Steven Gerrard & Rangers

[Dreambeliever]

Id imagine the chance to coach in the Champions League is the only thing that would appeal to Gerrard about potentially staying another season in Glasgow. Regardless of the league you qualify from its got to be a genuine attraction for a hobby manager.

You mean to manage in the qualifying round.

 

[King Binny]

[article]A quick glance around at the managers of leading football clubs shows that many appointments are driven by sentimentality.

Some coaches are appointed on the basis of their legendary status at the club in question and their connection with the fan base, which is said to lead to greater unity. The best examples right now are Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Frank Lampard at Manchester United and Chelsea respectively.

In Spain, the three biggest clubs - Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid - are all managed by former players who had a distinguished spell at their clubs. Italian champions Juventus appointed former midfielder Andrea Pirlo over the summer too.

At Liverpool, Jurgen Klopp has a strong and special connection with the club’s fan base but he had no prior link to the Reds or English football before his appointment in 2015.

His popularity is based on his managerial success at Anfield, as well as the extent to which he has brought into what Liverpool means as a club.

Klopp has already been at Liverpool for five years and while he still has four further seasons left on his contract, it is not totally unreasonable for the club to begin to think about his successor - only four managers in the Football League have been in their posts longer than the German and he will not be around forever.

The name that crops up most frequently when discussing who might replace the former Borussia Dortmund supremo is, unsurprisingly, Steven Gerrard. The Reds' inspirational former captain began his coaching career at Liverpool, before being appointed as manager of Scottish giants Rangers in 2018.

His connection to Liverpool remains so strong that he was invited to the club’s Premier League title celebrations earlier this year, although he turned the offer down.

"I was at home watching it on TV... I was invited to go and be around the players, be with them, but I thought the right thing to do was be at home with my family, and let the players celebrate and enjoy themselves,” Gerrard said, as per the ECHO.

"The scenes were absolutely fantastic. There was no happier house in Formby than my house let me tell you.”

Gerrard is now into his third season in Scotland. Celtic’s domestic dominance has continued in that time, with the club having won nine successive league titles and every Scottish trophy available since Gerrard’s appointment across the city at Ibrox.

However, there are signs that the tide in Glasgow is turning.

Rangers have won the last two Old Firm derbies - the most recent of which was on October 17 where Celtic failed to register a shot on target against their visitors, who appeared to be a much slicker team with every player knowing their role.

While the Gers are yet to win a trophy under Gerrard, they are ever narrowing the gap at the top and currently hold a six point lead over Neil Lennon's men having yet to lose an SPL game this season.

They have also enjoyed fantastic nights in Europe. Last season saw them qualify for the last 16 of the Europa League after winning home and away to Portuguese side Braga. To put that achievement into context, Celtic have not won a European knockout tie after the group stage of any competition since 2004.

Rangers are undefeated across 16 matches in all competitions this season and have won 14, including four European victories. They impressively progressed past Galatasaray in the Europa League qualifiers before another eye-catching two-goal win at Standard Liege this week.

Gerrard has helped transform them into a team who are more than comfortable on the European stage, getting his tactics spot on and fashioning a resilient side with a cutting edge in the final third.

Gerrard’s formation switches between a 4-3-3 and 4-5-1, depending on the opposition and difficulty of the encounter. It is notable that these are the formations deployed by Jurgen Klopp and Rafael Benitez respectively. It was under the former that Gerrard began his coaching career in earnest and under the latter that he enjoyed his greatest success as a player, winning the Champions League and FA Cup.

The formation employs a central, goalscoring striker - usually Alfredo Morelos or Kemar Roofe - with winger Ryan Kent adding pace, trickery and directness from the wing, with either Ianis Hagi or Jordan Jones on the other flank.

In most domestic matches that trio plays in front of a midfield three, but on the European stage Gerrard switches to a quartet in front of two defensive midfield pivots. This is reminiscent of Benitez, who astutely employed more cautious tactics in continental competition.

The building blocks have been put in place for the blue half of Glasgow to taste success after being starved of it for several years, but there is still work to be done. While the club have often got it right on the big occasion recently, they have been less ruthless against sides lower down in the standings compared to neighbours Celtic.

Liverpool fans will inevitably be gutted when Klopp finally decides to call it a day at the club, but there is unlikely to be a more universally popular replacement for the German than Gerrard.[/article]

 

[doctor_mac]

You mean to manage in the qualifying round.

Rangers have been beating much better teams in the UEFA than the quality of teams that have been putting Celtic out the past years in the qualifying rounds.
They've fallen to AEK Athens in 2018, the Romanian minnows, Cluj, in 2019, and most recently Ferencvaros, a team literally nobody has heard of from Hungary in 2020. In the meanwhile Gerrard's Rangers have been beating or holding their own against European teams of a higher calibre.

I'd fancy Gerrard to steer them into the group stages.

 

[gkmacca]

Lennon is one of those managers, a bit like Alan Pardew, who wears out his own welcome with grim predictability. But you don't even see any actual 'managing' from Lennon. He just stands by the dugout looking blank-faced, or he stands there raging at the other dugout, and then he's gone. It was great news for Gerrard when he turned up at Celtic. He even makes Steven seem an extrovert.

 

[doctor_mac]

Lennon is one of those managers, a bit like Alan Pardew, who wears out his own welcome with grim predictability. But you don't even see any actual 'managing' from Lennon. He just stands by the dugout looking blank-faced, or he stands there raging at the other dugout, and then he's gone. It was great news for Gerrard when he turned up at Celtic. He even makes Steven seem an extrovert.

Even so, I'm taken aback at the viciousness of the reaction from the Celtic support. He's in line to put the cap on a quadruple treble when they win the delayed 2019-20 Scottish cup (which, of course, does reveal what a non competition Scottish football has been). Nonetheless, it is surprising to see the vitriol about someone who played for Celtic and who has won a ridiculous amount of trophies with them as player and manager.

I actually feel a bit sorry for him.

 

[Dreambeliever]

If Celtic get a decent replacement in I wouldn’t be surprised to see them get the 10 in a row after all.

 

[Dreambeliever]

Rangers have been beating much better teams in the UEFA than the quality of teams that have been putting Celtic out the past years in the qualifying rounds.
They've fallen to AEK Athens in 2018, the Romanian minnows, Cluj, in 2019, and most recently Ferencvaros, a team literally nobody has heard of from Hungary in 2020. In the meanwhile Gerrard's Rangers have been beating or holding their own against European teams of a higher calibre.

I'd fancy Gerrard to steer them into the group stages.

Depends who they draw, assuming they actually win the league.

 

[RedStar]

If Celtic get a decent replacement in I wouldn’t be surprised to see them get the 10 in a row after all.

While thats still a possibility its somewhat unlikely give their current trajectory. They seem to be unravelling, clawing back an 11 point deficit looks a very big ask.

 

[doctor_mac]

Depends who they draw, assuming they actually win the league.

I assume nothing in terms of them winning the league.

I'll tell you this, if they win the league and they draw the calibre of teams that have sent Celtic packing, they're going through.

 

[Woland]

Rangers have been beating much better teams in the UEFA than the quality of teams that have been putting Celtic out the past years in the qualifying rounds.
They've fallen to AEK Athens in 2018, the Romanian minnows, Cluj, in 2019, and most recently Ferencvaros, a team literally nobody has heard of from Hungary in 2020. In the meanwhile Gerrard's Rangers have been beating or holding their own against European teams of a higher calibre.

I'd fancy Gerrard to steer them into the group stages.

Can't believe you don't know Liverpool legend Adam Bogdan is Ferencvaros current keeper

 

[Modo]

While thats still a possibility its somewhat unlikely give their current trajectory. They seem to be unravelling, clawing back an 11 point deficit looks a very big ask.

The way the fixtures are determined in Scotland, Celtic has every chance of catching Rangers.
11 points behind them with two games in hand?
Not impossible at all. We should know...

 

[moron]

Rangers have been beating much better teams in the UEFA than the quality of teams that have been putting Celtic out the past years in the qualifying rounds.
They've fallen to AEK Athens in 2018, the Romanian minnows, Cluj, in 2019, and most recently Ferencvaros, a team literally nobody has heard of from Hungary in 2020. In the meanwhile Gerrard's Rangers have been beating or holding their own against European teams of a higher calibre.

I'd fancy Gerrard to steer them into the group stages.

I would love to see them win that competition.

 

[Dreambeliever]

While thats still a possibility its somewhat unlikely give their current trajectory. They seem to be unravelling, clawing back an 11 point deficit looks a very big ask.

Not really with two games in hand and games to come against Rangers. They still have a superb set of players.

 

[Dreambeliever]

I assume nothing in terms of them winning the league.

I'll tell you this, if they win the league and they draw the calibre of teams that have sent Celtic packing, they're going trough.

Long way away and a lot can change but on current form you’d imagine they would.

 

[gkmacca]

Apropos ex-players and managers - I was listening to a podcast with Robbie Fowler yesterday. He was trying to argue how serious he was about managing, and what a deep thinker he is, but he kept blowing it by saying really weird stuff. The oddest of all: 'I don't like watching games live, because they might turn out to be draws, and they're a waste of time, so I wait for the highlights'. Good luck as a manager, Robbie!

 

[Frogfish]

Not really with two games in hand and games to come against Rangers. They still have a superb set of players.

Hahaha come on !

 

[doctor_mac]

Can't believe you don't know Liverpool legend Adam Bogdan is Ferencvaros current keeper

Oh, it's THAT Ferencvaros he plays for?!

 

[Red Bird]

It must be tough on Celtic. Not only is Rangers on top of the league but it’s got there by playing the kind of exciting football that Scottish football hasn’t seen for a while. Not only that but Rangers is holding its own in Europe and is likely to go further that Celtic has done in recent years and do Scottish football a huge favour.

 

[Shadey]

In stevie G they trust.

 

[King Binny]

Their captain and right back

 

[Woland]

Another 2 points gained this weekend. 13 points clear. He's gonna stop them getting 10 in a row and be as big a legend up there as he is down here.

 

[Halmeister]

Hope so. Pat Cash out and all those other Irish weirdos who support Celtic will be utterly conflicted about him.

 

[gkmacca]

This is like one of those awful Schwarzenegger movies from the 1990s - big adult somehow poses as kid at a school and wins all the prizes. I'm half-expecting Danny DeVito to turn up as their throw-in coach.

 

[Woland]

I thought he'd be shit there but you can't argue with 45 scored and 3 conceded in 16 games. He's doing something very well.

 

[rubans]

Apropos ex-players and managers - I was listening to a podcast with Robbie Fowler yesterday. He was trying to argue how serious he was about managing, and what a deep thinker he is, but he kept blowing it by saying really weird stuff. The oddest of all: 'I don't like watching games live, because they might turn out to be draws, and they're a waste of time, so I wait for the highlights'. Good luck as a manager, Robbie!

Arteta probably follows a similar approach by watching mocumentaries and he managed to land the Arsenal job.

“Ahead of Sunday's north London derby between Arsenal and Spurs, Arteta said by watching the series (Amazon All or nothing Series) he gained some insights from one of the most successful coaches in the game.

"There are some important moments in that documentary when you can pick some relevant things of why he is getting the success that he is getting," Arteta told a news conference.”

 

[Dreambeliever]

Hahaha come on !

Relative to the rest of the league

 

[Dreambeliever]

Hope so. Pat Cash out and all those other Irish weirdos who support Celtic will be utterly conflicted about him.

Not in the slightest. Fair play to him if he manages to do it.

 

[Brizzle]

Love to see it - wonder if he'd stay another year to try and defend or immediately look for a role in England. I could see him being a target for Newcastle - they'd love him up there.

 

[StevieM]

It must be tough on Celtic. Not only is Rangers on top of the league but it’s got there by playing the kind of exciting football that Scottish football hasn’t seen for a while. Not only that but Rangers is holding its own in Europe and is likely to go further that Celtic has done in recent years and do Scottish football a huge favour.

I know... Rangers traditionally have won the league by kicking lumps out of the opposition.

I don’t know what favour Rangers will be doing Scottish clubs in Europe - most Scottish teams are usually out of Europe before they’ve even packed their bags, let alone turned up at the airport to travel.

 

[Holle]

I just stumbled over the fact that Steven Gerrard has scored the same amount of league goals as Laurent Blanc.