BARRY FERGUSON says his Rangers squad are ‘raring to go’ once again following the conclusion of the final international break of the season.
The Light Blues will return to league exploits this weekend following the pause in the campaign off the back of some impressive results in both Europe and domestically in recent weeks.
Speaking to the media ahead of taking his team to Dens Park for their Scottish Premiership fixture this Saturday evening against Dundee, he said:
“The players I gave them a week off, physically they have put a lot into it and it was good just to go and get a breather and let the dust settle a wee bit.
“It is great to be back in, that is the first day we had all our international players back as well.
“We just need to see how some of them are, they never trained a couple of them because of travel etc.
“Look we are raring to go again, we had a nice break and now we look forward to the final couple of months of the season.
“This is going to be a challenge for us on Saturday.
“We all know what Dundee did a couple of Sundays ago.
“They went across to Tannadice, I thought they were really good.
“They won the game pretty convincingly so I am under no illusions what type of game it is going to be and the players have been told that today.
“They'll get told that again tomorrow and it is a challenge as a Rangers player that you need to go and meet head on and that is exactly what we are going to do.
“Dundee are a good team, they have got a really good manager, albeit they have been on a bit of a bad run but they had a brilliant result against Dundee United so we are expecting a tough one but we will be certainly ready for that.”
The head coach has heaped praise on his group of players for a positive change in results in recent outings, with the Gers booking their spot in the last eight of the Europa League whilst producing an away Old Firm derby victory last time out.
He continued: “It has been a big part of it, I am not going to sit here and kid anyone on.
“I thought we were far too nice and you can't be too nice at Rangers at times.
“When you step out on that park every single team want to beat you and you need to stand up to that.
“Certainly bar the Motherwell game at home my group of players are starting to show the standards that are expected.
“It is far from that but they are certainly heading in the right direction and I am big on it.
“Training sessions, you have got to train the way you want to play.
“That is in terms of intensity and high standards and that is what I say every single day we have walked through the doors.
“They are a very good group of players, there are just a few things that we had to really work on.
“I keep giving them credit and rightly so because they have taken a lot of things on board.
“Change is difficult at times, in a short period of time they have taken a lot on board and they have shown me that they are more than capable of being here and getting results.
“We need to continue that, we are not going to rest easy thinking yes it was a great 10 days.
“We got into the last eight of Europe, great achievement, no doubt about that.
“We go across to Celtic Park, everybody is expecting us to get beat, but I had every confidence in them.
“The way that we approached the game, there was going to be a stage in the game that we may be tired but then that's my job to go and make changes and we came through that wee sticky game in the second half and they came through it with flying colours.
“They go away, they rest and come back and we have been back to work this week.
“They now really understand what way we have to approach the rest of the games coming up to the end of the season.”
The former Gers captain heaped praise on midfielder Nico Raskin and the impact he has had on the team of late, with the 24-year-old recently earning his first international cap for his country.
He added: “Nico has got the potential to play at the highest level, but he needs to understand that he has still got a few things he has to work on and has to learn.
“If he does that then what a chance he has got.
“He is 24, his best years are still in front of him.
“Since I have come in he has been top class for me, but he has to continue that.
“It is not just a case of going away and playing with his national team and it is great to see him get his first start.
“He comes back here; he has to produce they performances for me and I am sure if he does that he will become a regular in the Belgian national team.”
“The key for Nico is that he has to understand that is not just a case of being happy that he has made that first appearance.
“He has got to have the drive and determination to go and make 50,60,70 appearances for his national team, but he also has to understand that he needs to produce they performances week in week out here at Rangers.”