Gerrard adamant Rangers players will not crack under pressure

Steven Gerrard is adamant his new Rangers side will not crack under the Ibrox strain this season.

Former bosses Pedro Caixinha and Graeme Murty both questioned the mental strength of the Light Blues squad last season as they lurched from one crisis to another.

Caixinha accused his players of ''embarrassing'' him and the club after defeat to Motherwell in the Betfred Cup semi-finals while Murty admitted March's 3-2 loss to Celtic sent his side into a tailspin.

New manager Gerrard has attempted to eradicate that flaw by clearing out 14 first-teamers this summer.

Only those with stomachs strong enough for the fight have been kept on by the former Liverpool captain as he looks to turn around Gers' fortunes both domestically and in European action.

Rangers' nerve will again be put to the test on Thursday night as they prepare to defend a 1-0 first leg lead against Croatian Europa League rivals Osijek.

But Gerrard insists the players who remain on the Ibrox payroll have his full backing.

''I only know what I've seen from day one,'' he said. ''I didn't know the mentality from last year and I only know the mentality of the clubs I've been involved with and played for.

What I can assure you is the mentality will be strong this year because I'll only have players and characters who want to fight and want to win, who are hungry.

Yes I want them to be free and express themselves too but above all, I want winners all over the pitch as well as on my bench pushing the people in front of them.

That for me means you have a good mentality in the group.''

Gerrard's men rounded off their pre-season preparations with a 3-0 win over Wigan on Sunday but he was far from happy with their showing in the opening 45 minutes against the Latics.

And he warned a repeat against Osijek could cost them a shot at facing Maribor of Slovenia or Georgian outfit Chikhura Sachkhere in the third qualifying round.

''The most important thing for me was that the players knew themselves,'' he said. Going along and chatting to them, hearing them speak amongst themselves, they knew that the first half against Wigan wasn't good enough - it was short of what is expected here.

They know if they turn up and perform against Europa League teams and are second best, we'll be knocked out.

But the players knew that themselves and that tells me they want to improve, that they want the standard to be higher and are starting to understand the responsibilities for playing for this football club.

What has gone before us has been top, top football teams who have been successful. This is a club full of history and tradition and when you sign up for it, you buy into the fact you have to keep your standards as high as possible.''

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