Rangers must have belief to take more risks

Leader Live

3 days ago

The Light Blues drew 1-1 in their league opener at Motherwell last week but went into the game against Dundee at Ibrox on Saturday with confidence following a 3-0 win over Viktoria Plzen in the first leg of their Champions League qualifier on Tuesday night.
However, the Taysiders stifled the home side while threatening in attack and they took the lead in the 51st minute through a looping Ryan Astley header.
Gers centre-back Nasser Djiga was sent off for a 'last man' challenge on Finlay Robertson just before the hour mark but as the game moved into added time Gers captain James Tavernier, who came off the bench, levelled from the spot.
Dessers had the ball in the net in the seventh minute of added time only to be ruled offside, which left the Light Blues with two points from six and having not won either of their opening two league games for the first time since 1989.
The Nigeria striker said: 'At this club, you need to win games and to win games, you need to score goals. Sometimes it takes a risky pass to open it up, or maybe even to scare the opponent so next time they don't step through on a midfielder and they stay in position and maybe then you open up the space a little bit more there.
'It's a little bit of belief, confidence.
'There's no time at this club. Not a lot of patience, which everybody knows when they play here and that's okay, that's fine, we're fine with that.
'But somewhere inside yourself, you need to find that confidence and the courage to go out there and do that, make the pass, make the dribble, try the shot, and just to create something for the team.
'I think we showed it at certain moments and then people talk about the European games or the Old Firm games last season. But like I said, it's the consistency.
'Can you do it on a Tuesday and do it again on Saturday and do it again on Tuesday? For me, that's the thing that's the next step for us.'
Dundee have next weekend off as they are not involved in the Premier Sports Cup fixtures but boss Steven Pressley, disappointed to have left Govan with only a point, will work his players in preparation for the game against Kilmarnock at Rugby Park on August 23.
He said: 'We've actually organised two friendlies for next Thursday because I want to give all the players 90 minutes.
'You can see we've got some players still behind in their fitness, the likes of Callum Jones who came in late was struggling, he got cramp at the end of the game.
'So we need to use this time to build towards the Kilmarnock game.'