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Former Rangers star Neil Murray believes that the Europa League games are the nerviest of the season and could have an impact on Steven Gerard’s side.

What’s he said?

Speaking to The Scottish Sun, Murray believes that qualification to the Europa League group stages will be important for the club as they look to build for a successful season, and it will be nervy.

The Light Blues face FC Midtjylland in the penultimate round of Europa League qualification, knowing they face either Legia Warsaw or Atromitos in the final round should they defeat the Danes.

Murray thinks it’s important for a club like Rangers to be in European competition, stating: “Without a doubt, these are the nerviest games of the whole season. There is a lot of prestige and finance attached to reaching the group stages of Europe.”

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Do Rangers need European football this season?

Murray’s claims that the “prestige and finance” of getting to the group stages of the tournament is correct for a club like Rangers. Yet, is that what the club need just now?

Obviously, all money earned is welcome and it’s a nice experience to play in front of packed stadiums across Europe but the club should have their eyes on a different objective this season.

Last year was a season of two halves, the form in the second half of the season was brilliant, with results a bit more patchy in the opening half of the campaign. While a number of factors aided to this (Gerrard getting more experienced as a manager and the arrivals of Jermain Defoe and Glen Kamara in January) not having to play Thursday-Sunday must’ve helped, as they dropped out of the group stages of the Europa League in December.

Last season’s split in results from the first half of the campaign and the new year could be reason enough to suggest that dropping out of the Europa League wouldn’t be terminal for the Gers’ season.