Which Insights Should We Take Away from Steven Gerrard's Tenure as Rangers Manager?
Steven Gerrard has been at the center of conversation after Rangers dismissed Russell Martin on Sunday, while the former manager is set to discuss a possible comeback with the club's leadership.
The decision-makers at Rangers announced that a "thorough, thoughtful recruitment process" is currently underway.
Additional names will be reviewed, but if ex Liverpool and England skipper is open to a second stint at the club, could the position as good as his?
The mid-forties manager lately spoken about “remaining goals” in management and revealed he has started approaching potential staff for his coaching team.
In a latest audio interview with Rio Ferdinand, which seemed to be filmed prior to Martin's short reign ended, Gerrard expressed he wanted “to be at a team that's set to compete to win because I believe that suits me better”.
He added: “If the suitable offer arrives, the right club, the correct opportunity, and I've assembled my staff, which I will have at some point, I'll accept that role because it's in me.”
Performance at Rangers in His First Stint
After gaining knowledge as a youth development coach at Liverpool, Gerrard accepted his first managerial role in the mid-year of 2018.
During three complete campaigns at Rangers, he won only a single trophy – however it was a big one.
Following placements of 13 and nine points after Celtic in his first two seasons, Gerrard guided Rangers to their first top-flight title in a decade, which coincidentally prevent their Old Firm rivals an historic 10-in-a-row win.
And he did it impressively, with his team unbeaten in the process.
Rangers won all of their domestic games, scored 92 goals and conceded a only 13.
The drawback was that it came against a backdrop of the pandemic and empty stadiums.
It remains Rangers' only league triumph since 2010-11.
How Did Gerrard's Derby Record Look?
In sharp difference to Martin's disappointing spell, Gerrard started strongly at Rangers, remaining 12 games unbeaten until his initial trip to Celtic Park.
In his debut season the Old Firm honours were even, each side earning two home wins, with Rangers having last beaten Celtic in 2012.
Two losses to Celtic occurred in the next truncated season, followed by Rangers winning in the eastern part of Glasgow for the first time since 2010.
From then on, Gerrard stayed unbeaten in Old Firm clashes, winning five additional and tying once.
Rangers came through four stages of qualifying to enter the main phase of the Europa League in Gerrard's debut season.
In 2019-20, they progressed to the elimination stage of the same tournament, being eliminated to the German side in the last 16, with their journey concluding at the identical round the next year.
Why Did Gerrard Leave Rangers?
The Birmingham club made an approach in late 2021, forking out £4.5m in fees.
He departed Rangers with a lead ahead of Celtic at the top of the table – but their city rivals would recover to prevail by the identical gap.
The lure of the Premier League is strong and it could have been viewed as the natural progression on a dream return to Anfield at a time when his managerial stock was high.
“Steven and his backroom staff have made sure that the team is clearly in a stronger position today than it was three-and-a-half years ago,” said at the time Rangers football executive Ross Wilson.
“We have had a desire to advance the club, to update our facilities and to return the team to winning ways.”
What Was Gerrard's Record at Villa & Al-Ettifaq?
Gerrard failed to complete a year at Villa Park.
Up and down results resulted in a 14th-place position at the conclusion of season 2021-22 before a three-goal loss at Fulham left them 17th in October 2022 when he was dismissed.
During 2022, he secured just eight of his 31 games, suffering defeat in 15.
He moved to Saudi Arabia in summer 2023 when he took over at Al-Ettifaq.
His most recent job lasted a year and a half and he moved on with the club sitting in 12th in the Saudi Pro League, only five points clear of the relegation zone.
“In summary, I have gained valuable experience, and it's been a positive experience personally and for my loved ones,” he remarked in late January. “But soccer is unpredictable, and sometimes events don't unfold the way we hope.”
These post-Ibrox experiences could cause some hesitation and the man himself may have concerns over inheriting a underperforming team, but Gerrard probably has the personality to manage such a prominent position.
He is the only Rangers manager to have lifted the championship since the great Walter Smith. That experience might well be difficult to overlook for an pressured Ibrox board.
