Ryan Naderi believes Rangers are heading in the right direction after their 1-0 Conference League play-off first-leg victory over Jablonec but insists there is still plenty of room for improvement.
The Rangers striker has called for continued progress after Derek McInnes' side edged the Czech’s 1-0 at Ibrox with ten men after Cammy Devlin's red card midway through the second half.
Naderi provided the decisive moment in the first leg of the Conference League play-off, but the German forward was keen to focus on the bigger picture rather than his own contribution.
Rangers secured a narrow advantage to take into next week's second leg in the Czech Republic, while also recording a second consecutive victory and another clean sheet.
Naderi acknowledged that the first half had not been Rangers' best performance, but believes the result and defensive display were important.
“I agree that the first half wasn't amazing, but I'm happy that we kept a clean sheet. I think that was really important today,” he said.
“We had opportunities to score one, two goals more.”
However, Naderi believes the important thing for Rangers at this stage is continuing to build confidence and momentum.
“It's just about keeping up the confidence, and second win in a row, and just keep going, stay focused,” he continued.
Naderi: Rangers are ‘going in the right direction’
Rangers have endured a difficult start to the campaign, but Naderi insists there are signs of improvement.
The 23-year-old admitted that performances have not yet reached the desired level, but believes the squad is making progress.
“It's still a progress we're going through, and we still have to improve. I think we're going in the right direction,” he explained.
“I didn't score the most spectacular goals, but at the end, I hope that's what is right for us to do, and I'm just happy to help the team.”
Naderi embraces striker responsibility
With Rangers currently without Youssef Chermiti, who suffered an ACL injury against Hibernian, Naderi has found himself carrying additional responsibility in attack.
He stressed, however, that replacing an important player cannot fall on one individual.
“I think it's a responsibility for the whole team,” Naderi added.
“We've recently missed a unique type of player, but we have to try as a team to fill the gap.
“If someone has to score the goals, I'm lucky to be the one who, at the moment, gets the ball over the line, but it's the whole team who has to fill this gap.”
‘I like both’ when asked about Rangers' attacking system
Naderi has operated as a lone striker during Rangers' recent wins over Jablonec and St Mirren but is also comfortable playing alongside another forward.
Asked about the two different systems, he said: “I like both.
“I'm someone who likes to work a lot for the team, and this doesn't change even if I'm one striker.
“I'm okay if the other striker shines a bit more, but right now, I'm just happy that things go right.”
Czech connection makes Jablonec tie special
The European tie has an additional personal significance for Naderi because of his family connections to the Czech Republic.
His mother is Czech and his grandmother lives there, while Naderi noting that he can speak the language.
“My mom is from the Czech Republic, and my grandma lives there, so I can speak Czech,” he revealed.
He admitted his Czech is not as strong as it once was, having previously spent holidays there as a student, but said he will enjoy returning for the second leg.
For Naderi, though, the personal connection is secondary to Rangers' European ambitions.
“It's a qualifying game for a European competition. It's just those nights you want to play, and this is a really special spot for me,” he explained.
Naderi calls for patience
The forward also acknowledged that Rangers' improvement will not happen overnight.
“It's not like you can just switch this off, but it's about believing in yourself, and I'm confident that with time, we'll get better and better,” he said.
“We just have to stay humble and keep going.”
Rangers have now won two games in succession, kept their first clean sheet under McInnes and taken a lead into the second leg of their European play-off.
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