Paul Merson reacts to Steven Gerrard and Brendan Rodgers suggestion after Rangers development
Paul Merson has shut down claims that Steven Gerrard has reignited a rivalry with Brendan Rodgers after both left Rangers and Celtic.
Sky Sports host David Jones seemed to question if Gerrard will experience anything similar to that in the Premier League
Merson hit back and insisted that everyone knows how big the Old Firm games are and that smaller derbies in England are “nowhere near” that level.
Speaking live on Sky Sports on Sunday (5th December), Merson reacted to claims on the rivalry between Rodgers and Gerrard.
“It will be a bit different down here,” he said.
“From a distance, you watch the Celtic-Rangers games, Graeme has been involved in them, you know how big they are.
“Obviously, this game (Villa v Leicester) is, I know it’s a bit of a midlands derby, but it’s nowhere near as big as that game.”
Nowhere near.
Let’s be honest, there will never be a bigger game than the Old Firm.
In recent years, even when the Bears were on their way back up to the top and struggling, there was still an electric atmosphere around the game.
Now, the Gers are well and truly back, and with Celtic regaining some kind of form too now, the next derby over New Year is going to be out of this world.
Merson has never been involved in that, but he knows what it means – that doesn’t happen if the game isn’t huge.
Giovanni van Bronckhorst was the perfect candidate coming into the club to take over from Gerrard at this time, he knows the club inside and out, especially what it means to win these types of games.
In other Rangers news, an official club partner has fired back at Tom English after his latest bitter jibe at the Bears