Rangers are currently 13 points behind league leaders Celtic in the title race as Gerrard’s men capitulated after the winter break. The players have made costly individual errors in quite a few games, and all of the blame can’t be put on the manager. However, there are some things for which the gaffer will have to take significant responsibility.
The dubious decision of loading up on wingers in the summer
Rangers allowed Daniel Candeias to depart in the summer. To be fair, he was one of the better-attacking players for Rangers, and he always worked hard on the pitch. Nevertheless, Gerrard went on to bring plenty of options. Sheyi Ojo arrived on loan. Ryan Kent was signed for big money. Jordan Jones’ deal was already completed earlier in January of 2019, and he too came in the summer. Young gun Jake Hastie joined the ranks. Glenn Middleton was another youngster who was an option.
Jamie Murphy who suffered a significant injury last season was always likely to recover for the ongoing campaign. Greg Stewart is another alternative who can play on the wings when required. Gerrard raised more eyebrows when he signed Brandon Barker as well.
It seemed like Gerrard’s attacking side of the game was mainly going to depend on wingers. However, as we have seen for most parts this season, the English manager has barely used his wingers in the traditional sense. They play more as a right-sided/left-sided attacking midfielders. Gerrard has often opted for the likes of Joe Aribo and Scott Arfield to start on the right flank. Instead of hugging the bylines, they drift inside to attack the central areas. Ryan Kent has also played in a similar role from the left.
Hence, there was an evident lack of clarity from Gerrard when he made those signings in the summer as he didn’t even need a traditional winger in his 4-3-3 system. If Rangers were going to use their wingers more as attacking midfielders, then there was no point in signing so many options in the summer.
Placing too much trust on Goldson
The English defender has quite clearly been the preferred centre back for Gerrard. The other spot has been up for grabs, and it is fair to say that none of the defenders has managed to cement their place. Goldson has been lucky to start regularly as he has made some unfortunate errors as well, and many club faithful sees him as Gerrard’s favourite.
The former Brighton defender was supposed to be a leader at the back, but he has let down the Bears on quite a few occasions. Maybe if Gerrard had dropped him a few times as he did with other defenders, then Goldson might not have gotten complacent with his place in the team.
