‘Chaos reigns as Steven Gerrard leaves Rangers scrambling’
Under Caixinha, Rangers had Declan John and Gerrard had Ryan Kent. Steven Davis, Borna Barisic, Jermaine Defoe, Ianis Hagi, Calvin Bassey, Joe Aribo and Kemar Roofe improved things. There were fools too – lots of them – but Gerrard was bulletproof.
The wage bill continued to soar throughout his term. Operational losses have ballooned to fund the vision – in three full seasons, including the financially bruising Covid period, Rangers have recorded operating losses of more than £50m. Celtic’s losses in the interval covering the outbreak were around £100,000.
This width is no longer available. There are more lines of command in the club.
Maybe there is a squad that Gerrard doesn’t like and would like to change, but the freedom he had before would no longer be there. Thelwell, the sports director appointed by the team owners, signed all of these men.
You could say Gerrard’s crème de la crème Rangers happened twice, on Saturday and last summer, but of course there was a third.
Gerrard was interviewed on a Thursday in October 2021, after Rangers, Scotland’s reigning champions, beat Brondby 2-0 in the Europa League.
There was speculation that week that he was linked with Newcastle, so the rumors were passed on to him. “Do I look happy?” he asked rhetorically. “Do I look settled? So don’t ask me stupid questions.”
Five games later he was no longer the Rangers’ manager. He went to Aston Villa and won eight of 31 games before being sacked with Villa sitting 17th in the Premier League.
He then moved to Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ettifaq, leading the team to sixth place in his first season and by mutual agreement 18 months later he had relegated the team to 12th place, just five points above the relegation zone.
Gerrard was the manager Rangers wanted but he has been beaten since leaving Ibrox. There was no guarantee they would get 2021’s hottest property, the great savior who finally stopped Celtic in their tracks.
Who they will get is now anyone’s guess. The Rangers board will be shaken. Chaos reigns and no one can rule.
