Joe Rothwell admits this week could define the rest of Rangers’ season.
The Light Blues were unconvincing again for most of the 1-1 draw with St Mirren in Paisley on Sunday to make it just three points from the first three William Hill Premiership fixtures and they could fall nine points behind Old Firm rivals Celtic when they meet at Ibrox next Sunday.
However, first is the second leg of the Champions League play-off against Club Brugge in Belgium on Wednesday night where the Govan club have to somehow overcome a 3-1 deficit from the first game.
Rothwell, the 30-year-old midfielder who signed from Bournemouth in the summer, was taken off in the second half but would be aware of the boos from the increasingly frustrated travelling support at the end of the game, with the pressure piling on boss Russell Martin ahead of two huge matches.
Rothwell said: “We just have to try and block it out as much as you can and we know the magnitude of the games that are coming up.
“Wednesday night is a massive game for us. If we can go there and turn that tie around, then it’ll obviously give us massive confidence going into the weekend game.
“And then we play that game and who knows where it can take us, if we manage to pick up three points.
“It be a can be a defining week, two massive games in two different competitions and obviously we want to be playing Champions League football.
“That’s obviously the aim, so if we can go out there and do that and take the momentum into Sunday and then that hopefully can be a season-defining moment for us.
“Obviously, we were disappointed with how that game went during the week, especially first half.
“I think second half we came out and showed probably more of what we want to do and as I say, if we can go there to turn that and then Sunday’s a huge game for everyone.
“Obviously, we know much it means to everyone, how much it means inside the changing room and hopefully we can go there and get a positive result.”
Rothwell insist the Govan side “have to believe” that they can mount a title challenge.
He said: “Six points at the minute, obviously we play them next week and (if) we get a result, it’s down to three and a bit of positive momentum in our direction and then we can hopefully kick on from there.”
Rangers fell behind in the 33rd minute to a soft goal from Saints striker Jonah Ayunga and after tactical and personnel changes in the second half, 18-year-old substitute Findlay Curtis drilled in the equaliser with his third goal of the season.
Rothwell said: “Speaking to a few people, I knew what to expect before coming here.
“The fans just want the results and we want to give it to them and at the minute it’s just not quite going how we want it to go. Obviously they’re entitled to be disappointed, as we expect.
“But we just need them to stick with us and rally together and hopefully then we’re not far away from getting the results.”
