Which Insights Can We Take Away from Gerrard's Tenure as Rangers Manager?
Steven Gerrard has been at the center of discussion since Rangers parted ways with Russell Martin on Sunday, and the ex-coach is set to discuss a potential comeback with the team's leadership.
The decision-makers at Rangers announced that a "comprehensive, thoughtful hiring procedure" is currently in progress.
Additional names are set to be reviewed, but if ex Anfield and Three Lions skipper is open to a second stint at the club, could the position as good as his?
The mid-forties coach lately mentioned about “remaining goals” in coaching and revealed he has started contacting prospective staff for his coaching team.
In a latest audio discussion with the former defender, which seemed to be filmed before Martin's brief reign ended, Gerrard expressed he desired “to be at a club that's set to challenge to win because I believe that suits me more”.
He added: “If the right call arrives, the appropriate team, the correct opportunity, and I've got my people set, which I will have at some point, I'll take that challenge on because it's part of my nature.”
Gerrard's Record at Rangers in Initial Period
Having acquired experience as a academy coach at Anfield, Gerrard accepted his maiden coaching position in the mid-year of 2018.
During three full seasons at Ibrox, he won only a single title – but it was a big one.
Following placements of nine and 13 points after their rivals in his first two seasons, Gerrard led Rangers to their first top-flight championship in a decade, which coincidentally deny their Glasgow rivals an unprecedented 10-in-a-row win.
And he did it impressively, with his team unbeaten throughout.
Rangers triumphed in all of their domestic games, netted 92 goals and conceded a mere 13.
The downside was that it came amid of Covid and fanless grounds.
It remains Rangers' only league triumph since 2010-11.
How Did Gerrard's Old Firm Record Perform?
In stark contrast to Martin's unhappy spell, Gerrard hit the ground running at Rangers, going 12 games without defeat until his initial trip to Celtic Park.
In his first campaign the Old Firm results were shared, each side securing two home victories, with Rangers having previously defeated Celtic in 2012.
A pair of defeats to Celtic came in the following truncated season, followed by Rangers winning in the east end of Glasgow for the initial occasion since 2010.
From then on, Gerrard stayed undefeated in derbies, claiming five more and tying once.
Rangers progressed through four rounds of preliminaries to reach the main phase of the European competition in Gerrard's debut season.
In 2019-20, they progressed to the knockout rounds of the same competition, being eliminated to Bayer Leverkusen in the last 16, with their journey ending at the identical round the next year.
Why Did Gerrard Depart Rangers?
Aston Villa came calling in late 2021, paying £4.5m in compensation.
He left Rangers with a lead clear of Celtic at the top of the table – but their city rivals would claw that back to win by the same margin.
The lure of the Premier League is strong and it may 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 coaching team have ensured that the club is clearly in a stronger position today than it was three-and-a-half years ago,” commented at the time Rangers football executive Ross Wilson.
“We have shared a goal to move Rangers forward, to modernise our facilities and to return the team to winning ways.”
How Did Gerrard's Record at Aston Villa and in Saudi Arabia?
Gerrard did not last a full season at Aston Villa.
Up and down performances yielded a 14th-place finish at the conclusion of the 2021-22 campaign before a three-goal defeat at Fulham placed them in 17th in autumn 2022 when he was dismissed.
During 2022, he won just eight of his 31 games, losing 15.
He moved to Saudi Arabia in summer 2023 when he assumed control at the Saudi club.
His most recent job lasted a year and a half and he departed with the club sitting 12th in the Saudi league, only five points clear of the drop zone.
“In summary, I have learned a lot, and it's been a beneficial experience personally and for my family,” he remarked in the end of January. “But soccer is unpredictable, and sometimes things don't go the way we want.”
Those after Rangers exploits could cause some hesitation and the individual may have doubts over taking over a underperforming team, but Gerrard probably has the character to manage such a prominent post.
He is the sole Rangers manager to have lifted the championship since the legendary Walter Smith. That experience might well be difficult to overlook for an under-pressure Rangers leadership.
