What Lessons Should We Take Away from Steven Gerrard's Time as Rangers Head Coach?

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

The former Liverpool captain has been in the spotlight of conversation since Rangers parted ways with Russell Martin on the weekend, while the former manager is set to talk about a potential comeback with the club's owners.

Those in charge at Rangers announced that a "comprehensive, thoughtful hiring procedure" is currently underway.

Other candidates are set to be reviewed, but if the former Anfield and Three Lions skipper is willing to a return spell at Ibrox, could the position as good as his?

The mid-forties manager lately mentioned about “remaining goals” in coaching and revealed he has started contacting potential staff for his coaching team.

In a latest podcast interview with Rio Ferdinand, which seemed to be filmed prior to Martin's brief reign concluded, Gerrard expressed he wanted “to be at a team that's set to challenge to win because I believe that suits me more”.

He added: “If the suitable offer arrives, the appropriate team, the right challenge, and I've assembled my staff, which I plan to have at a future date, I'll take that challenge on because it's part of my nature.”

Performance at Rangers in Initial Period

After gaining experience as a academy manager at Anfield, Gerrard accepted his maiden coaching position in the summer of 2018.

During three full campaigns at Rangers, he secured only a single trophy – but it was a big one.

After finishing 13 and nine points behind Celtic in his initial pair of campaigns, Gerrard led Rangers to their maiden top-flight title in a decade, which just happened to prevent their Glasgow rivals an historic 10-in-a-row win.

And he achieved it in style, with his team unbeaten throughout.

Rangers triumphed in all of their home games, netted 92 goals and conceded a mere 13.

The downside was that it occurred amid of Covid and empty stadiums.

It remains Rangers' sole league triumph since 2010-11.

How Did Gerrard's Old Firm Record Look?

In stark contrast to Martin's unhappy spell, Gerrard started strongly at Rangers, going 12 games without defeat until his initial trip to Celtic Park.

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

A pair of defeats to Celtic occurred in the following shortened season, followed by Rangers securing a victory in the eastern part of Glasgow for the initial occasion since 2010.

After that, Gerrard remained undefeated in derbies, winning five more and tying once.

Rangers came through four stages of preliminaries to reach the group stage of the Europa League in Gerrard's debut season.

In 2019-20, they progressed to the elimination stage of the same tournament, being eliminated to Bayer Leverkusen in the round of 16, with their run ending at the same stage the following season.

Why Did Gerrard Depart Rangers?

The Birmingham club came calling in late 2021, paying £4.5m in compensation.

He departed Rangers with a lead clear of Celtic at the top of the standings – however their local opponents would recover to prevail by the identical gap.

The lure of the Premier League is strong and it may have been viewed as the natural progression on a fairytale comeback to Anfield at a time when his coaching reputation was at its peak.

“Steven and his coaching team have ensured that the club is clearly in a better place today than it was three-and-a-half years ago,” commented then Rangers football executive Ross Wilson.

“We have shared a goal to advance the club, to modernise our facilities and to make the club win again.”

What Was Gerrard's Record at Aston Villa and in Saudi Arabia?

Gerrard did not last a year at Villa Park.

Inconsistent performances resulted in a mid-table position at the end of the 2021-22 campaign before a three-goal defeat at Craven Cottage placed them 17th in autumn 2022 when he was dismissed.

During 2022, he secured only eight of his 31 games, suffering defeat in 15.

He moved to the Middle East in July 2023 when he took over at Al-Ettifaq.

His most recent job lasted a year and a half and he moved on with the club sitting 12th in the Saudi league, only five points clear of the relegation zone.

“In summary, I have gained valuable experience, and it's been a positive experience personally and for my family,” he said in late January. “But soccer is unpredictable, and sometimes events don't unfold the way we hope.”

Those post-Ibrox experiences may give some hesitation and the individual may have doubts over taking over a struggling squad, but Gerrard probably has the personality to manage such a prominent post.

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

Patricia Fitzgerald
Patricia Fitzgerald

A passionate writer and life coach dedicated to helping others navigate their personal journeys with clarity and purpose.