Steven Gerrard singles out Glenn Middleton, Kyle Lafferty and Alfredo Morelos for praises

Rangers needed a second-half comeback against St. Johnstone on Sunday afternoon after they went behind at the brink of first half.

It took some dressing room team talk from manager Steven Gerrard to spur the players into action, with Alfredo Morelos responding the most with a brace.

Nevertheless, the Gers boss was far from impressed with the overall performance of his side as they made meal of a match he thought they ought to have easily won.

However, Gerrard still reserved praises for three of his men as they dug his side out of the hole and stood out amongst the rest.

“Glenn Middleton was excellent and gave us an assist, a fantastic ball. And Kyle Lafferty was a constant thorn in their side and could have had a couple himself,” the Rangers boss told BBC.

“From the first day of the season until now, Alfredo [Morelos] been incredible for us and you’ve seen the quality today quite clear – two top-class finishes.”

The hard-fought 2-1 victory means Rangers trail leaders Celtic by just a point ahead of the last two games left before the winter break, and Gerrard will hope his side can remain firmly in the title race when league action resumes next year.

Despite a complete squad overhaul during the summer transfer window, the Ibrox side surely could do with few quality signings in January, and the calibre of players they bring in next month could end up having a huge say on their Scottish Premiership chances.