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Frustrated Steven Gerrard admits Rangers will have to raise their game if they want to secure a return to the Europa League group stages.<\/p>\nFrustrated Steven Gerrard admits Rangers will have to raise their game if they want to secure a return to the Europa League group stages.<\/p>\n
The Light Blues gained revenge on old foes Progres Niederkorn but there was not much style about their display as the goalless draw in Luxembourg took them through.<\/p>\n
Their 2-0 aggregate triumph \u2013 sealed thanks to goals from Joe Aribo and Sheyi Ojo in the first leg at Ibrox last week \u2013 now sets up a third qualifying round showdown with Danes Midtjylland.<\/p>\n
But looking back on last year\u2019s run through four qualifying ties, Gerrard knows the challenge will only get tougher and his side need to respond.<\/p>\n
He told RangersTV: \u201cI think it\u2019s important that we move on from this game, take the positives from qualification.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut we\u2019ll have to play better. I look back 12 months ago and remember Shkupi being a grind, Maribor being a grind and so was Osijek.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut we\u2019re going to have to play better if we want to get to the group stages.\u201d<\/p>\n
Scott Arfield could have killed the tie off within 11 minutes as he refused to give up on an overhit Ojo pass \u2013 but his strike from a tight angle came back off the post.<\/p>\n
Niederkorn knew they had to force the issue and came close with a couple of half chances but Rangers were never properly ruffled.<\/p>\n
And Gerrard was left to grumble at the end of a forgettable clash.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just thought it was a grind,\u201d he said. \u201cThe whole night, our performance was a grind to watch. I\u2019m sure it was a grind to play in.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou come to places like this and they\u2019ve had the heating on in the dressing room, the ball is like a balloon, the pitch is bobbly and dry.<\/p>\n
“I think it’s important that we move on from this game, take the positives from qualification. But we’ll have to play better<\/p>\n
\u201cThey just foul at every foul and the referee gives every foul \u2013 it\u2019s just one of those nights.<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought we were better in the second half and more dangerous and creative certainly in the final 20 minutes.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe maybe should have won the game \u2013 we certainly created enough to do so. But I don\u2019t think it would have changed my mind on the whole performance.<\/p>\n
\u201cLook we did enough and we\u2019re into the next round. It\u2019s a clean sheet too so we\u2019ll take that and move on \u2013 but I didn\u2019t enjoy watching it. I won\u2019t even watch this game back.\u201d<\/p>\n