ALAN BRAZIL scored a goal against the Poles en route to winning the Uefa Cup.
He expects Rangers to do one — if not the other — as they prepare to tackle Lech Poznan on Thursday night.
Celtic-daft Alan Brazil with good pal and Rangers legend Ally McCoistCredit: Dan Jones – The Sun
Going all the way in the Europa League looks a step too far for either half of the Old Firm.
Lifelong Hoops fan Brazil will be back on talkSPORT with Gers legend Ally McCoist on Thursday morning for the first time since the Old Firm derby.
And he fears losing the bragging rights to his sidekick after Gers’ splendid start to the season at home and abroad.
Brazil told SunSport: “Ally’s not gloating yet but I think the time might come.
“I felt the game at Parkhead at New Year showed how much Rangers had improved — but then they fizzled out after the winter break.
“They are definitely better again this season. They are stronger and they’ll have grown in self-belief after putting Celtic to the sword last weekend.
“They must be favourites for the title now. And Steven will be on their shoulders every step of the way to make sure they don’t slip up again.”
Brazil was a Uefa Cup winner with Ipswich Town in 1981, while Gerrard lifted it 20 years later with Liverpool.
Kemar Roofe scored a cracker for Rangers against Standard Liege Credit: PA:Press Association
The former Scotland striker knows a playing pedigree counts for nothing when you hang up your boots and step into the dugout.
But he feels Gerrard is learning lessons after two barren seasons at Ibrox.
He added: “What a player Steven was. He is now dealing with players who are not as good as he was — and he has to be careful what he expects from them.
“It’s a different job. I remember listening to Frank Lampard say he couldn’t believe how hard it was to take over as a boss.
“The likes of Graeme Souness and Kenny Dalglish will be helping Steven a lot. And he’s definitely warming to the job.
“You can hear the way he talks that he’s going to be a top manager. His mental attitude as a player was magnificent and it’s the same as a boss.
Brazil feels Gerrard is learning lessons after first two seasons at RangersCredit: Willie Vass – The Sun
“Did Rangers take a chance when they appointed him? You can say they probably did in going for a rookie — but it looks to be paying off now. Steven was never an angel as a player — but he had discipline.
“You can’t mess around at Liverpool or give 80 per cent — it’s impossible. He has brought those same values to Rangers.
“Celtic will have a fight on their hands now to win ten-in-a-row.”
Gers face Lech Poznan at Ibrox on Thursday night after starting their Europa League group campaign with a 2-0 win at Standard Liege.
Kemar Roofe struck an incredible stoppage-time clincher from his own half — and Brazil believes it was symptomatic of the self-belief in the Ibrox dressing room right now.
He said: “I fancied Rangers to win over there so the result was no surprise to me — but the goal was a cracker.
“When your confidence is sky-high, like the Rangers players’ right now, you don’t worry about anything.
“They wouldn’t have worried about playing Celtic, they won’t worry about who they face next, they’ll just be buzzing with confidence. When you feel like that, you try things not everyone would try. Flair players like Roofe try things like that and it was some goal.”
Roofe’s strike from his own half in Rangers’ win over Standard LiegeCredit: BT Sport
Brazil won a European trophy with the likes of George Burley, John Wark and ex-Gers captain Terry Butcher at his side.
It still irks him that his goal against Widzew Lodz was his only one in the Uefa Cup run that season.
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But he’d love to see the Old Firm progress beyond the group stages again — even if winning the trophy may be beyond them.
He added: “Zbigniew Boniek, the great Pole, was in the Lodz team when I scored the goal at Portman Road.
“We played against some great players that season. Antonin Panenka was in the Bohemians Prague team was defeated.
“Michel Platini and Johnny Rep played for St Etienne and we beat a Cologne team including Toni Schumacher, Rainer Bonhof, Pierre Littbarski and Tony Woodcock.
“The goal against the Poles was the only one I scored in Europe that season and I was so p***ed off.
Alan Brazil in action during his Ipswich playing daysCredit: Getty Images – Getty
“I got 28 for the season and only one in Europe — it was ridiculous.
“Kevin Keegan pipped me for the Golden Boot and he scored seven penalties. I should have had 33 or 34 that season.
“I’d love to see the Scottish sides go far this season. I think Rangers can go through again but I’m not so sure about Celtic.
“That said, I didn’t see Rangers making it to the final in Manchester or Celtic reaching Seville for that epic game against Jose Mourinho’s Porto.
“But another of my old clubs, Spurs, have got Harry Kane, Gareth Bale and Heung-min Son. Imagine what they’d do to the Old Firm defences? It’s not worth thinking about.
“I would like to see Rangers and Celtic get through to boost the coefficient even higher, and you just never know.
“It would be great if they could progress as far as possible. But at the moment I fancy Rangers more than Celtic.”
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
