Which Lessons Can We Take Away from Gerrard's Time as Rangers Head Coach?

Steven Gerrard has been in the spotlight of discussion after Rangers dismissed Russell Martin on Sunday, and the former manager will discuss a potential comeback with the club's leadership.

Those in charge at Ibrox announced that a "comprehensive, thoughtful recruitment process" is now underway.

Other candidates will be reviewed, but if ex Liverpool and England captain is willing to a return spell at Ibrox, is the job as good as his?

The 45-year-old coach has recently mentioned about “unfinished business” in coaching and disclosed he has begun approaching potential staff for his backroom team.

In a recent audio discussion with Rio Ferdinand, which seemed to be recorded before Martin's short reign ended, Gerrard stated he desired “to be at a team that's going to compete to win because I think that fits me better”.

He continued: “If the right call comes my way, the right club, the right challenge, and I've got my people set, which I plan to have at some point, I'll take that challenge on because it's in me.”

Gerrard's Record at Rangers in Initial Period

After gaining knowledge as a youth development manager at Liverpool, Gerrard accepted his maiden coaching position in the summer of 2018.

During three full campaigns at Ibrox, he won only a single title – however it was a big one.

Following placements of nine and 13 points behind Celtic in his initial pair of seasons, Gerrard led Rangers to their maiden premiership title in a decade, which just happened to deny their Glasgow rivals an unprecedented tenth consecutive win.

And he did it impressively, with his team unbeaten in the process.

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

The downside was that it occurred against a backdrop of Covid and empty stadiums.

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

What Was Gerrard's Derby Record Perform?

In stark contrast to Martin's disappointing experience, Gerrard started strongly at Rangers, going 12 games unbeaten until his first visit to Celtic Park.

In his debut season the Old Firm honours were shared, each side earning two domestic victories, with Rangers having last beaten Celtic in 2012.

A pair of defeats to Celtic came in the next truncated season, followed by Rangers winning in the east end of Glasgow for the first time since 2010.

After that, Gerrard stayed undefeated in Old Firm clashes, claiming five additional and drawing once.

Rangers progressed through four rounds of preliminaries to reach the main phase of the Europa League in Gerrard's first season.

In the 2019-20 campaign, they advanced to the elimination stage of the same tournament, losing out to Bayer Leverkusen in the round of 16, with their journey ending at the identical round the next year.

Why Did Gerrard Depart Rangers?

The Birmingham club made an approach in November 2021, paying £4.5m in compensation.

He departed Rangers four points clear of Celtic at the summit of the table – but their local opponents would claw that back to win by the same margin.

The attraction of the Premier League is strong and it may have been seen as the next logical step on a fairytale comeback to Anfield at a time when his managerial stock was at its peak.

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

“We have shared a desire to move Rangers forward, to update our infrastructure and to return the team to winning ways.”

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

Gerrard failed to complete a full season at Villa Park.

Inconsistent results yielded a 14th-place position at the end of the 2021-22 campaign before a 3-0 defeat at Craven Cottage left them 17th in autumn 2022 when he was sacked.

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

He moved to Saudi Arabia in summer 2023 when he assumed control at the Saudi club.

His most recent job continued for a year and a half and he moved on with the team sitting 12th in the Saudi league, just five points clear of the relegation zone.

“In summary, I have learned a lot, and it's been a positive experience personally and for my family,” he said in the end of January. “But soccer is uncertain, and at times things don't go the way we hope.”

Those after Rangers experiences may give some pause for thought and the individual might harbor concerns over inheriting a underperforming squad, but Gerrard probably has the personality to handle such a prominent position.

He is the only Rangers boss to have won the championship since the great Walter Smith. That achievement could be difficult to overlook for an pressured Rangers leadership.