Ready, willing & stable
Smith salutes Gerrard’s work in bouncing back from misery to make Gers real force
Rangers do it as a team now, that’s the most impressive thing of all WALTER SMITH HAILS GERRARD’S TURNAROUND
WHEN a devastated Steven Gerrard confessed he was feeling pain at the lowest ebb of his Rangers tenure, Walter Smith winced a little too.
The Ibrox great could appreciate Gerrard’s torment at Tynecastle in the immediate aftermath of a game many felt might spell the end of a hitherto promising reign.
Even with years of experience in the bank as a gaffer, Smith admits doubts and concerns can creep into the mind of a manager trying to regain a grip on the wheel.
So imagine the agonies torturing Gerrard and the uphill task he stared at midway through only season two of the job he accepted at the outset of a new career.
He stressed that questions of himself would feature in a pain-staking post-mortem of Scottish Cup defeat to Hearts.
Many more deserved to be posed to players who had demonstrated an inability to reach the mentality of a relentless winner that is a Rangers prerequisite.
Gerrard openly debated whether they shared his level of suffering as hopes of silverware were extinguished for another year.
He received a pitiful response in the midweek home defeat by Hamilton that followed.
With that disconnect laid bare, it’s all the more noteworthy in Smith’s eyes that 40-year-old Gerrard has managed to gather his group to perform as they have in the last four months. They’ve sprinted 11 points clear of Celtic in the Premiership table, are undefeated atop their Europa League group and boast a defensive record of 17 clean sheets from 22 games. Smith is pleased to recognise Gerrard’s side have tackled their old failings and now appear in good shape for transforming Rangers into Scotland’s dominant team. Smith said: “You do worry. That’s what managers do, they worry. Nobody can get away from that. “T h a t ’ s wh a t happened to them last year. They had a good start to the season, got themselves into a really good position at the turn of the year. “Then, especially after having that three- week break, they came back and results weren’t as good. “Losing a game can turn a season for you. The margin for error at Rangers or Celtic is minimal and there’s a learning aspect to that. “They’ve shown good bits before. The challenge now is for them to prove that nothing like that happens
again. Rangers are accepting it so far, that one of the things they must face up to is what happened previously.
“I’m sure that Rangers will approach this in the right manner. Of course it’s been impressive to see what’s happened since the end of last season.
“Steven is doing a terrific job at the club. Hopefully he will continue to do so.”
Smith recognises all of the obstacles in a Rangers manager’s way in competing for a Scottish league title.
It was a challenge that he successfully hurdled on 10 occasions at Ibrox, starting with the 1991 finale in the wake of Graeme Souness joining Liverpool.
In Gerrard’s case, halting the Celtic juggernaut before it claims ‘The Ten’ is the onerous task.
The 2020/21 job has not even reached the halfway point but the signs are more promising than ever since Smith led Rangers to the 2011 crown and, certainly, are not as deceiving as in the previous p two years.
There is quiet confidencenfidence behind Smith’s hope thatat a different dynamic is at play these days.
A host of players who let Gerrard down have noww adopted an accountability overr performing in every single contestest and coping with the pressures. .
Tests at Pittodrierie and Rugby Park, Rangers graveyardsveyards of late, were passed with 1-0 wins thanks to Ryan Kent andd rejuvenated skipper James Tavernier. ernier.
Goal difference-e-boosting wins over Dundeee United, Motherwell, Hamiltonlton and Aberdeen have alleviated eviated worries over kilkil ling opponents off.
Key problem areasas of the previous two years ears seem to have been addressed and Smith senses belief building in the camp as a result.
He said: “Rangers really do it as a team now, that’s the impressive thing about them.
“Every one of them has started to take on an aspect of responsibility in attacking and defending and that’s a credit to the work done by Steven and the staff.
“Consistency of performance has been the major thing. They’ve previously hit a very good level of play at different periods.
“But this season they have got what looks like a level of consistency there that was missing a wee bit from their play.
“The basis for getting to that level in a team is successfully mixing your aspects of defending and attacking and it’s one of the hardest aspects for any coach to achieve.
“If you’re overloaded with forward players you can do one but maybe struggle in defence and vice versa.
“Rangersg have found a ggood balance and now, along with that consistency, is a llevelevel of confidence ff romrom the players that they can achieve. That’s the thing I’ve noticed about them.”
Gerrard was at a loss to explain the gulf in quality between their European form and the drastic collapse of their title ambitions last spring.
They knocked Portuguese cracks Braga out with home and away wins yet lost to bottom six sides Kilmarnock, Accies and Hearts following the winter break.
The next couple of months will see Betfred and William Hill Scottish Cup dates added to the calendar to test that squad strength, starting tomorrow when visiting Falkirk.
The condensed Europa League schedule continues with the Ibrox return against Standard Liege.
Then they embark on away trips to face Ross County, Lech Poznan and Dundee United within a week before the festive football.
Smith is impressed at how Rangers have dealt with the demands so far in Gerrard’s third year of group stage qualification.
He said: “‘When you’ve got your eye on a prize, it’s always difficult pplayingayg in otothere oones.es.
“That goes for Cup gamgames and European ties, especialespecially when you’ve an eye on winningwinn the league championship for the first time in a while.
“It doesn’t seem to bother Rangers at the present mmoment. Their European perfoperformances have been terrific.
“From where RangRangers were a few years ago to whwhere they are now is a credit to eeveryone who is working there. “Steven has been able to rotate a wee bit. No one ccan have any complaintscomplain about not gettingget an oppoopportunity.
“It is a reareally good teateam effort fofor them.”
NO WORRIES Smith says Gerrard has worked wonders