Rangers' season in quotes: Herald and Times Sport looks back at the key comments of title 55

“If people think I am going to leave Rangers in the near future because it is my decision, and I don’t want to be there, then that opinion is wrong. 

“In terms of me being proud and happy to be the manager, and wanting to move the club forward and improve it, then I am all in. It was always going to be a job where I had to learn on the go. 

"Now, I never for one moment thought I was going to get everything right and everything was going to be positive. 

“I knew the team and squad situation when I took over. I knew the pressure and the demands of the fans.” 

GERRARD HAILS THE BOARD JUNE 23 2020 

“In terms of the club, the board has been fantastic during lockdown. The backing of our supporters has been fantastic – we’ve sold close to 35,000 season tickets, which is unreal. 

“So things are okay from a Rangers point of view, I think we’re in a good place. 

“We’re in a position to strike (in the transfer window) but might have to be patient because of what’s happening at other clubs and in other leagues.” 

MORELOS TRANSFER TALKS JULY 31 2020 

“I think this will work itself out if there is a bid that’s big enough, that the board want to accept, we’ll make that decision when it comes,” Gerrard said. 

“At the moment we’re nowhere near that so Alfredo is still a Rangers player.” 

OPENING DAY WIN AT ABERDEEN AUGUST 1 2020 

“When the fixtures came out, everyone was saying: ‘Oh, it’s Aberdeen away, will they drop points?’ 

“There were questions on us today so we’ll go away pleased at picking up three points and getting a clean sheet. But no one will get carried away. 

“Aberdeen ran us all the way to the end and we’ll dust ourselves down for Europe. We have to build on this now. 

“That was the start I was looking for, definitely. We knew it would be a big challenge and tough test here. 

“We’ve got big respect for Aberdeen. It’s a difficult place to come so I want to praise my players and give them a lot of credit. 

“We were excellent in the first half, played some really good stuff and showed our style. 

“In the second half it wasn’t pretty at times but we showed a different side, that we’re capable of hanging in and having the steeliness to win. 

“I wanted us to kill the game off and take the points away from Aberdeen. I’m pleased, it’s a big win, a good start and we’re up and running.” 

MORELOS HEAD TURNED AUGUST 6 2020 

"Everyone knows he's had his head turned. 

"If a bid comes that the board like, and if the player tells me face-to-face he wants to go, we'll see what happens. 

"My focus is on the team and the players that want to be here." 

RANGERS REJECT KENT BID FROM LEEDS AUGUST 21 2020 

“Ryan (Kent) is a player we admire very much here and we have seen him develop. He is progressing very quickly and is a player we want to keep hold off. We very quickly rejected an opening bid that was nowhere near his valuation.” 

FIRST OLD FIRM VICTORY OCTOBER 18 2020 

“Celtic threw everything at us today,” Gerrard said. “You talk about people being missing, but we had Kemar Roofe sitting in the house and we couldn’t start Joe Aribo. We have got our own issues ourselves. We have had issues for five or six weeks. 

“Celtic are throwing quality players at us all the way through the game – (David) Turnbull, £3.5m, (Patryk) Klimala, £3.5m, (Albian) Ajeti, £5m, their keeper (Vasilis Barkas) is worth £5m. We haven’t played a Celtic team with issues, we have beat a strong Celtic team. 

“I don’t think you ever expect it to be straightforward when you come here. We have been relatively quiet during the course of the 90 minutes considering what you normally face here. The players deserve credit. I don’t think we were at our fluent best, but we were really assured and professional and controlled in what we did today.” 

COVID BREACH BY JONES AND EDMUNDSON NOVEMBER 3 2020 

"The players know they have let themselves down, their families, and badly let their team-mates and supporters of the club down," Gerrard said. 

"They will be punished internally and it will be dealt with internally. I think the important thing from my point of view is we draw a line under that." 

JOHN BENNETT DECEMBER 15 2020 

“It is a broad and broadening church, but if you look at that group of investors and what they have committed and continued to commit, it is very sizeable. 

“I would like to reiterate the two key themes for me that we talk about a lot as a board: alignment and sustainability, moving from that recovery phase to a sustainable phase. Requiring the four pillars to be standing strong, aligned and supporting that business model. 

“The numbers are important, we are very focused on them but two numbers in particular this board and club are focused on: 55 and 150. And the next 150. You stay aligned, you invest, you focus on winning 55 and delivering 150 then the next 150.” 

MENTALITY AND BOTTLE QUESTIONED AFTER ST MIRREN CUP DEFEAT DECEMBER 18 2020 

“Listen, we have ticked a lot of boxes in many areas this year,” Gerrard said. “We’ve shown consistency, we’ve shown hunger, we’ve shown a real big focus. 

“We’ve gone on a stretch of results which has been very impressive. And we took a lot of praise for that in many areas. 

“People have talked about our resolve, our character, the guts we have shown tor really digging in at times. We have had praise in many different areas. 

“After the result the other night, it’s normal that, on the outside, there will be noise from a critical point of view. We don’t go and look for that, but we are well aware that will be the case. We are in Glasgow. 

“We know what happens if you suffer a draw or a defeat or something that bumps you along the way. That’s life. 

“We’ll take it on the chin. We’ll accept it. We’ll take responsibility for it. And we will try to get back to winning ways. It is what it is. It’s life at Glasgow Rangers.” 

SECOND OLD FIRM VICTORY JANUARY 2 2021 

"Prior to this game, we were aware of the noise. 

"But it's my job to protect my players and we are not going to gain anything or get an advantage by listening to the noise and getting involved in playing to it. 

"We need to keep a tight-knit group and keep doing the right things. Everything we have done this season has got us into this position and we need to keep fighting to remain there. 

"My reaction to the win is I'm really proud, really happy and satisfied with the three important points. It stretches our lead to 10 points with where it's at." 

150 GAMES FOR GERRARD JANUARY 24 2021 

"To be 150 games in, I'm delighted, but it's not about me, it's about this team and getting the group successful as soon as possible. 

"That's the challenge. That's what I'll be judged on. It's been a hell of a journey. It's been intense and challenging, but I'm loving it." 

GERRARD HAILS HIS RANGERS STAFF JANUARY 27 2021 

"The experience of Gary (McAllister), the quality of Mick (Beale), Tom (Culshaw) Jordan (Milsom) and Colin (Stewart), as my football support staff have been outstanding, the outer layers of that staff around the club and the training ground have been superb. 

"But the key to it all is the board. My relationship with Ross (Wilson), Mark (Allen) previously, Stewart Robertson, Dave King originally and now Mr Park (Douglas Park) who took over from him - in your tough days and times when it's maybe not going how you want it to be, that's when they show their class and their support, and I've had that from day one." 

LENNON DEPARTS CELTIC FEBRUARY 24 2021 

"Without a doubt, I can certainly understand the pressure and the sacrifice you have to make to be in this position as an Old Firm manager. 

"Obviously I can only talk from the blue side. I’ve been in the job for nearly three years and it’s a very demanding environment. 

"There is a lot of pressure involved and it’s part of the job you sign up for. You understand that if things are going well, it’s fantastic and you get a lot of praise for that. You have an opportunity to be a success. 

"But on the other side, when things are not going well, it can be a lonely place. Of course it can. I’ve experienced that in my short stint here. 

"So I totally appreciate the job that Neil has done for Celtic. As I said earlier, I take no personal satisfaction in seeing a rival manager lose his job, or any manager. Because I understand what you have to put into this job on a daily basis." 

RANGERS ARE UNSTOPPABLE FEBRUARY 24 2021 

“Our recruitment was very good. Adding key players to what we had here was very important. 

“The experience of the previous two seasons we’ve used to our benefit in terms of our growth and trying to move forward. 

“The work that’s happened on the training pitch from all my coaching staff. It’s been a real combination of factors but the key thing here is always that hunger, determination to become more consistent. 

“Our results have proven that. We’ve been unstoppable up to this point. St Mirren are the only team who managed to do that and we weren’t ourselves on that night. 

“Credit to St Mirren but we came off what we’ve been for the majority of the season and that’s been a real hungry team and we’ve managed to find that level of consistency to get results.” 

IBROX PARTY MARCH 6 2021

“I have got to let the players enjoy this. It’s been a journey of ups and downs, I’ve only been part of it for three years, but for the past 10 years these fans, ex-players, staff have been through everything,” Gerrard said.

“It’s only normal that people want to enjoy themselves. The priority is that people stay safe and respect the guidelines and rules, but there is another side where you have to realise what these people have been through.

“I’m absolutely delighted to be in this position, now we’ve got to go and finish the job off."

RANGERS SCOTTISH PREMIERSHIP CHAMPIONS MARCH 7 2021

“After a superb campaign so far, Gers’ win over St Mirren yesterday put them on the verge of glory, with results elsewhere today meaning they can mathematically no longer be caught, with incredibly six matches still to play,” read a Rangers statement.

“It’s title number 55 for the club – the most of any football club in the world – and the first in 10 years following one of the most arduous decades in the club’s history.”