Rangers manager Steven Gerrard insists his belief in his players has not changed despite his frustration over their Hampden defeat.
Gerrard warned after Sunday’s 1-0 Betfred Cup semi-final loss to Aberdeen that his players must improve their quality in the final third or he would find replacements.
The squad have their first chance to show a reaction when they host Kilmarnock on Wednesday night and Gerrard has strikers Alfredo Morelos and Kyle Lafferty available again.
And the Ibrox boss has told his players to go out and make it up to the supporters.
“The players look ready and raring to go,” the former Liverpool captain said.
“We have analysed it and spoken to individual players and spoke to the team collectively but there’s nothing we can do to change the result. It was a disappointment but good teams and good players react in the right way and try to get back to winning ways.
“And we’ve got a good group of lads in there, we’ve got a good team spirit.
“The lads are not happy with the result at the weekend and they want to go and make the supporters happy again, and the only way to do that is to go and win this game.
“We had an incredible following at Hampden and I’m sure the supporters are feeling similar to ourselves. I think we owe it to them in terms of a reaction individually and collectively and I hope that’s the case and we send them away happy.
“The crowd might be slightly different because when we have played in front of them before we have had momentum and they’re in a good place. So it’s very important we start well to get the crowd with us and then we go from there and see what we can do.
“But my belief and confidence in the players hasn’t changed because of the weekend. I thought we played really well within the game and we got caught on a sucker-punch of a counter-attack.
“I mentioned we didn’t have enough quality in the final third and hopefully we will put that right.”
Gerrard was clear there was nothing in his post-match comments that Rangers players should be surprised at.
“It’s a warning,” he said. “At a big club, you expect big players to step up on big occasions and provide big moments. If that doesn’t happen, at any big club, the manager and the recruitment (staff) find better players or players who will do that.”
Kilmarnock, managed by Gerrard’s former Liverpool colleague Steve Clarke, travel to Ibrox three points and three places ahead of Rangers.
“I know Steve will come and try and frustrate us, he will try and get the crowd on our back,” Gerrard said. “And he’s got a good team and good players.
“Whether we beat them or not at their place is irrelevant, it’s a different game and they are coming in with confidence, so it will be a really good test for us.
“But I think our lads are lucky because this game comes around pretty quickly. The worst thing you want after a semi-final loss is a long time to wait to play again.
“I’m really looking forward to seeing the reaction of my players.”
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