STEVEN GERRARD believes a point was the least Rangers deserved to take from this evening’s Europa League match with FC Porto.
Gers were truly outstanding in the 1-1 draw with last season’s Champions League quarter-finalists, and had opportunities in the second half to perhaps fly back to Glasgow tonight with more than a point
He told the press conference at O Dragao: “I am very proud of the players, and I thought the performance was outstanding. We at least deserved to take a point out of that game, and I thought our structure and our organisation was brilliant, so I need to pay my respects to all my staff who have worked so hard to do that this week.
“I think that is the level we need to try and bottle and find, certainly if we want to get out of this group. I’m sitting here very satisfied.”
After falling behind, Gers levelled through a top-class counter attack which was finished off by Alfredo Morelos.
“The players deserve the credit for that,” continued Gerrard. “It was a fantastic cross and Buff’s composure and finish was world-class. I don’t know how long you guys [the press] have got but I could mention all my players tonight.
“I thought Filip Helander arrived tonight and showed the reason why we have so much faith in him and why we paid the money for him. It was a performance full of composure and experience – where to be positionally, how to follow runners, how to be switched on and how to manage a game, and Connor [Goldson] backed him up.
“Across the board, there were some really, really strong performances today.
“[Alfredo] was a constant nuisance. His hold-up play was good, his switches of play were ood and he always attacks the space in terms of being in the right place.
“He could have scored another header and could have had himself a brace tonight. But I think it is an injustice just to talk about one or two of my players – there needs to be accolades for the whole team.
“They were all outstanding and I am so proud of them all.”
Going forward in the group, Gerrard believes his side have a chance of qualification if they can continue to reach the level they did tonight.
He said: “I think if we can find that level of performance, we’ll have a right good chance. I’m not going to get carried away here because there are three very difficult games.
“Some draws feel like defeats, like the weekend as we never did ourselves justice – we weren’t Rangers at the weekend.
“But some points feel more important than a point as the performance was there and the level is there. I have no doubt if we can find that level on three occasions, I will be very surprised if we don’t get out.”
The performance was so eye-catching from Gers, with the manager adding: “I thought at times we showed real bravery. I mentioned before the game we can’t just have structure and wait and sit back and keep giving the ball away.
“We showed real, good possession skills getting to five, getting to 10 passes and then playing out of their counter-pressing and the spaces on the side.
“I thought James [Tavernier] had some real good openings down the right and Borna [Barisic] even more-so – I thought he had the freedom of the left-side as they become very narrow in the final third from all the evidence we have seen.
“The players have listened and reacted since Hearts, and they deserve all the credit for getting into the structure, working ever-so hard to be hard to play against.
“If we had conceded late, which was the only real, scary moment, I think it would have been very cruel on the team.”