STEVEN GERRARD claimed Rangers was TOXIC when he became Ibrox boss last summer.
But Gerrard insists he is the man to turn the club around.
Gerrard admits that Rangers’ woes were worse than expected but he is still up for the challenge
Gers, knocked out of the Scottish Cup by Aberdeen in midweek trail Celtic by eight points in the Premiership.
Gerrard is convinced there HAS been improvement since he took over — but the Ibrox gaffer admits he needs more time to make the impact he wants.
Boss Gerrard said: “I’ve taken over a team and a club that’s been going through a lot of pain, that’s been quite toxic.
“It needs a lot of change on and off the pitch.
“We’ve done everything we can to try and improve things and sort things in one transfer window.
“We have then tried to add to it in the second transfer window.
“We need a bit more time to continue moving it forward, to improve it.
“In some of the areas I’ve mentioned, I will address it.
“I don’t want to put a day on it, I don’t want to put a month on it.
“I understand we have a set of supporters — and a board — where results will dictate the speed of it. I’m well aware of that.
“I’m not going to sit here and say I need four or five years blah, blah, blah.
“I want to address it yesterday, I want to improve it yesterday, and I’m doing everything I can to improve us in every single department yesterday.
“But the reality is that it was such a big job with a lot of change and a lot of improvement needed. It’s very difficult to do that in eight or nine months.
“We are better, we have improved. We have shown that at certain times and certain stages of the season.
“But the reality is that I need to improve it more — and I will improve it more.
“We WILL get it right, I’m still confident and I haven’t lost any of that belief.
“I have been down, I’ve been flat since the Aberdeen result. I feel as if we have let the supporters down, collectively.
"I’ll protect the players from a lot of that if I can, but the reality is the players need to show the supporters on Saturday that they care, first and foremost.
“Those fans need to see a reaction. The players need to show the supporters what the supporters want to see.
“That’s what we need to do short-term — to get a win and make everybody feel better.
“Then we have to try and finish the season as strongly as we can. Then when I get the next big chance to improve us, I will do that.”
Gerrard refuses to shirk from the challenge of being Rangers boss, and accepts he’s under pressure to win silverware, including from chairman Dave King.
He added: “That’s something I can’t control. That’s got to be going round Dave King’s head and the board’s head. That’s fine.
“I’m comfortable in what I’m trying to do here.
“I’m comfortable in the job I’ve done so far. Can we be better? Yes. Me personally? Yes, of course. But my mentality is I need to try and win the next thing.”