Which Lessons Should We Learn from Gerrard's Tenure as Rangers Head Coach?
Steven Gerrard has been in the spotlight of discussion since Rangers parted ways with Russell Martin on the weekend, and the ex-coach will discuss a potential comeback with the club's owners.
The decision-makers at Rangers announced that a "comprehensive, thoughtful recruitment procedure" is now underway.
Additional names will be considered, but if ex Anfield and Three Lions captain is open to a second stint at Ibrox, could the position as good as his?
The 45-year-old coach has recently mentioned about “remaining goals” in coaching and disclosed he has started contacting potential staff for his coaching team.
In a latest audio discussion with Rio Ferdinand, which seemed to be filmed before Martin's brief tenure ended, Gerrard stated he desired “to be at a team that's going to compete to win because I think that fits me better”.
He continued: “If the suitable offer arrives, the right club, the correct opportunity, and I've got my people set, which I plan to have at some point, I'll take that challenge on because it's in me.”
Gerrard's Record at Rangers in His First Stint
After gaining experience as a academy manager at Liverpool, Gerrard accepted his first managerial position in the summer of 2018.
During three full campaigns at Rangers, he secured only a single title – however it proved significant.
After finishing 13 and nine points after Celtic in his initial pair of campaigns, Gerrard guided Rangers to their first premiership title in a ten years, which coincidentally deny their Glasgow rivals an historic 10-in-a-row title.
And he did it in style, with his team undefeated in the process.
Rangers triumphed in all of their domestic games, scored 92 goals and allowed a mere 13.
The drawback was that it came against a backdrop of the pandemic and empty stadiums.
It remains Rangers' sole title success since the 2010-11 season.
What Was Gerrard's Old Firm Record Perform?
In stark contrast to Martin's unhappy experience, Gerrard hit the ground running at Rangers, remaining 12 games unbeaten until his first visit to Parkhead.
In his debut season the derby honours were even, each side earning two domestic victories, with Rangers having previously defeated Celtic in 2012.
Two losses to Celtic came in the following truncated season, after which Rangers securing a victory in the east end of Glasgow for the initial occasion since 2010.
From then on, Gerrard stayed undefeated in derbies, claiming five additional and drawing once.
Rangers came through four rounds of preliminaries to reach the main phase of the Europa League in Gerrard's debut season.
In the 2019-20 campaign, they advanced to the elimination stage of the identical competition, being eliminated to Bayer Leverkusen in the round of 16, with their run concluding at the same stage the following season.
What Led Gerrard Leave Rangers?
Aston Villa came calling in November 2021, forking out £4.5m in compensation.
He left Rangers with a lead clear of Celtic at the summit of the table – however their local opponents would recover to win by the identical gap.
The lure of the Premier League is powerful and it could have been seen as the natural progression on a fairytale return to Anfield at a time when his coaching reputation was high.
“Steven and his backroom staff have ensured that the club is clearly in a stronger position today than it was three-and-a-half years ago,” said then Rangers football executive Ross Wilson.
“We have shared a goal to move Rangers forward, to update our infrastructure and to make the club win again.”
How Did Gerrard's Record at Villa & Al-Ettifaq?
Gerrard failed to complete a year at Aston Villa.
Up and down performances yielded a mid-table finish at the conclusion of season 2021-22 before a 3-0 defeat at Craven Cottage placed them 17th in autumn 2022 when he was sacked.
During 2022, he secured just eight of his 31 games, suffering defeat in 15.
He transferred to the Middle East in summer 2023 when he took over at Al-Ettifaq.
His latest job lasted a year and a half and he departed with the club sitting 12th in the Saudi Pro League, just five points above the drop zone.
“In summary, I have learned a lot, and it's been a beneficial experience for me and for my loved ones,” he said in late January. “But soccer is uncertain, and sometimes things don't go the way we hope.”
These after Rangers experiences could cause certain pause for thought and the individual might harbor doubts over inheriting a struggling squad, but Gerrard probably has the personality to manage such a high-profile post.
He is the sole Rangers manager to have won the league trophy since the legendary Walter Smith. That achievement could be hard to ignore for an pressured Ibrox board.
