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The National (Scotland)
The National (Scotland)
Sport
Christopher Jack

Scott Arfield makes Rangers Champions League vow after humiliating Liverpool defeat

SCOTT ARFIELD has vowed Rangers will use the pain of their humiliation against Liverpool to bounce back in their final Group A encounters.

The midfielder opened the scoring at Ibrox as Giovanni van Bronckhorst's side dared to dream of a famous win over their Premier League visitors.

But the Reds ran out emphatic 7-1 winners to leave Rangers defeated and deflated as their bid to salvage a Europa League spot suffered another serious setback.

Arfield said: "A disappointing night. The place was rocking before the game, rocking up until the corner kick obviously.

"We got the goal and got on. But overall you are looking at the scoreline and it is just not good enough. It is naivety probably, structure off the ball.

"These players punish you. I had a taste of that down south for years.

"One slack pass, one moment in transition and these players punish you. Disappointing but we have got two games to get it right with Napoli next and then Ajax here.

"Absolutely [it was a game of two halves]. The set piece that they score changes it a little bit.

"I have got a big chance just before half-time to try and get it. You don’t. Game of two halves.

"These players come on and punish you. You need to bottle it, remember it, and we have got two games to put it right."

Rangers shipped six goals in a woeful second half showing as Mohamed Salah inspired Liverpool with a quickfire and record-breaking hat-trick.

The loss of Connor Goldson just before the break didn't help the cause but there are no excuses for such an inept defensive showing.

Arfield said: : "He's a massive player for us. He rarely misses training sessions, far less games.

"But you can't blame it all on that. In the second half we lost our structure; there was naivety.

"We needed to stay compact because these players can hurt you in a transition. At this level, you get punished for those mistakes."

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