STEVEN Gerrard has vowed to quickly move on any player from Rangers lacking passion, commitment and who does not buy into his philosophy.
The English football icon signed a four-year deal at Ibrox on Friday to become the club’s manager and admitted his first task, when the contract begins on June 1, will be to find out what he has to work with and get rid of those not up to the task.
Gerrard wants his team to be physical and hungry, traits which have been lacking all this season, which will not be tolerated under his regime.
When it was put to the 37-year-old that his new players had been accused of having no desire in their last game against Celtic, a 5-0 defeat which easily could have been worse, Gerrard said: “I can't have that. That's got to stop. That's got to stop now.
"When I get a chance to speak to the players that are currently here, and also the players that we add, they'll know very quickly what myself and my staff are about and what we demand.
“A lot of them will already know what the club demands but it's very important from the off that they really buy into what we are trying to do here, and there's a lot of areas where we need to improve.
“Can I do that with existing players? I'll try. I need players that are willing to adapt, players that are going to believe in what we are trying to do, but I have been around footballers for a long time, I'll work it out very quickly who fancies this challenge and who wants to come with me and if there's people who don't fancy it and want to be somewhere else and don't fancy adapting to what we want and demand, good luck to them.
“If you are not a hungry footballer, you shouldn't be at Rangers Football Club. Simple as that.”
Gerrard revealed that he would not attend Rangers’ last three games of the season, including yesterday’s, but would study the performances.
Rangers: 2-5
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