It was a perfect European night for Rangers a couple of days ago when they defeated Braga to make it through to the Round of 16 of the prestigious Europa League contest. But the jubilation was shattered last evening when they got humiliated by Hearts once more, this time in the Scottish Cup.
Despite having a dreadful campaign, the Jambos have humbled the Gers twice already. The previous outcome derailed Rangers’ title chase despite defeating Celtic before the winter break. However, the latest one turned out to be even more damaging as their bid to win silverware ends up in misery unless a miracle is scripted in Europe in the upcoming rounds.
The Bears have indeed improved under Steven Gerrard, but the lack of character shown by his men must be questioned and scrutinised now to figure out what exactly has gone wrong within the camp. The gaffer is seemingly dejected and frustrated and therefore, considering his Ibrox future as revealed in the aftermath of Hearts shambles.
“We all know that we have punched above our weight in Europe so far. This is what I need to analyse in the coming days. The plan was to have a day off (on Sunday). I need to think hard about where we are at as a group. I need to do some real, serious thinking in the next 24, 48 hours.”
Stated Gerrard (as quoted by BBC Sports) who has now witnessed the ‘lowest’ of his managerial regime, days after attaining the zenith of it.
What Went Wrong For Gerrard At Rangers?
Although the Liverpool legend is yet to learn a lot as a manager, his understanding of the game is exemplary. A few calls he made so far under pressure worked perfectly well for the Glasgow giants. However, the sides like Hearts, Aberdeen and Kilmarnock have often troubled the Gers with their defensive strategies restricting the Glasgow giants from playing their usual game. Rangers, too, remained clueless on how to react and usually conceded a goal due to a moment of concentration lapse or individual errors against the run.
While fully admitting that Gerrard has not been able to crack the code of Scottish football (given how different the game is compared to the rest of the top leagues), it cannot be argued that the overall quality of this Rangers side is the best we have seen in years. There is a reason why Rangers keep on defying the odds in Europe, and one major reason is how Gerrard sets his team up. We fully agree that the Liverpool legend has failed (especially after the international break) to deliver on winning games consistently in Scotland. However, all changes are gradual, and this team is better than last season. With more experience, Gerrard should be able to tune his team to compartmentalise how to play both Scotland and Europe.
Why He Must Wait Until The Closure Of The Current Campaign
While a managerial alteration might uplift the spirit within the group, the exit will help Gerrard to revitalise himself prior to considering a fresh challenge elsewhere for the upcoming term. They have almost cemented a place for the 2020-21 European qualifiers with 11 games remaining. Yet, the gaffer must not give it up this early and test his resolve by turning things around from the most significant setback endured in his coaching regime. He must take it up as a challenge too, which, subsequently, would help him grow as a manager in the forthcoming future.
