Which Insights Can We Learn from Steven Gerrard's Time as Rangers Head Coach?
Steven Gerrard has been in the spotlight of discussion after Rangers parted ways with Russell Martin on Sunday, and the former manager will talk about a possible return with the team's leadership.
Those in charge at Rangers have stated that a "thorough, considered recruitment process" is currently in progress.
Other candidates are set to be reviewed, but if ex Anfield and Three Lions captain is willing to a return spell at Ibrox, is the job as good as his?
The 45-year-old coach lately mentioned about “remaining goals” in coaching and revealed he has started approaching prospective staff for his coaching team.
In a recent audio interview with the former defender, which seemed to be recorded before Martin's short tenure concluded, Gerrard stated he desired “to be at a club that's going to compete to win because I think that fits me better”.
He continued: “If the suitable offer comes my way, the appropriate team, the correct opportunity, and I've assembled my staff, which I plan to have at some point, I'll take that challenge on because it's part of my nature.”
Performance at Rangers in His First Stint
After gaining experience as a academy coach at Liverpool, Gerrard took on his maiden coaching role in the summer of 2018.
During three full seasons at Rangers, he secured only a single trophy – but it was a big one.
Following placements of 13 and nine points after their rivals in his first two seasons, Gerrard guided Rangers to their first premiership title in a decade, which coincidentally deny their Glasgow rivals an historic 10-in-a-row title.
And he did it impressively, with his team undefeated in the process.
Rangers won all of their home games, scored 92 goals and allowed a only 13.
The downside was that it came against a backdrop of Covid and fanless grounds.
It remains Rangers' only league triumph since the 2010-11 season.
How Did Gerrard's Derby Record Look?
In stark contrast to Martin's unhappy spell, Gerrard started strongly at Rangers, remaining 12 games unbeaten until his first visit to Celtic Park.
In his debut season the Old Firm results were even, each side securing two home victories, 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 initial occasion since 2010.
After that, Gerrard remained unbeaten in derbies, winning five more and drawing once.
Rangers progressed through four stages of preliminaries to reach the group stage of the European competition in Gerrard's debut season.
In 2019-20, they advanced to the elimination stage of the identical tournament, being eliminated to the German side in the round of 16, with their journey concluding at the identical round the next year.
What Led Gerrard Leave Rangers?
The Birmingham club made an approach in November 2021, paying ÂŁ4.5m in fees.
He left Rangers four points clear of Celtic at the top of the table – however their city rivals would recover to prevail by the same margin.
The attraction of the English top flight is strong and it may have been viewed as the natural progression on a dream return to Anfield at a point when his managerial stock was high.
“Steven and his coaching team have made sure that the club is clearly in a stronger position today than it was several seasons ago,” commented at the time Rangers sporting director Ross Wilson.
“We have shared a goal to move Rangers forward, to modernise our infrastructure and to return the team to winning ways.”
What Was Gerrard's Record at Villa & Al-Ettifaq?
Gerrard failed to complete a year at Aston Villa.
Inconsistent performances resulted in a 14th-place position at the conclusion of the 2021-22 campaign before a 3-0 defeat at Craven Cottage placed them in 17th in autumn 2022 when he was dismissed.
Across 2022, he secured only eight of his 31 games, suffering defeat in 15.
He transferred to Saudi Arabia in July 2023 when he assumed control at the Saudi club.
His most recent job lasted a year and a half and he moved on with the club sitting in 12th in the Saudi league, only five points clear of the relegation zone.
“Overall, I have learned a lot, and it's been a beneficial experience for me and for my loved ones,” he said in the end of January. “But soccer is uncertain, and sometimes things don't go the way we want.”
These post-Ibrox experiences could cause certain hesitation and the individual may have concerns over inheriting a underperforming squad, but Gerrard likely has the personality to manage such a prominent position.
He is the only Rangers manager to have won the league trophy since the legendary Walter Smith. That experience might well be hard to ignore for an pressured Ibrox board.
