Honeymoon Is Over For The Manger Next Season

[The_Seal]

He needs to figure out.... What happened to this group of players over the winter break and fix it for this year. From ripping the scum a new arsehole at there on back yard, to coming home and getting beat at Ibrox by Hamilton killie and St Johnston.

 

[CaptainCourageous]

Sacking Gerrard would set us back years.

Never understood that one tbh, especially if we continue to fail domestically.

There is a structure in place. That's why we've got the likes of Wilson and Scolding. Your not telling me that after Gerrard it's Tommy Wright or Derek McInnes.

We don't have Wilson, Scoulding and Bisgrove working their socks off trying to improve every area of the club for us to shop in the bargain basement for a replacement manager. Part of Ross Wilson's remit is to make sure the transition from Gerrard to the man replacing him is as smooth as possible. He's got standards and a reputation.

Gerrard, Beale, McAllister and co have had time to sit down, reflect, learn and understand where it has gone wrong for a second consecutive season. They certainly have to be more fluid, be prepared to try new ideas, set ups and formations. The stubbornness and over complicating things have to stop. Stop sticking with the players who continue to let you down, stop throwing certain players under the bus. It's Scottish football we play in. It doesn't have to be fancy, it doesn't have to be complicated.

Gerrard has yet to win a trophy, he's yet to put up a title fight. That stops next season. He's got to be ruthless within his squad, he's got to cut out adding numbers and focus on quality. The way he handles his players in the press needs addressed as does his tactical ability and awareness. Far too predictable, one dimensional with very little answers.

 

[linthousebear1981]

If the season had been declared null and void he would've had some wiggle room but now that it has been declared celtics title then that has heaped serious pressure him. Pressure that would've been on him if the league had continued, as the way we were playing after the winter break was disgusting. The crowd were starting to turn.

He really needs to make some wise signings in the summer or for whenever the league will start back again. The fact that our league doesn't have financial clout to test players every 2 days says that our league won't start before November, that is if there is a successful trial of a vaccine and or treatment for covid19. There certainly won't be any fans in the grounds before December. I don't really want to watch behind closed doors football, its horrendous.

I think if he has any defeats especially to them in the first 2 months and they continue as they have then he will be out the door by December. Thats if football returns around the normal time.

 

[Johnny Yen]

The sad reality and frankly worry for me is that should he win the league, there will be some very disappointed people on here. The number of times we get posters forward thinking failure is just a source of bemusement to me. But each to their own I suppose.

Thats nonsense and gets trotted out a lot on here, we all want Rangers to be successful, why would a Rangers fan not want to win the league?

 

[BrooklynBlue]

I think fans on here have radically altered their expectations of what success looks like under Gerrard to suit the "progress" that he's brought to the club, not the other way around.

This is another argument I find patronising - that some are so star-struck by Gerrard that we can see no wrong. Of course, he's made errors. All managers do, unfortunately - and he's made his fair share. The League Cup Final was worrying.

I think expectations are based in the reality of the circumstances. Another poster thinks it's strange I would mention Ashley in a conversation about our managers.

He needs to win next season.

 

[bilkobear]

We weren't refereed to equal standards in last year's Europa League. I can rhyme off five or six incidents that were arguably worse than anything we endured in Scotland.

Given how abysmal some of the decisions were it was a wonder we got past Ufa and that we were still in with a shout of advancing with a result against Vienna. It's confirmation bias to suggest anything else.

We perform well in Europe because the pressure is off and the team can't cope with the rigours of Scottish football. It's nothing new. Three successive Rangers managers found this out - shortly before it cost them their jobs.

I don't agree.
Ufa away saw us given no number of breaks in our box where their players went down.
Had the referee been as dodgy as we suspected after he sent off Alfie and Flanagan, he could have easily given a penalty.
In the end his shocking refereeing left both sides a bit perplexed, but it probably evened itself out.

We could argue the piece all day, but in Europe in my opinion, we have been given a refereeing standard that whether it was good or bad, it was never one-sided.
Clearly I will contend, that is not the case in Scotland.

Do the team relax in Europe and play better?
Maybe, but perhaps that is because they feel more relaxed because the officials allow them to be?

The point about other managers losing their jobs because of players not being able to cope with Scottish football and the pressures that perhaps a Rangers side have to endure is debatable.
Probably it is the quality of player that was more the reason and that shouldn't be a surprise given as how we are having to inch our way back to the squad standards we enjoyed before 2012, whilst our main rival has had the luxury to build without any domestic pressure.

Ironically, they still get found short in Europe, where perhaps they don't enjoy the breaks from officials that they get in Scotland.
No amount of pages slagging off a referee in the Daily Record is going to influence a Romanian or put his family in fear back home in Bucharest.

Gerrard's report card might not be a line of A's, and the comment could do better may apply, but he is still getting a pass from me.

 

[TN8]

I think fans on here have radically altered their expectations of what success looks like under Gerrard to suit the "progress" that he's brought to the club, not the other way around.

Not exactly. You're right that expectations of what success looks like for Rangers have radically changed. But that didn't happen under or because of Gerrard. For most people it happened in 2012. If you're still cutting about today with the same expectations as you did at the start of the 2011/12 season then I'm afraid you're missing something and are going to be angry and frustrated for quite a while yet.

 

[Bermondsey Wall West]

Thats nonsense and gets trotted out a lot on here, we all want Rangers to be successful, why would a Rangers fan not want to win the league?

If it’s nonsense I’d suggest each thread just gets linked to all the others that have been posted for months now, saying the same thing. They’ve been handed what’ll amount to about a £20m advantage over us cash wise with the tainted award and CL money. We’re already fighting an uphill battle which has again gotten steeper and we then have to be asked to ponder, over and over and over again getting rid of Gerrard. So what gets trotted out a lot is this stuff, people respond and I’m glad. I’ll continue with my outlook and others can continue with the fatalist attitude.

 

[bilkobear]

The one that always gets me is "but who else could we have appointed?!" as if the only option we had was to appoint a youth team coach who'd only ever been previously approached by MK fcking Dons.

Ah, I have heard it all now!
No one ever said, who else could we have appointed?
Indeed if I recall the majority on here, (NOT ME) wanted to appoint Derek McInnes!
Fckn Derek McInnes!!!

Rather than ask who else we could appoint, the reaction on here and throughout the more cerebral members of the support was ... 'what a fckn great and imaginative appointment!.'
They were right as well, it was ... and still is.

 

[ClockworkOrange]

How do you explain serial winners as managers like Mourinho for instance who were sh*te as players themselves?

Him slipping at Anfield has no relevance to any of our current issues or his abilities as a manager.

You're comparing two different things.

Mourinho gained experience in being part of a league-winning team throughout his coaching career.

Gerrard has no experience in how to be part of a league-winning team or even in how to mount prolonged campaigns.

In the clamour of his appointment and all the wonderful experience he'd bring to the club, that was one area that he can't deliver in.

 

[G-Bear]

I'd say the honeymoon period is most definitely over for SG, but I also think he knows that himself. He will be totally aware more than anyone that the two 'New Year Collapses' in a row is completely unacceptable and can't happen again.

For us to overcome that, he needs to address the domestic failings which have led to these collapses and that might well affect our European performances but c'est la vie. His management of our successful European runs has been excellent but the title must be our goal next year. If we witness a third post xmas nose-dive then I can't see any way for him to continue in the hot seat.

55 is his goal and he needs to deliver it next season

 

[SOB-WATP]

Again, what do you mean by 'acceptance' - what do you want the support to do?

And why is it strange? Ashley has been an important influence over the Club and has dictated much of what we can and can't do in recent times. Do you think that has had an impact on any of the managers?

Because some fans now hold the years under Pedro, Murty and Warburton as some sort of benchmark and use it as some sort of excuse for Gerrard.

If the last 2 years were under some random foreigner this place would be full of fans wanting him gone.. only the name Gerrard has stopped many from criticising.

Regardless of Ashley's involvement, Gerrard has been backed strongly by the board.. using that as an excuse is clutching at straws.

Hes been given the necessary budget to beat teams like Aberdeen, Killie, Hearts etc regularly and hes failed to do do.

We could be here all day.. the bottom line is Gerrard has to get it right this season or hes done.

 

[Johnny Yen]

If it’s nonsense I’d suggest each thread just gets linked to all the others that have been posted for months now, saying the same thing. They’ve been handed what’ll amount to about a £20m advantage over us cash wise with the tainted award and CL money. We’re already fighting an uphill battle which has again gotten steeper and we then have to be asked to ponder, over and over and over again getting rid of Gerrard. So what gets trotted out a lot is this stuff, people respond and I’m glad. I’ll continue with my outlook and others can continue with the fatalist attitude.

They haven’t been awarded any CL money, they haven’t qualified for it yet, just the same as they never qualified for it last season.

 

[ClockworkOrange]

I don't agree.
Ufa away saw us given no number of breaks in our box where their players went down.
Had the referee been as dodgy as we suspected after he sent off Alfie and Flanagan, he could have easily given a penalty.
In the end his shocking refereeing left both sides a bit perplexed, but it probably evened itself out.

We could argue the piece all day, but in Europe in my opinion, we have been given a refereeing standard that whether it was good or bad, it was never one-sided.
Clearly I will contend, that is not the case in Scotland.

Do the team relax in Europe and play better?
Maybe, but perhaps that is because they feel more relaxed because the officials allow them to be?

The point about other managers losing their jobs because of players not being able to cope with Scottish football and the pressures that perhaps a Rangers side have to endure is debatable.
Probably it is the quality of player that was more the reason and that shouldn't be a surprise given as how we are having to inch our way back to the squad standards we enjoyed before 2012, whilst our main rival has had the luxury to build without any domestic pressure.

Ironically, they still get found short in Europe, where perhaps they don't enjoy the breaks from officials that they get in Scotland.
No amount of pages slagging off a referee in the Daily Record is going to influence a Romanian or put his family in fear back home in Bucharest.

Gerrard's report card might not be a line of A's, and the comment could do better may apply, but he is still getting a pass from me.

This is semantics now. We have been hamstrung by poor decisions in Europe; surely whether the referee meant to or not is surely a moot point? In the end, a bad decision is a bad decision. Whether the linesman who kept his flag down against Vienna or the one who put it up against Moscow means to deliberately cheat or not is either shite refereeing or cheating, but we're getting screwed at the end of it.

Ryan Kent didn't mention referees when he spoke about the pressure being off in Europe and being unable to deal with the expectations of beating Hearts or Hamilton.

The point about Rangers and Europe serves as a reminder that it wasn't enough to save managers' jobs. That will ring true next year again if Gerrard's European success is not transferable back home.

 

[Drumchapel-Bear]

They haven’t been awarded any CL money, they haven’t qualified for it yet, just the same as they never qualified for it last season.

I guess that makes it alright then?

I wouldn't mind us having a chance at a 30m jackpot.

 

[Bottom Line]

I've had discussions on here before about Gerrard and what an easy ride many have given him domestically .(European football he's been a success)
People can argue black is white all they want but he wins the league next season or he's asked to leave be that mutual or falling on his own sword.Nothing to do with them going for a meaningless 10 IAR but a Rangers manager can't get anymore than 3 tries at it.In fact he's the 1st I can think of in modern times that has been given this much leeway and time to get it right.
It's now time to deliver or we move on to someone else imo.

In 16/17 we had 67 pts,in 17/18 we had 70 pts,in 18/19 we had 78 pts and we were on course for circa 87 pts this season,that is major progress under SG and the only issue he needs to fix is dropping points from a winning position.We dropped 10 pts from a winning position this season and 5 of those pts were dropped at Aberdeen and Kilmarnock in games where Beaton refereed the games and he was not called out in either game for result changing decisions that went against Rangers in both games and the Kilmarnock game in particular had a profound effect on our league challenge after Rangers scored two legit goals and Kilmarnock scored 1 legit goal and we lost 2-1,throw in Clancy`s performance at their midden which was the initial game of a 3 out of 4 C*ltic home league games that he refereed.Until the Rangers hierarchy rout the SPFL and the SFA the Rangers manager will be at a major disadvantage no matter who is there.

 

[bilkobear]

Not exactly. You're right that expectations of what success looks like for Rangers have radically changed. But that didn't happen under or because of Gerrard. For most people it happened in 2012. If you're still cutting about today with the same expectations as you did at the start of the 2011/12 season then I'm afraid you're missing something and are going to be angry and frustrated for quite a while yet.

I hope not too long.
But you are correct.
I suspect that the many changes around the landscape of Scottish football, some that have been extremely evident in recent weeks and others that are perhaps less evident and more nuanced, have made progress for Rangers that much more difficult.
That is before we address the enormous advantages that the Filth were allowed to accrue in our absence for four years.
No managers at Ibrox have ever had to assail such difficult barriers in domestic football in our long history and it seems almost impossible to make some in the support aware of this reality.
That said, I remain convinced we will prevail, and I believe Gerrard will be the man to do it.

 

[ClockworkOrange]

Ah, I have heard it all now!
No one ever said, who else could we have appointed?
Indeed if I recall the majority on here, (NOT ME) wanted to appoint Derek McInnes!
Fckn Derek McInnes!!!

Rather than ask who else we could appoint, the reaction on here and throughout the more cerebral members of the support was ... 'what a fckn great and imaginative appointment!.'
They were right as well, it was ... and still is.

In retrospective discussions on here about the appointment of Gerrard various posters have suggested that we had no recourse but to appoint Gerrard two years ago, as if the list of prospective managers was so bare that the board could not sufficiently tempt anyone else to manage the world's most successful club, the biggest team in Scotland and one that presents one hell of a challenge. No one questioned the appointment at the time, which I have said several times throughout this thread, making me think that you have slightly misinterpreted the post.

Warburton was a great and imaginative appointment. Look how that turned out. I'll reserve how great it was for when Gerrard leaves, thanks. I've learned enough from the past 10 years not to rush into opinions like that.

 

[Getstiffed]

Lets just say he gets as much money this summer as he did last and the summer before. By that point he's had enough to replace dross he was left with and repair the mess he took over and add proper quality.

It's next season or never.

 

[CaptainCourageous]

The season being null and void or them being handed it wouldn't have made a difference.

We were 13 points behind with a game in hand but we were spiralling out of control.

Home defeat to Hamilton, struggling at home to Livingston, murder at Dingwall, drawing at McDiarmid Park, dumped out the cup by Hearts after yet another defeat at Tynecastle. There was more chance of the gap widening than being closed.

 

[cambridgeblue]

I can rhyme off five or six incidents that were arguably worse than anything we endured in Scotland.

But you didn't. And they weren't.

 

[ClockworkOrange]

This is another argument I find patronising - that some are so star-struck by Gerrard that we can see no wrong. Of course, he's made errors. All managers do, unfortunately - and he's made his fair share. The League Cup Final was worrying.

I think expectations are based in the reality of the circumstances. Another poster thinks it's strange I would mention Ashley in a conversation about our managers.

He needs to win next season.

I've literally held a conversation with someone in this thread whose partial defence of the manager included the line "he's frickin Stevie G." I think it's churlish to suggest that attracting an international superstar to the club hasn't tempered some fan's expectations.

 

[BlueSevenTwo]

Last chance saloon.

 

[bilkobear]

This is semantics now. We have been hamstrung by poor decisions in Europe; surely whether the referee meant to or not is surely a moot point? In the end, a bad decision is a bad decision. Whether the linesman who kept his flag down against Vienna or the one who put it up against Moscow means to deliberately cheat or not is either shite refereeing or cheating, but we're getting screwed at the end of it.

Ryan Kent didn't mention referees when he spoke about the pressure being off in Europe and being unable to deal with the expectations of beating Hearts or Hamilton.

The point about Rangers and Europe serves as a reminder that it wasn't enough to save managers' jobs. That will ring true next year again if Gerrard's European success is not transferable back home.

Where was the pressure to beat these teams in the first half of the season?
If supporters keep mentioning pressure then no wonder it gets communicated to some of the players.
Perhaps some of the support need to do a bit more cheering and maybe do a bit less jeering.
Yelling for the managers head after every bad result will get us nowhere long term.
Looking at the bigger picture and educating ourselves as to the problems the club face and to appreciate the good work and progress that is being done, will.

 

[East Enclosure Patrician]

The honeymoon period is well over but too many are still star struck at having Steve Gerrard as manager.
The post break collapses does not fill me with confidence that the manger has learned what it takes to win the league.

 

[bilkobear]

In retrospective discussions on here about the appointment of Gerrard various posters have suggested that we had no recourse but to appoint Gerrard two years ago, as if the list of prospective managers was so bare that the board could not sufficiently tempt anyone else to manage the world's most successful club, the biggest team in Scotland and one that presents one hell of a challenge. No one questioned the appointment at the time, which I have said several times throughout this thread, making me think that you have slightly misinterpreted the post.

Warburton was a great and imaginative appointment. Look how that turned out. I'll reserve how great it was for when Gerrard leaves, thanks. I've learned enough from the past 10 years not to rush into opinions like that.

What you should have learned from the last ten years is that what was true ten years ago isn't so true today.

 

[ClockworkOrange]

Where was the pressure to beat these teams in the first half of the season?
If supporters keep mentioning pressure then no wonder it gets communicated to some of the players.
Perhaps some of the support need to do a bit more cheering and maybe do a bit less jeering.
Yelling for the managers head after every bad result will get us nowhere long term.
Looking at the bigger picture and educating ourselves as to the problems the club face and to appreciate the good work and progress that is being done, will.

Twice now the team have capitulated when the season has hit something approaching the end. It's not really good enough.

I think you're being too kind on the players that they might struggle if we "keep mentioning pressure" - not entirely sure under which circumstances this would be, right enough. They play for Rangers. James Tavernier, the captain of the club, admitted that the pressures of playing Hamilton and Hearts was too much. Not good enough.

Haven't argued otherwise for you final two points.

 

[ClockworkOrange]

What you should have learned from the last ten years is that what was true ten years ago isn't so true today.

Again, think you've made a mess of this.

I've learned that I'll judge a manager's success in the months and years after their departure, not during it. It avoids premature evaluations that end up looking a bit silly.

 

[bilkobear]

Twice now the team have capitulated when the season has hit something approaching the end. It's not really good enough.

I think you're being too kind on the players that they might struggle if we "keep mentioning pressure" - not entirely sure under which circumstances this would be, right enough. They play for Rangers. James Tavernier, the captain of the club, admitted that the pressures of playing Hamilton and Hearts was too much. Not good enough.

Haven't argued otherwise for you final two points.

leadership on the park is something that needs looked at.
I long supported Tavs as I admired his many attributes.
However, we need a different type of captain and this would be one problem that Gerrard seriously has to address.
Tavs admission is tantamount to a resignation letter.

Why we have collapsed after the halfway stage is a problem, but is there the same factors at play that make it anything more than a coincidence?
I have a strong feeling that Morelos and his sending off at the end of the Filth game was a major factor this season as I think psychologically Morelos more or less decided he was finished with Scottish football.
In hindsight, we should have moved Alfie on during that window.
But that is hindsight.

 

[Johnny Yen]

I guess that makes it alright then?

I wouldn't mind us having a chance at a 30m jackpot.

who said it makes it alright?

They poster clearly stated they had been handed a 20million jackpot, that clearly isn’t the case.

 

[ClockworkOrange]

But you didn't. And they weren't.

Wasn't asked to, but let's do it now:

Two stonewall penalties denied against us in the first leg against Ufa; there were a few posts on here suggesting that the ref was bent and that it was the most dumbfounding performance they'd seen.

Morelos unfairly sent off in the second leg.

Vienna given a clearly offside goal at Ibrox.

Morelos' goal unfairly chopped off in Moscow

Candeias probably unfairly sent off against Villarreal.

Let's do this year, while we're at it:

Stick on penalty denied against Feyenoord at home.

Stick on penalty denied against Feyenoord away. Gerrard attacked the ref in the press conference, remember?

Stick on penalty denied against Young Boys away.

 

[Walters80]

I dont care about the league cup or the scottish cup. If he doesnt win the league he should be told to sling his hook. No way he can go another year with them winning another league.

All really depends on context of the season

If he didn’t win the league but won the two domestic cups, got to the last 32/16 of the Europa, beat the nonce 3 out of 4 times and carried the title to the last day of the season then he’ll have done a job for us and was unlucky.

However if the domestic season falls apart by February again he won’t have any excuses as he’ll probably be looking at a £25m plus spend by then.

 

[Drumchapel-Bear]

who said it makes it alright?

They poster clearly stated they had been handed a 20million jackpot, that clearly isn’t the case.

You seem to be saying it's alright because they haven't actually earned the money yet. There's every chance they could get a couple of easy ties and fluke their way into the group stages, which gives them a 30m start on us when they already have a wage bill double ours.

So their awarded title could have serious ramifications on next season in terms of their financial muscle compared to ours.

 

[Renfrew@UKGB&NI]

I'm going to look at the bigger picture here. In the not too distant future, europe is going to be the place of competition, maybe even more so once this is all over.

He has took us forward in leaps and bounds in that dept. We were in a precarious position of getting put in amongst the clubs from Estonia and the likes. We're now competing with holland, portugal and poland.

As much as I dont like the control tv has over the game, soon enough they're going to want more than st johnstone v hamilton or Bournemouth v Norwich. Dont particularly agree with it, but that's the way it's going. TV thrives on viewing figures and subscriptions. They will want something that is more of a sell. Gerrard has took us from being a european diddy club to being respected again.

 

[bilkobear]

Again, think you've made a mess of this.

I've learned that I'll judge a manager's success in the months and years after their departure, not during it. It avoids premature evaluations that end up looking a bit silly.

My point is that judging a Rangers manager today as if they are managing the club as it was ten years ago is totally unrealistic.

It has taken me some time to come to terms with how much damage has been done to the club and how altered the Scottish football landscape has become in our absence.
I have always said that I would judge a Rangers manager in Europe, as domestic success was normally a given.
Ironically Gerrard has managed to get A's in this more difficult sphere as a Rangers manager whilst still getting B's and C's domestically.

It is easy just to say that there is more pressure in playing against Hearts than there is in a game against Braga, but if this is the case then why?
It cannot be ability as Braga are clearly much better than Hearts and we had the ability to see off Braga, it surely cannot be expectations from the crowd, the Rangers support expect to win in both matches. It cannot even be the profile of the games, because the audience for a game in Europe is international whilst the one for a game against Hearts is provincial.

So where is this pressure arising from and why does it manifest itself domestically and not in Europe?

 

[ClockworkOrange]

My point is that judging a Rangers manager today as if they are managing the club as it was ten years ago is totally unrealistic.

I'm not arguing against that. What I am suggesting is not making premature comments about how good a job they've done in managing the club while they're still there.

 

[Johnny Yen]

You seem to be saying it's alright because they haven't actually earned the money yet. There's every chance they could get a couple of easy ties and fluke their way into the group stages, which gives them a 30m start on us when they already have a wage bill double ours.

So their awarded title could have serious ramifications on next season in terms of their financial muscle compared to ours.

I’m saying nothing of the sort, I merely pointed out they haven’t been given any jackpot, just like they never got this jackpot last season or the season before that.

There’s more chance of them not qualifying if we are being honest.

Continue with the hysterics though

 

[Moreloslaces]

All really depends on context of the season

If he didn’t win the league but won the two domestic cups, got to the last 32/16 of the Europa, beat the nonce 3 out of 4 times and carried the title to the last day of the season then he’ll have done a job for us and was unlucky.

However if the domestic season falls apart by February again he won’t have any excuses as he’ll probably be looking at a £25m plus spend by then.

You are right if you put that context on it mate, but for me, just like indy transcends everything for the snp, the league title transcends it all for me. I would give it all up for the league title.

 

[Drumchapel-Bear]

I'm not arguing against that. What I am suggesting is not making premature comments about how good a job they've done in managing the club while they're still there.

We're 2nd. Which is where we should be in all honesty.

The financial gulf between Rangers and Celtic has never been greater in history than it is now. Look at the respective turnovers and wage bills of both clubs.

We must be the only club on the planet whereby a large chunk of the support expects their team to beat a rival who have double the spend of them every single season.

 

[bilkobear]

I'm not arguing against that. What I am suggesting is not making premature comments about how good a job they've done in managing the club while they're still there.

Okay.
But the bottom line for any manager has to be visible progress.
I can see the progress we have made.
The team today is better than the team we had last season.
The round we made in Europe is better than the round we made last season.

We are now out playing The FIlth in games and when we go into a game against them, I, (and most that I know) now expect to beat them rather than hope to beat them.
I was disappointed that we never had that last game at Ibrox, I really believe we would have beat them.
I would suggest we have made huge progress under Gerrard, but agree we have fallen short of the final hurdle.
But as I said already, had we won that League Cup Final, the season might have shaped up differently.
Small margins.

 

[ClockworkOrange]

We're 2nd. Which is where we should be in all honesty.

The financial gulf between Rangers and Celtic has never been greater in history than it is now. Look at the respective turnovers and wage bills of both clubs.

We must be the only club on the planet whereby a large chunk of the support expects their team to beat a rival who have double the spend of them every single season.

I think there are other criteria by which many fans are holding him account, and not all of it includes beating Celtic.

 

[usbear]

Privately Gerrard will know we were shot to shit and all confidence gone domestically. We were also pretty much out of Europe. He will have known the reset button would have to be pressed, we came up short again in the same old areas.

Let's be honest with ourselves, who was really looking forward to that game on 15th March against them? I know I wasn't.

The learning on the job is done now, for me he has been a great success overall. Now is the time to become ruthless and find a full squad of players he can trust.

This

I trust Gerrard enough to know that he fell short again and will likely only get one more shot at it.

Ruthless is the word. No more favorites. No pussy footing around. He should know by now 70-80% of our games will be against a low block played by cavemen who see a pretty lady (or bloke.....everyone anyone ) walking past their cave four times a year.

If he gets that right it’s game on! If he can’t get that right he will fail again and ironically Scottish Football will conquer his approach to the game!

 

[Hebridean blue]

We're 2nd. Which is where we should be in all honesty.

The financial gulf between Rangers and Celtic has never been greater in history than it is now. Look at the respective turnovers and wage bills of both clubs.

We must be the only club on the planet whereby a large chunk of the support expects their team to beat a rival who have double the spend of them every single season.

yes we do need to remember that - may be that COVID levels it out a bit but unlikely we will be on a par spend /income wise for a while

 

[Rangerstillidie]

And mine.

No chance I'm wanting our manager sacked if there's been genuine progress and silverware won.

10 doesn't bear thinking about, but if our team has progressed, then sacking the manager sets us back again.

This nails it. If we improve again, sacking him is entirely counter productive.

 

[Ricksen]

He had his chance after the Piggery win. For whatever reason he blew it, catastrophically so. All he really had to do in retrospect was to keep the gap close for another month or so and the scum wouldn’t have been handed 9iar by default.

 

[Renfrew@UKGB&NI]

What worries me is this new impatience with fans. They start a campaign to get rid of a manager and the board go along with it.

I say this as I know a few charlton fans and they started thinking this about curbishley. I remember telling them to be careful what they wished for. They got their way and then it was downhill all the way after that. They couldn't touch us when we had the money and power over them. These roles have now been reversed. We would do well to remember that.

We have no right to win any trophy and as someone says, we have been the 2nd biggest spenders. Thats where we are I'm afraid. 2nd biggest spenders and 2nd in the league.

 

[Walters80]

We're 2nd. Which is where we should be in all honesty.

The financial gulf between Rangers and Celtic has never been greater in history than it is now. Look at the respective turnovers and wage bills of both clubs.

We must be the only club on the planet whereby a large chunk of the support expects their team to beat a rival who have double the spend of them every single season.

Our problem really hasn’t been trying to match the filth it’s been dropping points or losing to teams with budgets far smaller than ours.

Right now if someone said we’d beat the nonce 4 out of 4 next season I still wouldn’t be a 100% confident of the league as we’d end up dropping far more points to the likes of Aberdeen,Kilmarnock, Hamilton, Hibs etc than them.

If we sort out games against the likes of Kilmarnock and Aberdeen we’ll immediately become serious title contenders.

 

[iaatpies]

We're 2nd. Which is where we should be in all honesty.

The financial gulf between Rangers and Celtic has never been greater in history than it is now. Look at the respective turnovers and wage bills of both clubs.

We must be the only club on the planet whereby a large chunk of the support expects their team to beat a rival who have double the spend of them every single season.

It's the equivalent of 90s Rangers v biscuit tin era Celtic. It's Basil Boli v Wayne Biggins.

 

[Drumchapel-Bear]

I think there are other criteria by which many fans are holding him account, and not all of it includes beating Celtic.

What are these other things?

The fact Gerrard is under serious pressure from a lot of our fans, proves a large chunk of our fans only judge our managers on whether they are above Celtic or not. Gerrard has improved us by every possible measure since he took the job on, outwith finishing above Celtic in the league. So if he's under pressure (which he is), then it must be because he's not winning a title against a rival with double the spend of him and a rival who had far greater foundations already in place than him when he inherited his job.

That's looking at it objectively. That's the way people down South will look at it.

If Gerrard was to leave Rangers this summer he would at a bare minimum walk into a top Championship job, possibly even lower end of the EPL with a West Ham or the likes. Because most people looking from the outside in, will see he's actually done a good job here.

 

[scottm]

I think he’s probably lucky the shut down has happened. Domestically, since January they were abysmal.

I would say that's more down to the players than the manager.