Which Insights Should We Take Away from Steven Gerrard's Time as Glasgow Rangers Manager?

Steven Gerrard has been in the spotlight of conversation since Rangers dismissed Russell Martin on Sunday, while the former manager is set to talk about a possible return with the team's owners.

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

Additional names will be considered, however if ex Anfield and Three Lions captain is willing to a second stint at Ibrox, is the job essentially his?

The 45-year-old coach has recently spoken about “remaining goals” in management and revealed he has started approaching prospective members for his backroom team.

In a latest audio discussion with the former defender, appearing to be recorded prior to Martin's short reign concluded, Gerrard expressed he wanted “to be at a club that's set to challenge to win because I believe that fits me better”.

He continued: “If the suitable offer arrives, 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 knowledge as a academy manager at Liverpool, Gerrard accepted his maiden coaching position in the mid-year 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 their rivals in his first two seasons, Gerrard guided Rangers to their maiden top-flight title in a ten years, which coincidentally prevent their Old Firm rivals an unprecedented tenth consecutive title.

And he achieved it impressively, with his team undefeated in the process.

Rangers won all of their home games, scored 92 goals and conceded a only 13.

The downside was that it came amid of the pandemic and fanless grounds.

It remains Rangers' sole title success since the 2010-11 season.

How Did Gerrard's Derby Record Perform?

In stark contrast to Martin's disappointing spell, Gerrard started strongly at Rangers, remaining 12 games without defeat until his first visit to Parkhead.

In his debut campaign 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 truncated season, followed by Rangers securing a victory in the east end of Glasgow for the first time since 2010.

After that, Gerrard remained undefeated in derbies, claiming five additional and drawing once.

Rangers progressed through four stages of qualifying to reach the group stage of the European competition in Gerrard's first season.

In 2019-20, they progressed to the knockout rounds of the identical competition, 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?

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 top of the standings – but their local opponents would claw that back to prevail by the identical gap.

The attraction of the Premier League is powerful and it could have been viewed as the natural progression on a fairytale return to Liverpool at a time when his coaching reputation was high.

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

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

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

Gerrard failed to complete a year at Villa Park.

Up and down results resulted in a 14th-place position at the conclusion of season 2021-22 before a three-goal loss at Craven Cottage left them 17th in October 2022 when he was sacked.

Across 2022, he secured just eight of his 31 games, suffering defeat in 15.

He transferred to Saudi Arabia in July 2023 when he took over at Al-Ettifaq.

His latest job lasted 18 months and he moved on with the club sitting 12th in the Saudi league, just five points above the relegation zone.

“In summary, I have gained valuable experience, and it's been a positive journey for me and for my loved ones,” he remarked in late January. “But soccer is uncertain, and at times events don't unfold the way we want.”

Those post-Ibrox exploits could cause some pause for thought and the individual might harbor concerns over taking over a struggling team, but Gerrard likely has the personality to manage such a high-profile post.

He is the only Rangers manager to have lifted the championship since the legendary Walter Smith. That achievement might well be hard to ignore for an under-pressure Ibrox board.