AstonVilla

Gerrard did well at Rangers but has he really earned the Aston Villa job? | Ewan Murray

11-Nov-2021 13:00:06 | The Guardian

There was plenty to admire, notably the league title, but it is hard to imagine his CV as a manager alone got him this move

The cocksure approach of Old Firm supporters is only occasionally – and amusingly – spoked. When Brendan Rodgers decided Leicester City was a more valid career option than seeking to equal, or make, history at Celtic the response was volcanic. Steven Gerrard will be spared such abuse – the Rangers following go weak at the knees within 500 yards of their now former manager – but the swapping of Ibrox for Villa Park and Premier League mediocrity still stings. Rangers, fresh from years as an on- and off-field laughing stock, adored the kudos bestowed on them by association with Gerrard. That he chose to walk away is a blow to light blue ego.

Rodgers, it should be noted, departed Glasgow with seven domestic honours – including two Trebles – and further Champions League experience. Gerrard has collected one Scottish trophy from a possible nine, with his wider mission as incomplete as it is tricky to evaluate. What he has in common with Rodgers, his former manager, is a debt of gratitude to a club in Glasgow, who did as much to elevate status as was the case in reverse. Rangers were good for Steven Gerrard by providing an environment not widely available elsewhere. If you can manage the Old Firm, you can manage anywhere, as Dick Advocaat once put it.