SCOTT Arfield has told his Rangers team mates if they can’t handle the pressure of playing for the Ibrox club they don’t deserve to be there.
But the midfielder, who scored twice in the William Hill Scottish Cup victory over Hamilton on Saturday, has backed every one of them to cope during the Scottish title run-in.
Steven Gerrard’s players have come in for criticism in recent weeks as they have lost to Hearts and drawn with Aberdeen and fallen seven points behind Ladbrokes Premiership leaders Celtic.
Arfield conceded the Govan club’s performances since play resumed following the winter shutdown last month haven’t been anywhere near good enough.
However, the Canadian internationalist believes the four goals they netted at the FOY Stadium at the weekend have helped get their supporters back onside.
And he is confident that Rangers can build on their back-to-back triumphs over Hibernian and Hamilton in the Ladbrokes Premiership match against Kilmarnock at Rugby Park on Wednesday.
Asked if he could explain the reasons for their dip in form, he said: “Probably not. As players we can’t over think it. That’s for other people to do.
“For us in the building it’s maybe not been as fluid in an attacking sense. The games at home, the Stranraer game, St Mirren game, the Ross County game, it’s not been as fluid.
“But if you score goals at the right time then people’s opinion changes. Goals like Joe Aribo’s changes the momentum and it changes people attitudes about a game.”
Arfield added: “Everyone signed up for this. When you sign for this football club you know it’s not going to be plain sailing. The pressure is on you to perform and quite rightly so. If you can’t handle it then you shouldn’t be here.
“As a team, staff and club we understand people’s frustration. They’ve every right to feel like that, but for us we can’t overthink it. It’s about passing the ball and scoring as many goals as possible.
“We don’t know (if Rangers have to win every game to win the league). I don’t have a crystal ball. We have an opportunity to win every game and that’s what we are thinking about.”
Rangers were missing their leading scorer Alfredo Morelos in their first four games after the winter shutdown due to suspension.
But the Colombian striker has since played against Aberdeen, Hibernian and Hamilton and scored late on at the weekend to take his tally for the 2019/20 campaign to 29.
Arfield feels having the centre forward leading the line again will enable the Ibrox club to avoid any more slip-ups and remain in touch with their city rivals in the league in the coming weeks.
“He’s our main threat and game by game he’s getting back to where he was,” he said. “It was always going to take a bit of time to get back to where he was because he was playing 20 to 30 games on the bounce before the break.
“Then he got sent off, and there was a bit of frustration. He’s back scoring goals, but his sharpness will come. You can be fit but football fitness is different to that instinct over two or three yards. He’s getting back to that though.”
Arfield, who has now been on target seven times in all competitions this season, accepts the Rangers midfielders, not just their strikers, have to pitch in with more goals as well.
“Particularly at Ibrox when teams sit in and play a low block,” he said. “It is difficult to play pinpoint passes and play on the half-turn. You have to score goals in different ways. With the ability we have as midfield players we should we scoring more goals.”
The 31-year-old’s stunning injury-time strike was the 100th goal that Rangers have scored this term and he feels that shows they have the ability they need up front to flourish.
“It shows the attacking quality we have in this team,” he said. “We are always going to create chances, particularly when you have two strikers like Alfredo and Jermain (Defoe).
“Greg Stewart is another one who can chip in and we should be capable of getting goals from everywhere. The stat doesn’t surprise me at all."
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