livingston (A)

Hearts (H)

Motherwell (A)

[buster. 4,808]

On 16/07/2019 at 08:17, buster. said:

July 12th last year saw SG manage his first competitive match against Shkupi with 49,309 in attendance.

 

The game against St.Josephs is competitive but the tie is already done and there isn't the spice of SG's first game in charge.

However, there is a current feel-good factor and the side are scoring goals.

 

I'll go for 39, 862

I'm going to revise that to 46,305 

[der Berliner 3,207]

Given the demands from the manager and the competition for places, this night may end bad for St. Joseph`s.