🔗 Share this article What Lessons Should We Take Away from Steven Gerrard's Tenure as Glasgow Rangers Manager? Steven Gerrard lifting the Scottish Premiership trophy in May 2021 The former Liverpool captain has been at the center of discussion since Rangers parted ways with Russell Martin on the weekend, and the ex-coach will discuss a possible return with the club's leadership. The decision-makers at Rangers have stated that a "comprehensive, considered hiring process" is currently in progress. Additional names are set to be reviewed, however if ex Liverpool and England skipper is willing to a second stint at the club, could the position essentially his? The 45-year-old manager has recently mentioned about “remaining goals” in coaching and revealed he has begun contacting prospective staff for his backroom team. In a latest podcast interview with the former defender, which seemed to be filmed prior to Martin's brief reign concluded, Gerrard expressed he wanted “to be at a team that's going to compete to win because I believe that suits me more”. He continued: “If the suitable offer comes my way, the appropriate team, the correct opportunity, and I've assembled my staff, which I will have at a future date, I'll accept that role because it's part of my nature.” Gerrard's Record at Rangers in His First Stint Having acquired experience as a youth development manager at Anfield, Gerrard accepted his maiden coaching role in the mid-year of 2018. During three complete campaigns at Rangers, he won only a single title – however it proved significant. After finishing nine and 13 points behind their rivals in his initial pair of campaigns, Gerrard led Rangers to their maiden top-flight championship in a decade, which just happened to deny their Old Firm rivals an historic tenth consecutive win. And he did it in style, with his team unbeaten in the process. Rangers won all of their home games, scored 92 goals and allowed a only 13. The downside was that it came amid of Covid and fanless grounds. It remains Rangers' only league triumph since 2010-11. What Was Gerrard's Derby Record Look? In sharp difference to Martin's unhappy experience, Gerrard hit the ground running at Rangers, going 12 games without defeat until his initial trip to Parkhead. In his debut campaign the derby results were shared, each side securing two home wins, with Rangers having last beaten Celtic in 2012. A pair of defeats to Celtic came in the following truncated season, after which Rangers securing a victory in the eastern part of Glasgow for the initial occasion since 2010. After that, Gerrard remained undefeated in derbies, claiming five additional and drawing once. Rangers came through four stages of preliminaries to reach the group stage of the Europa League in Gerrard's first season. In 2019-20, they progressed to the elimination stage of the same competition, losing out to Bayer Leverkusen in the round of 16, with their journey ending at the identical round the following season. What Led Gerrard Depart Rangers? Aston Villa came calling in late 2021, forking out £4.5m in compensation. He left Rangers four points clear of Celtic at the summit of the standings – however their city rivals would recover to win by the identical gap. The lure of the English top flight is strong and it could have been seen as the next logical step on a fairytale comeback to Anfield at a point when his managerial stock was high. “Steven and his coaching team have made sure that the team 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 facilities and to make the club win again.” What Was Gerrard's Record at Villa & Al-Ettifaq? Gerrard did not last a year at Aston Villa. Inconsistent performances resulted in a 14th-place finish at the conclusion of the 2021-22 campaign before a three-goal defeat at Fulham placed them in 17th in October 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 latest job lasted 18 months and he moved on with the team sitting in 12th in the Saudi Pro League, just five points above the relegation zone. “Overall, I have gained valuable experience, and it's been a beneficial journey personally and for my family,” he remarked in late January. “But football is uncertain, and sometimes things don't go the way we want.” Those post-Ibrox experiences may give certain hesitation and the man himself might harbor concerns over inheriting a underperforming squad, but Gerrard probably has the personality to manage such a high-profile post. He is the only Rangers manager to have won the championship since the great Walter Smith. That achievement might well be hard to ignore for an under-pressure Rangers leadership.