‘Celtic to be thrilled’ with latest Rangers new manager development – Grant
Rangers continue to be linked with a Steven Gerrard reunion as the managerial uncertainty continues at Ibrox.
The 44-year-old led the Gers to the Scottish Premiership title in the 2020-21 season before departing to take the Aston Villa job.
He has been unemployed since leaving Al-Ettifaq by mutual consent in January and speculation refuses to go away as interim manager Barry Ferguson struggles to convince that he should keep the job.
Gerrard could struggle on Rangers return
It is a much different Rangers side to the one that Gerrard tasted success with a few years ago and it would not be an easy task to turn the situation around.
The Times Journalist Michael Grant believes that Celtic would be ecstatic if the Gers appointed the Liverpudlian for a second stint in the dugout.
Speaking on PLZ Soccer’s The Journos (23 April, 18:50 pm), he said: “I think if they appointed Steven Gerrard, Celtic would be pretty happy.
“He wasn’t up against a Brendan Rodgers or even an Ange Postecoglou Celtic. Whoever comes in now is up against a Rodgers Celtic that is probably going to have a treble on board.
“They have even more financial advantages than they had when Gerrard was there the first time.”
Rangers need to get next appointment right
It is absolutely vital that the Gers start the new era under the 49ers Enterprises group by getting their managerial appointment right.
The Light Blues are 15 points behind their arch-rivals in the Scottish Premiership and that gap will only increase if they choose the wrong man.
| Team | Win rate |
| Rangers | 64.8% |
| Aston Villa | 32.5% |
| Al-Ettifaq | 39% |
Gerrard could become a cautionary tale if he is appointed and it does not go well and there is plenty of evidence to suggest that it would not.
For starters, the point that Grant raises is correct, he never faced a Celtic team that was this strong on the field or from a financial perspective.
Also, the Govan outfit are in a much worse situation than they were when he took them to success, the squad is in need of major surgery and the American consortium have their work cut out in the backroom too.
Another factor is Gerrard’s managerial roles since leaving, he has struggled at Villa and in Saudi Arabia, raising significant doubts over his abilities.
The Auchenhowie club should be more ambitious in their targets for the vacancy, rather than going back to the Englishman, who won one title in a down year for their rivals and still has a lot to prove.