The Weight of Expectation

[Doc 280]

This stems from a conversation with my brother on the phone before the Maribor game and then the aftermath of that 3-1 win. My brother said, “This is different, Gerrard doesn’t have to be here. But he is and it’s great.”

 

That set me thinking because he was right. Stephen Gerrard didn’t have to come to Rangers. He could have chosen to start his managerial career at any number of clubs in the Championship or even in League One and the assembled punditry would have nodded their heads sagely and pronounced it a wise move for a young, promising manager to learn his trade before seeking to take on his ultimate ambition – which every man and his dog knows Is to manage Liverpool one day.

But Gerrard is here and he has chosen to be manager of our club, with all of the burdens that such a role brings.

 

I watched Gerrard as a player with Liverpool and England and while I could stand back and admire the notable outstanding performances (CL final, saving Liverpool in the FA Cup with the wonder strike against West Ham, etc) he always struck me as an enigma. He was never totally likeable and the best that I could say about him was that he was the least unlikeable England captain of recent years. He seemed to carry all of the weight of expectation for both Liverpool and England upon his shoulders and while there were CL and FA Cup campaigns where he reached the pinnacle of success, the ultimate prizes of a Premier League title for Liverpool or a World Cup for England were always snatched away.

 

As a Man City fan I laughed my head off when he stumbled, allowed Chelsea to score and handed the title to City in 2014. I was delighted and utterly unsympathetic in the heat of the moment but the aftermath was uncomfortable because you could see how much it had meant to him personally. That one moment crystallized everything about his career and his honest reaction to it afterwards, that it would hurt him until the day he dies, is I think at the heart of where we are now. Gerrard probably knows the extremes of ultimate success against all odds and the deepest pit of defeat, feeling that he was responsible for it – more than 99.9% of players or managers.

 

It’s easy to say he is looking for redemption and it’s probably no secret he would ultimately like to wipe out that day in 2014 by winning a title as manager of Liverpool. But that doesn’t explain why he is here. Why he chose us.

 

Thank goodness he has because spirits around Rangers have been raised to a degree that would have been unimaginable 6 months ago. When Pedro was gone, Murty was probably going to be let go, most of us would have been happy to accept anyone who looked like they had a clue how to manage a team properly and get it to defend at least.

 

For the first time since Walter was manager I feel like we have someone at the helm who understands tactics and has a vision beyond the next crisis. For the first time since Souness arrived in 1986 I feel like we have a manager who feels comfortable with the grandeur of Ibrox and the history of the Rangers that the building embodies to us all. McCoist, Warburton, Pedro and Murty all looked too small for the Rangers manager’s suit, the arto deco furnishings made them look uncomfortable and somehow less. But from the day he walked in Gerrard looked like, not only was he comfortable with it, he understood the importance, he intuitively knew what a big cub expected and what its manager must be.

 

Ultimately how he does will be decided by results on the pitch and we all hope and pray that things go well. The start to the season and the transformation in the attitude and work ethic displayed by the team has been a revelation compared to where we were at the end of last season. If we can catch and overtake Celtic within a couple of seasons, it will rank as one of the greatest achievements for any rookie manager anywhere it football. That’s the prize and boy is it worth having. Gerrard knows you don’t get to be Liverpool manager just by who you were – witness Gary Neville, his failed management career and any dreams of managing Manchester United turned to dust. You have to succeed and at as high a level as you can. Rangers are a club who can succeed and who wouldn’t want to be the man to make that happen?

 

Although it’s painful to remember, the closest parallel to Gerrard’s arrival that I can think of is Martin O’Neill taking over at Celtic. After a successful spell at Leicester O’Neill was being courted by top English clubs and he didn’t have to move to the Piggery. He chose to be there because he believed, and sadly for us was ultimately proved correct, that he was the right man at the right time and could make a difference.

 

For the first time in ages I feel we have a manager who, while he is still learning, has already assimilated a lot from all of the top flight coaches that he has worked with for club and country and will bring that to our dressing room. Uniquely that includes knowledge of the management techniques being used by the coach of out bitter rivals. We have a manager who understands young players and who will expect the best that he knows his players are capable of giving and it shows on the pitch.

The weight of expectation hangs heavy at Rangers. It always has because of our glorious history and what we expect as fans from our players and our manager. There is a Rangers way, typified by class and dignity and the way that Gerrard has presented himself so far ticks every one of those boxes. He makes me proud in my club again in a way I can’t entirely explain and which hasn’t been there for years. For the first time in a while I feel we have a manager who carries that weight of expectation, not clumsily like his predecessors, but securely and with a steely sense of purpose. I feel that Gerrard has chosen us because of who we are and what we represent and he isn’t ashamed even if the media would desperately love him to be. He wants to be here because the chase is on, the prize is there to be won and he welcomes that chase like no other.

 

Let’s go!

[Gaffer 1,665]

Excellent post Doc!  You make many good points there, and the one that stands out for me is why us?  He knew most people feel it's a thankless task at a time when Celtic should roll us over for the foreseeable future.  And yet, as you say, he decided we were the right club to match his needs/ambitions at this time.  He's got confidence and determination, but also that ability to accept and thrive on expectation.  As you say, he's lived with that for much of his career.

 

Im sure though even he could not have predicted the turnaround he could have achieved in such a short time.  We don't know if it's enough to challenge Celtic, and based on the depth of our squad in defence, it said way to early to think we could compete in all fronts for en entire season.  However, there is so much to be encouraged by.  At the same time, there appears to be trouble in paradise as anyone will know who listened to Brenda's post match interview.  Based on that, I can't  see him being their manager by the end of the season.

 

While the Celtic fans revelled in our financial issues, their focus was lost from their own club.  Do they realise that they are just one bad season away from a financial meltdown?  Anyway, that's their problem.  My point on this is that Gerrard seems to have arrived at the start of a storm.  If he is capable of navigating us through this season while that other lot timplode, it could be the stuff of dreams.

 

There's a long way to go of course, but we are on the right track.  If we get three points today and then push Celtic next weekend, I think we will see a new order begin to take shape in Scotland.

 

Lets get three points today though.  If we do that, who knows what might happen in the course of a week.

[JFK-1 1,666]

There can be no disputing that Gerrad jumped in at the deep end when he came to Ibrox and he knew exactly what he was getting into but still totally went for it. I think he actually said the chance was a no brainer for him and that shows real guts and supreme confidence.

 

If this all went pear shaped for him he had to be well aware he could be shooting himself in the foot Nevillesque style regarding his Liverpool ambitions but still he went for it. Kudos Stevie and so far it's all working out.

 

Aside from all the obvious reasons I as a  Rangers fan want this to work out I also want Gerrard to get the chance to give an Osijek manager type middle finger to all the media scoffers who wrote him off before he even got started.

[Rousseau 9,309]

I think someone on the Sunday Supplement made a good point when he was appointed, suggesting that a move to us is actually better long term, as he'd perhaps get a move -- if he does well -- to a top PL side from us. Whereas if he'd went to a team in the Championship or League One he'd need another move before getting anywhere near the Liverpool job. 

[Uilleam 5,396]

For the support, it's not the weight, it's the  wait. 

[Doc 280]

6 hours ago, Uilleam said:

For the support, it's not the weight, it's the  wait. 

To be fair you can hardly blame Gerrard for that. The fact that we got thrown to the wolves in 2012 has a lot more to do with it. I'd love it to be this season where we win the league again but if it's next year I'll take it just as long as we stop those smug fuckers from across the city.

[Doc 280]

8 hours ago, Rousseau said:

I think someone on the Sunday Supplement made a good point when he was appointed, suggesting that a move to us is actually better long term, as he'd perhaps get a move -- if he does well -- to a top PL side from us. Whereas if he'd went to a team in the Championship or League One he'd need another move before getting anywhere near the Liverpool job. 

That's an interesting perspective and it might very well be true. Success at Rangers might lead to a top PL job a step quicker but the risks that come from failure are also higher too. The great thing about Gerrard is that he seems to understand this and even thrive on it. It doesn't faze him in the way that it would so many others. That's what makes me excited.

[Doc 280]

8 hours ago, JFK-1 said:

 

Aside from all the obvious reasons I as a  Rangers fan want this to work out I also want Gerrard to get the chance to give an Osijek manager type middle finger to all the media scoffers who wrote him off before he even got started.

Especially all the ex-Celtic pundits and their journo pals who couldn't wait to stick their oar in and say that Gerrard wouldn't last 6 months. A huge serving off egg is hopefully en route to their faces come Christmas when he's still here and we're on top of the league.

[Gonzo79 13,550]

Souness was a great success up here and failed at Liverpool.  I'm not sure Liverpool would view him winning the league in Scotland, even this season, as validation that he should be their manager.

 

The English view our league as a joke, probably with some justification.

 

All I care about is us winning our league back and early signs suggest Gerrard might be the man to achieve that.  I hope he grows to really love Rangers and we all have a duty in that regard.  He won't be here forever, so let's focus on the here and now.

[compo 6,078]

Our managers stupid stumble against Chelsea  that day cost me £36,000 that day if he brings success to our club I will forgive him ?