Gerrard: Rangers goals were outstanding but performance wasn't

Steven Gerrard believes his Rangers team’s 5-0 win over Lincoln Red Imps ticked the right boxes as they progressed in the Europa League but he said the performance wasn’t good.

The visitors were a class above their part-time opponents in Gibraltar and helped themselves to goals as they set up a third qualifying round tie against Willem II.

James Tavernier opened the scoring with a free kick before Connor Goldson added a second before half-time. Alfredo Morelos scored a double after the break, either side of a goal from Jermain Defoe.

The quality of the goals impressed the manager but he said he still saw plenty to improve upon in terms of the all-round game.

“It was professional, job done and that was the plan coming here,” Gerrard told Rangers TV.

“We wanted to get a win, a clean sheet and move on to the next fixture because the next couple of weeks are going to be a lot more important and a lot more difficult.

“Tonight was about getting through. We scored five good goals, kept a clean sheet even though we really didn’t get out of first gear.

“I don’t think it was a good performance. We made it complicated for the majority of it. But we will take a lot of positives in terms of getting people minutes. Jermain Defoe gets a goal, Buff (Morelos) gets a couple.

“I thought the goals were outstanding and it was nice to have the luxury to give people the opportunities to play.

“We’ll take the positives and move on but as for the all-round performance, we didn’t get out of first gear.”

Morelos’ double took his European tally to 20 goals, just one behind Ally McCoist’s record.

Gerrards praised the Colombian striker but said that the total still didn’t put him in the same bracket as his decorated predecessor.

“Alfredo is a top striker and an incredible finisher,” he said. “You see that especially with the second goal, but the first is just as good for me as he attacks the goal frame.

“I’m sure Ally McCoist watching that will be very happy. But there’s a big difference between Alfredo Morelos and Ally McCoist and it’s that Ally McCoist won trophies here.

“He was successful here so we can’t talk about those two players in the same breath – not yet.”