đ Share this article Which Insights Should We Take Away from Gerrard's Time as Rangers Manager? Steven Gerrard holding the league trophy in spring 2021 The former Liverpool captain has been at the center of conversation since Rangers parted ways with Russell Martin on the weekend, and the former manager will discuss a potential comeback with the club's owners. The decision-makers at Ibrox announced that a "comprehensive, considered recruitment process" is currently underway. Additional names will be reviewed, however if ex Anfield and Three Lions captain is willing to a second stint at the club, is the job as good as his? The 45-year-old manager has recently spoken about âunfinished businessâ in management and disclosed he has begun contacting potential members for his coaching team. In a latest audio interview with Rio Ferdinand, which seemed to be recorded prior to Martin's brief reign concluded, Gerrard expressed he wanted âto be at a club that's going to compete to win because I believe that suits me betterâ. He continued: âIf the right call comes my way, the right club, the right challenge, 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.â Performance at Rangers in Initial Period Having acquired knowledge as a academy manager at Liverpool, Gerrard took on his first managerial role in the summer of 2018. Over three complete seasons at Rangers, he secured only a single title â however it proved significant. After finishing 13 and nine points after their rivals in his first two seasons, Gerrard led Rangers to their first top-flight title in a decade, which coincidentally prevent their Old Firm rivals an unprecedented tenth consecutive win. And he achieved it impressively, with his team undefeated throughout. Rangers won all of their domestic games, scored 92 goals and allowed a mere 13. The drawback was that it occurred amid of the pandemic and empty stadiums. It remains Rangers' only title success since the 2010-11 season. What Was Gerrard's Old Firm Record Perform? In sharp difference to Martin's disappointing spell, Gerrard started strongly at Rangers, going 12 games unbeaten until his first visit to Celtic Park. In his first 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 came in the next shortened season, after which Rangers winning in the eastern part of Glasgow for the initial occasion since 2010. After that, Gerrard stayed unbeaten in derbies, winning five more and drawing once. Rangers came through four stages of preliminaries to reach the group stage of the Europa League in Gerrard's debut season. In the 2019-20 campaign, they progressed to the knockout rounds of the same tournament, losing out to Bayer Leverkusen in the last 16, with their journey concluding at the same stage the next year. What Led Gerrard Leave Rangers? The Birmingham club came calling in late 2021, paying ÂŁ4.5m in compensation. He left Rangers with a lead clear of Celtic at the summit of the standings â but their city rivals would claw that back to prevail by the same margin. The lure of the English top flight is strong and it may have been seen as the next logical step on a dream comeback to Anfield at a point when his coaching reputation was at its peak. âSteven and his coaching team have ensured that the club is undoubtedly in a better place today than it was three-and-a-half years ago,â said at the time Rangers football executive Ross Wilson. âWe have shared a goal to advance the club, to modernise our infrastructure and to make the club win again.â What Was Gerrard's Record at Aston Villa and in Saudi Arabia? Gerrard failed to complete a year at Villa Park. Up and down performances resulted in a 14th-place finish at the end of season 2021-22 before a three-goal defeat at Fulham left them 17th in autumn 2022 when he was dismissed. During 2022, he secured just eight of his 31 games, suffering defeat in 15. He transferred to Saudi Arabia in July 2023 when he assumed control at the Saudi club. His most recent role continued for 18 months and he moved on with the team placed 12th in the Saudi Pro League, just five points clear of the drop zone. âIn summary, I have learned a lot, and it's been a positive experience for me and for my loved ones,â he said in the end of January. âBut football is unpredictable, and sometimes things don't go the way we want.â Those after Rangers experiences may give some pause for thought and the individual might harbor concerns over inheriting a underperforming squad, but Gerrard likely has the character to handle such a prominent position. He is the sole Rangers manager to have lifted the league trophy since the legendary Walter Smith. That achievement might well be hard to ignore for an under-pressure Ibrox board.