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'NEED SOME HELP'

Rangers FC news: Steven Gerrard calls for more signings after Europa League exit

Rangers finished third behind Villarreal and Rapid Vienna in Group G

Rangers boss Steven Gerrard has admitted he needs to strengthen his side with "quality" reinforcements after they crashed out of the Europa League on Thursday night.

The Ibrox men required a win against Rapid Vienna to qualify for the last 32, but were undone by Dejan Ljubicic's 84th-minute winner in Austria.

 Steven Gerrard saw his side crash out of the Europa League in Austria
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Steven Gerrard saw his side crash out of the Europa League in Austria
 Dejan Ljubicic's 84th-minute winner separated the teams on Thursday night
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Dejan Ljubicic's 84th-minute winner separated the teams on Thursday night

Gerrard - who criticised his fringe players after Sunday's draw at Dundee - says his "players need some help" if they are to push forward.

He said: "I think to compete at this level and have ambitions to go further, the players need some help.

"I thought we were good for 80 minutes and I can't really ask the players to give any more."

Rangers were without two injured wingers - Daniel Candeias and Ryan Kent - as well as midfielder Ovie Ejaria, who the manager described as "unsettled".

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He added: "With what we had available tonight, I thought everyone gave an almighty effort and I think it is very hard for me to criticise the players for what they gave.

"We were trying to roll the dice and go a little more adventurous to try and create something to get that moment we needed at 0-0 and, unfortunately, we've conceded on a counter attack.

"The players deserve incredible praise for taking this group to the wire.

"We will certainly take ourselves back to maybe Moscow at home, 0-0, and a couple of the chances we missed - and we'll take ourselves back to Moscow away, when we scored a perfectly good goal, but we will also analyse our individual mistakes within it.

"I think, if you analyse the journey as a whole, the players have done fantastically well, but the reality is, at this level, we've fell a little bit short and that is my job to try and address that."

Gerrard's men are two points behind arch-rivals Celtic in the SPL, having played a game more.

They entertain Hamilton on Sunday before travelling to Hibernian on Wednesday night.

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