Steven Gerrard admits he was more nervous of breakfast with Walter Smith than derby clash

[ian1964 10,457]

Facing Celtic manager Neil Lennon didn’t worry Steven Gerrard on Sunday afternoon.

Yet a Saturday morning breakfast meeting with Rangers legend Walter Smith had him feeling like a nervous wreck.

Gerrard showed no signs of anxiety at Parkhead as Gers won there for the first time in nine years.

That previous win was back in the Smith era in 2010 when Kenny Miller scored twice in a 3-1 win.

But Gerrard doesn’t want to hear his name mentioned in the same sentence as the legendary Rangers boss — revealing he’s still in awe of the man after 18 months in the job.

He said: “Don’t mention me in the same breath as Walter Smith. Please don’t mention me and Walter Smith together. He is a legend to me.

“I had breakfast with Walter Smith on Saturday morning and I was as nervous as a kitten.

“I have got nothing but admiration and respect for the guy and I love it when he comes to see me.

“But don’t mention me in the same breath as Walter Smith, please.”

That was three times Gerrard mentioned Smith by his full name when referring to him — another sign of the respect he feels for the 71-year-old.

But the iconic gaffer would have been proud of the way Gerrard handled himself at Celtic Park.

He showed his emotions at the final whistle, but was there anything wrong with his celebrations?

Gerrard had done a job on Celtic and was entitled to enjoy his moment.

At 1-1 at half-time he had work to do getting into the heads of his players and convincing them they could beat Celtic when it mattered.

Gerrard said: “I just said to them to go and play the second 45 minutes and reward yourself for the last six months of hard work. Go back to the first day of pre-season and how do you want to feel walking out of this stadium?

“Do you want to reward yourself for six months of real hard graft and get a result that the majority of the first half deserved and that the previous 90 minutes against this team deserved? I think they went out and delivered.

“I was absolutely delighted with the majority of the first half.

“When you come to places like Celtic Park, it is important that you frustrate the crowd and the Celtic team and we had them exactly where we wanted them after 35 minutes.

“We were dominating and then obviously we concede a penalty and Allan McGregor does wonders to save that.

“Then we suffer an equaliser that came from us getting involved in a game that was up and down and that I didn’t really want.

“I said to them at half-time that we don’t want to get involved in a game that is up and down because they have got good players, got pace and got quality.

“I wanted us to reset and continue the game-plan that allowed us to dominate for 35 minutes and in periods of the second half we did it again.

“Celtic are always going to have moments and they are always going to put crosses into your box and have shots. They are a good team, a successful team.”

Rangers played as a team but individually there were some standout performances from the likes of McGregor, Borna Barisic, Steven Davis and Ryan Kent.

Gerrard should take credit for the way he’s changed the mentality within the changing room in the last 18 months.

He said: “I have got characters. The team needed a spine, a lot of change. It needed big players who weren’t scared of the big occasion.

“It had some and it had a few that were coming to the end that I wished were ten years younger, like your Kenny Millers.

“But there were a lot of changes that needed to happen. We had to virtually wipe it clean over two or three transfer windows.

“We are still not finished. We need to keep building, keep getting stronger, keep learning.

“But I look at this team and it is different to the one I inherited by a long way.”

There have still been some glitches this season — failing to win at Aberdeen wasn’t good enough before the Betfred Cup final defeat to Celtic. Winning on Sunday felt huge, but writing off Lennon’s men would be a foolish mistake for anyone to make.

And Gerrard is no fool.

He said: “Look, I respect opinions and it is not always going to be nice. That is football at the top.

“Celtic and Rangers get a lot of attention in the media. Opinions are going to fly here, there and everywhere. They are going to fly to my players as a group.

“But I know my players. I work with them daily and I have gone on this journey with them.

“I have a lot of belief and confidence that if we keep doing the right things and show character like we did on Sunday and in the cup final, then our day will come.”

Gers will head out to Dubai for the winter break, with Gerrard determined to bring them back with the same focus and drive they had at Celtic Park.

He added: “The next step is to qualify in the Scottish Cup. It is to be professional and be ready to try and beat Stranraer and then St Mirren.

“Last year, after a really positive derby win, for whatever reason, we never got the result we wanted at Rugby Park and that was damaging.

“So we have to be ready come the beginning of the game against St Mirren. We need to go and fight and show character like we did against Celtic and get another three points. It is just game by game.”

https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/sport/football/5118094/rangers-celtic-gerrard-nervous-breakfast-smith/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1577745308

[buster. 4,811]

Reminds me of the Walter Smith celebration after Edu got that last minute winner...

 

A gentleman in his mid-sixties leaping into the air in a CR7 pose