Which Insights Should We Take Away from Gerrard's Tenure as Glasgow Rangers Head Coach?
The former Liverpool captain is in the spotlight of conversation since Rangers dismissed Russell Martin on the weekend, while the former manager will talk about a potential comeback with the team's owners.
Those in charge at Rangers have stated that a "comprehensive, considered hiring procedure" is currently underway.
Other candidates are set to be reviewed, however if ex Anfield and Three Lions captain is willing to a second stint at the club, is the job essentially his?
The 45-year-old manager has recently mentioned about “remaining goals” in coaching and revealed he has started approaching prospective staff for his coaching team.
In a recent podcast discussion with Rio Ferdinand, which seemed to be filmed prior to Martin's short reign ended, Gerrard expressed he desired “to be at a club that's going to compete to win because I believe that suits me better”.
He added: “If the suitable offer comes my way, the appropriate team, the correct opportunity, and I've got my people set, which I will have at a future date, I'll accept that role because it's in me.”
Gerrard's Record at Rangers in Initial Period
After gaining experience as a academy manager at Liverpool, Gerrard took on his first managerial position in the summer of 2018.
Over three full seasons at Rangers, he secured only a single trophy – but it proved significant.
After finishing nine and 13 points after Celtic in his first two seasons, Gerrard guided Rangers to their first top-flight championship in a decade, which coincidentally deny their Glasgow rivals an historic 10-in-a-row win.
And he did it in style, with his team undefeated in the process.
Rangers won all of their domestic games, netted 92 goals and conceded a only 13.
The drawback was that it occurred against a backdrop of the pandemic and empty stadiums.
It remains Rangers' sole title success since 2010-11.
What Was Gerrard's Old Firm Record Look?
In sharp difference to Martin's disappointing experience, Gerrard started strongly at Rangers, remaining 12 games unbeaten until his first visit to Parkhead.
In his first season the Old Firm honours were even, each side securing two home victories, with Rangers having last beaten Celtic in 2012.
A pair of defeats to Celtic occurred in the next truncated season, after which Rangers winning in the east end of Glasgow for the first time since 2010.
From then on, Gerrard stayed undefeated in derbies, claiming five additional and drawing once.
Rangers progressed through four stages of preliminaries to reach the group stage of the European competition in Gerrard's first season.
In the 2019-20 campaign, they progressed to the knockout rounds of the same tournament, being eliminated to Bayer Leverkusen in the last 16, with their journey ending at the identical round the following season.
Why Did Gerrard Depart Rangers?
Aston Villa made an approach in November 2021, forking out £4.5m in compensation.
He departed Rangers with a lead ahead of Celtic at the summit of the table – however their city rivals would claw that back to prevail by the identical gap.
The attraction of the English top flight is strong and it could have been seen as the natural progression on a dream return to Liverpool at a time when his managerial stock was at its peak.
“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 then Rangers football executive Ross Wilson.
“We have shared a desire 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 Villa Park.
Inconsistent results yielded a mid-table finish at the end of season 2021-22 before a three-goal defeat at Craven Cottage placed them 17th in October 2022 when he was dismissed.
During 2022, he secured just eight of his 31 games, losing 15.
He moved to the Middle East in summer 2023 when he took over at the Saudi club.
His most recent role lasted a year and a half and he departed with the team placed in 12th in the Saudi league, just five points clear of the relegation zone.
“Overall, I have learned a lot, and it's been a beneficial journey for me and for my loved ones,” he remarked in late January. “But soccer is uncertain, and sometimes events don't unfold the way we want.”
These after Rangers exploits could cause some hesitation and the individual may have concerns over taking over a underperforming squad, but Gerrard probably has the character to manage such a prominent position.
He is the sole Rangers manager to have lifted the league trophy since the great Walter Smith. That experience could be difficult to overlook for an pressured Rangers leadership.