Which Lessons Can We Take Away from Steven Gerrard's Time as Rangers Head Coach?
Steven Gerrard is in the spotlight of discussion after Rangers parted ways with Russell Martin on Sunday, and the ex-coach is set to talk about a possible comeback with the club's leadership.
Those in charge at Ibrox announced that a "thorough, thoughtful hiring process" is now underway.
Other candidates will be reviewed, however if ex Anfield and Three Lions skipper is open to a return spell at Ibrox, is the job as good as his?
The mid-forties manager has recently mentioned about “unfinished business” in management and revealed he has begun approaching prospective members for his coaching team.
In a recent audio discussion with Rio Ferdinand, appearing to be filmed prior to Martin's brief reign concluded, Gerrard expressed he desired “to be at a club that's going to challenge to win because I think that fits me more”.
He continued: “If the right call comes my way, the right club, the right challenge, and I've got my people set, which I will have at a future date, I'll take that challenge on because it's in me.”
Performance at Rangers in Initial Period
Having acquired knowledge as a youth development manager at Liverpool, Gerrard accepted his maiden coaching role in the mid-year of 2018.
During three complete seasons at Rangers, he won just one title – however it proved significant.
After finishing 13 and nine points behind their rivals in his first two seasons, Gerrard led Rangers to their maiden top-flight championship in a ten years, which coincidentally prevent their Old Firm rivals an historic 10-in-a-row title.
And he did it in style, with his team unbeaten throughout.
Rangers won all of their home games, scored 92 goals and conceded a mere 13.
The drawback was that it came against a backdrop of Covid and empty stadiums.
It continues to be Rangers' only title success since 2010-11.
How Did Gerrard's Derby Record Perform?
In stark contrast to Martin's disappointing experience, Gerrard hit the ground running at Rangers, going 12 games without defeat until his initial trip to Celtic Park.
In his first season the Old Firm honours were shared, each side securing two home wins, with Rangers having last beaten Celtic in 2012.
A pair of defeats to Celtic occurred in the next shortened season, after which Rangers winning in the east end of Glasgow for the initial occasion since 2010.
After that, Gerrard stayed unbeaten in Old Firm clashes, winning five additional and tying once.
Rangers came through four rounds of preliminaries to reach the group stage of the Europa League in Gerrard's first season.
In the 2019-20 campaign, they advanced to the elimination stage of the identical competition, losing out to the German side in the round of 16, with their run concluding at the identical round the following season.
What Led Gerrard Depart Rangers?
The Birmingham club came calling in November 2021, paying £4.5m in fees.
He departed Rangers four points clear of Celtic at the top of the table – however their city rivals would recover to win by the same margin.
The attraction of the English top flight is strong and it may have been seen as the next logical step on a dream return to Liverpool at a time when his managerial stock was at its peak.
“Steven and his coaching team have ensured that the team is clearly in a stronger position today than it was three-and-a-half years ago,” said then Rangers sporting director Ross Wilson.
“We have had a goal to move Rangers forward, to update our facilities and to return the team to winning ways.”
How Did Gerrard's Record at Aston Villa and in Saudi Arabia?
Gerrard failed to complete a full season at Aston Villa.
Inconsistent performances yielded a 14th-place position at the end of the 2021-22 campaign before a three-goal loss at Fulham left them 17th in October 2022 when he was sacked.
During 2022, he won 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 latest role continued for 18 months and he moved on with the club placed in 12th in the Saudi league, just five points above the relegation zone.
“Overall, I have gained valuable experience, and it's been a positive experience for me and for my loved ones,” he said in late January. “But soccer is unpredictable, and at times events don't unfold the way we hope.”
Those post-Ibrox experiences could cause certain pause for thought and the man himself may have concerns over taking over a underperforming squad, but Gerrard probably has the character to manage such a prominent post.
He is the only Rangers boss to have lifted the league trophy since the legendary Walter Smith. That experience might well be difficult to overlook for an pressured Ibrox board.
