Rangers vs St Mirren preview: Steven Gerrard prepared for new-look Buddies
Friday 1 February 2019 17:25, UK
Steven Gerrard says his side will be well prepared to take on a new-look St Mirren side at Ibrox on Saturday.
St Mirren have bolstered their squad with 10 signings in the January window, but Rangers have strengthened too with Glen Kamara and Kilmarnock winger Jordan Jones signing pre-contracts earlier this month.
The Finland midfielder's proposed summer move was hastened when Dundee and Rangers reached a deal late on Thursday night.
Gerrard got Jermain Defoe and Steven Davis in early and signed American midfielder Matt Polster for free with a view to developing him.
Ahead of the Scottish Premiership clash, Gerrard is confident Rangers can overcome an "organised" St Mirren side.
He told the club's official website: "They are an organised team and they will come with a game-plan with a low to medium block.
"They will be organised and they will work as hard as they can to stay in the game and they will set us a challenge where we will have to try to find a way to break them down.
"It adds a couple of complications. Straight away as soon as we see them getting deals done, we have analysts that are straight onto those individuals and we clip them up and make the players aware of who they could be facing and the possibilities.
"Until the teamsheet comes through, then that's only when you know how the opposition are going to go."
Team news
Kamara and Polster will build up their fitness before making their debuts. Centre-back Connor Goldson (foot) will also sit out the visit of the Ladbrokes Premiership's bottom club.
Graham Dorrans (knee), Eros Grezda (ankle) and Jamie Murphy (knee) are still working on their rehab.
Opta stats
- Rangers have never previously lost at home to St. Mirren in the Scottish Premiership (P11 W9 D2 L0).
- St. Mirren have lost 11 of their last 13 Scottish Premiership games against Rangers, their only win in this time coming on Christmas Eve, 2011 (D1).
- Rangers are looking to win three consecutive matches in all competitions for just the second time under Steven Gerrard having previously done so in October 2018.
- St. Mirren have kept just one clean sheet across their last 18 away top-flight matches (W2 D2 L14), conceding 43 goals in those games while scoring just 10 in reply.
- Scottish Premiership top scorer Alfredo Morelos (13 goals) has been directly involved in 14 goals in his last 14 league games for Rangers, scoring 11 and assisting three.
