What Lessons Should We Take Away from Gerrard's Tenure as Glasgow Rangers Head Coach?

Steven Gerrard with the Scottish Premiership trophy in May 2021
Steven Gerrard lifting the league trophy in spring 2021

The former Liverpool captain is at the center of discussion after Rangers parted ways with Russell Martin on the weekend, and the ex-coach is set to discuss a possible return with the team's owners.

The decision-makers at Rangers have stated that a "thorough, thoughtful hiring procedure" is currently in progress.

Additional names are set to be considered, but if ex Liverpool and England skipper is open to a return spell at Ibrox, could the position as good as his?

The 45-year-old coach lately mentioned about “remaining goals” in management and disclosed he has started approaching prospective staff for his coaching team.

In a latest audio discussion with Rio Ferdinand, appearing to be filmed prior to Martin's brief tenure concluded, Gerrard expressed he desired “to be at a team that's set to compete to win because I believe that suits me better”.

He continued: “If the right call comes my way, the right club, 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.”

Performance at Rangers in Initial Period

After gaining knowledge as a youth development coach at Anfield, Gerrard took on his first managerial role in the mid-year of 2018.

Over three complete campaigns at Rangers, he secured just one trophy – however it proved significant.

After finishing nine and 13 points behind their rivals in his first two seasons, Gerrard led Rangers to their first premiership championship in a decade, which coincidentally prevent their Glasgow rivals an historic 10-in-a-row title.

And he achieved it impressively, with his team unbeaten in the process.

Rangers won all of their home games, scored 92 goals and conceded a mere 13.

The downside was that it came against a backdrop of Covid and fanless grounds.

It remains Rangers' sole title success since the 2010-11 season.

What Was Gerrard's Old Firm Record Look?

In stark contrast to Martin's disappointing spell, Gerrard hit the ground running at Rangers, going 12 games without defeat until his initial trip to Parkhead.

In his first season the derby honours were shared, each side earning two home wins, with Rangers having previously defeated Celtic in 2012.

A pair of defeats to Celtic came in the next shortened season, followed by Rangers securing a victory in the east end of Glasgow for the first time since 2010.

After that, Gerrard stayed unbeaten in derbies, claiming five additional and tying once.

Rangers progressed through four rounds of preliminaries to enter the main phase of the European competition in Gerrard's first season.

In 2019-20, they progressed to the elimination stage of the identical tournament, losing out to the German side in the last 16, with their run concluding at the identical round the following season.

What Led Gerrard Leave Rangers?

The Birmingham club made an approach in November 2021, forking out £4.5m in compensation.

He left Rangers four points clear of Celtic at the summit of the standings – but their city rivals would recover to prevail by the identical gap.

The attraction of the English top flight is strong and it may have been viewed 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 made sure that the team is undoubtedly 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 goal to move Rangers forward, to modernise our infrastructure 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 year at Aston Villa.

Inconsistent performances resulted in a mid-table finish at the conclusion of the 2021-22 campaign before a 3-0 loss at Fulham left them 17th in autumn 2022 when he was sacked.

During 2022, he secured just eight of his 31 games, losing 15.

He transferred to Saudi Arabia in July 2023 when he assumed control at the Saudi club.

His latest role lasted a year and a half and he departed with the team placed 12th in the Saudi league, only 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 family,” he remarked in the end of January. “But football is unpredictable, and at times events don't unfold the way we want.”

These after Rangers exploits may give some pause for thought and the man himself might harbor doubts over inheriting a struggling team, but Gerrard probably has the personality to handle such a prominent position.

He is the only Rangers manager to have lifted the championship since the legendary Walter Smith. That achievement might well be hard to ignore for an under-pressure Rangers leadership.

Brittany Lang
Brittany Lang

A seasoned marketing strategist with over a decade of experience in building successful brands across various industries.

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