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

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

The former Liverpool captain has been at the center of conversation after Rangers dismissed Russell Martin on Sunday, and the ex-coach will talk about a possible return with the club's leadership.

The decision-makers at Ibrox have stated that a "thorough, considered recruitment process" is currently in progress.

Additional names will be reviewed, but if the former Liverpool and England captain is willing to a second stint at Ibrox, is the job essentially his?

The mid-forties manager has recently mentioned about “remaining goals” in coaching and disclosed he has started approaching potential members for his backroom team.

In a recent podcast discussion with Rio Ferdinand, appearing to be recorded before Martin's short reign ended, Gerrard stated he wanted “to be at a team that's set to challenge to win because I think that suits me more”.

He added: “If the suitable offer comes my way, the right club, the right challenge, and I've got my people set, which I plan to have at a future date, I'll accept that role because it's in me.”

Performance at Rangers in His First Stint

After gaining knowledge as a youth development manager at Anfield, Gerrard accepted his maiden coaching role in the mid-year of 2018.

During three full seasons at Rangers, he secured only a single title – but it proved significant.

Following placements of nine and 13 points behind their rivals in his initial pair of campaigns, Gerrard guided Rangers to their first premiership championship in a decade, which coincidentally deny their Glasgow rivals an unprecedented tenth consecutive title.

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

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

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

It continues to be Rangers' sole league triumph since the 2010-11 season.

What Was Gerrard's Derby Record Look?

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

In his first campaign the derby honours were shared, each side securing two home victories, with Rangers having last beaten Celtic in 2012.

Two losses to Celtic occurred in the next truncated season, followed by Rangers securing a victory in the eastern part of Glasgow for the first time since 2010.

From then on, Gerrard stayed undefeated in derbies, winning five more and tying once.

Rangers progressed through four stages of preliminaries to reach the group stage 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 round of 16, with their journey ending at the same stage the following season.

Why Did Gerrard Leave Rangers?

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

He departed Rangers four points clear of Celtic at the summit of the table – however their city rivals would claw that back to prevail by the identical gap.

The lure of the Premier League is powerful and it may have been viewed as the natural progression on a fairytale comeback to Anfield at a point when his managerial stock was at its peak.

“Steven and his coaching team have ensured that the team is undoubtedly in a stronger position today than it was several seasons ago,” said then Rangers football executive Ross Wilson.

“We have had a desire to move Rangers forward, to update our facilities and to make the club win again.”

What Was Gerrard's Record at Villa & Al-Ettifaq?

Gerrard did not last a year at Villa Park.

Up and down performances resulted in a mid-table finish at the conclusion of season 2021-22 before a three-goal loss at Fulham placed them in 17th in October 2022 when he was sacked.

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

He moved to Saudi Arabia in summer 2023 when he took over at the Saudi club.

His most recent job continued for a year and a half and he moved on with the team placed in 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 beneficial experience personally and for my loved ones,” he said in the end of January. “But soccer is unpredictable, and at times things don't go the way we want.”

These after Rangers experiences may give certain hesitation and the individual may have doubts over inheriting a struggling team, but Gerrard probably has the personality to handle such a prominent position.

He is the only Rangers boss to have won the league trophy since the great Walter Smith. That experience could be hard to ignore for an pressured Rangers leadership.

Zachary Rojas
Zachary Rojas

Tech enthusiast and business strategist with over a decade of experience in driving digital transformation and innovation.