Livingston vs Rangers preview: Steven Gerrard backing Joe Worrall to bounce back
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Sunday 27 January 2019 15:58, UK
Rangers boss Steven Gerrard has backed Joe Worrall to recover quickly from his Rugby Park nightmare.
The on-loan Nottingham Forest defender's blunder turned Wednesday night's clash with Kilmarnock on its head as he let Eamonn Brophy in to cancel out Jermain Defoe's debut opener.
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Ibrox-bound Jordan Jones then punished the side he will join this summer as he fired in the winner for Killie, following another mistake by Ryan Kent.
But it was the moment of madness by Worrall that has drawn the most stinging criticism.
Former Rangers manager Ally McCoist said he would have considered hooking the 22-year-old as his game went to pieces in the wake of his gaffe.
But Gerrard insists Worrall is strong enough to shake off the error that helped Killie snatch second place in the table when Rangers travel to Livingston, live on Sky Sports Football on Sunday.
"I don't think Joe is that insecure that he is going to need a cuddle or an arm round from me," said Gerrard.
"He is a big boy. People make mistakes and he's human. I'm more interested in his reaction and what he's going to give in terms of performance moving forward.
"That is the key. We all make mistakes - that's the game. It's how you react to it."
It is not just Worrall who will be expected to up his game against Livingston.
Gerrard was frustrated his team could not match the performance levels that saw them finally topple Celtic before the winter break. And the boss concedes his side have been caught cold far too often this season after winning just 12 of their 22 fixtures to date.
Asked if he was looking for a reaction at the Tony Macaroni Arena, he said: "One hundred per cent - that's what I'm looking for individually and collectively. It was a very disappointing result for us the other night.
"The performance was very strong for 20 minutes but after the mistake we made it was nowhere near the level that I expect. So, yes, a reaction is what I've asked the players for since the last defeat and hopefully they can put that into practice at the weekend.
"There is definitely a frustration but obviously each game and each scenario is different. An Old Firm game at home is completely different from going to Kilmarnock on a different surface against a different challenge.
"I'm not naive to think that just because we beat Celtic and performed at a very high level we're going to get that every single game. But we do certainly need to improve in terms of being more consistent.
"I've got confidence the team is capable of going anywhere and getting the right result. But the players have to go prove themselves. What is important is that we react to the Kilmarnock game by getting back to winning ways with a good performance."
Team news
Livingston face a shortage of strikers for the visit of Rangers.
On-loan Ibrox frontman Ryan Hardie is unable to face his parent club while Lee Miller (calf) and Dolly Menga (hamstring) are injured and Rafa De Vita will continue his comeback from a long-term knee injury in the reserves.
Teenage forward Jack Hamilton has joined Alloa on loan while the injured Scott Robinson remains on the sidelines.
Ciaran Brown is set to be on the bench after signing on loan from Cardiff in midweek.
Rangers have no fresh injuries ahead of the trip to Livingston.
Centre-back Connor Goldson (foot) will again sit out the trip to the Tony Macaroni Arena while Eros Grezda (ankle) and long-term absentees Jamie Murphy and Graham Dorrans (both knee) are also sidelined.
Goalkeeper Andy Firth has been added to the squad to replace third-choice stopper Robbie McCrorie, who has joined Morton on loan.
Meanwhile, Gerrard handed debuts to Defoe and Steven Davis against Steve Clarke's side but admits they are not guaranteed to start against Livingston.
"I'm sure the minutes they got on Wednesday will benefit them," he said. "They haven't played much football of late. I'll have to manage them in terms of their game time. They are here for the next six months not the next six games.
"It's down to me to make sure I use them in the right way but what is a fact is that the recovery takes a wee bit longer if you've put in a shift on a plastic pitch. That goes for everyone, not just them and that is on my mind at the moment."
Opta stats
- Livingston have won just one of their last 14 top-flight matches against Rangers (D3 L10), but that came earlier this season at the Almondvale Stadium.
- Rangers have only won one of their last five away top-flight visits to Livingston (D3 L1), a 4-1 win in November 2004.
- Livingston are looking to avoid losing three consecutive top-flight matches within a single season for the first time since they lost their final four games of the 2005-06 campaign when they were relegated.
- Rangers have won six of their last seven Scottish Premiership games (D1) on Sunday since losing 0-1 to Livingston in September 2018.
- After scoring on his debut against Kilmarnock last time out, Jermain Defoe is looking to become the first Rangers player to score in both of his first two Scottish Premiership appearances for the club since Emerson Hyndman did so in January/February 2017 - who had also arrived at the club on loan from Premier League side Bournemouth.
