CHRIS JACK
Signs of progress outweigh Gers’ derby blues
The first Old Firm showdown of the season is not the moment to judge Gerrard’s capabilities
WHEN it comes to life at the Old Firm, the snapshot can often overshadow the big picture and views can easily become distorted.
There appears little chance of Steven Gerrard falling into that particular trap and he will hope that supporters follow his lead as they reflect on his first handful of matches as Rangers manager.
The clash with Celtic was always going to be the biggest test of both Gerrard and his recruits to date but it was, win, lose or draw, never going to be a defining one.
When the fixtures for the Premiership campaign were released, Gerrard insisted he wasn’t daunted by the trips to Pittodrie, Fir Park and Parkhead in the opening weeks. It was a challenge to relish, to rise to.
With the international break now upon us, the 38-year-old has an opportunity to reflect and take stock not only of where Rangers are, but how far they are from where they want to and need to be.
Five points from the first 12 available is hardly the start that Gerrard would have hoped for but the signs of improvement and of progress will be heartening as he looks forward to the run of games the other side of the first mini shutdown this season.
The trip to Villarreal and home matches with Rapid Vienna and Spartak Moscow over the next few weeks are rewards for Rangers’ exemplary efforts in the Europa League.
But they are overshadowed in terms of importance by the domestic fixtures that the Light Blues have as they look to put together another unbeaten run, and ensure it goes beyond the 13-match sequence that came to an end on derby day.
Gerrard expressed a belief in the aftermath of the 1-0 defeat at Parkhead that his side will be an improved outfit by the time of the next Old Firm showdown in December.
“I think we’ve done ever so well,” he said as he reflected on his first few weeks in charge.
“Thursday night was a big moment, the first thing we’ve achieved as a team. “Coming here today and getting the right result would have made it a perfect
start, in terms of the staff and players becoming a group. It’s a setback today, the result.
“But now it’s about really praising the players for the run of games they’ve been on and what they’ve achieved so far.
“Now we need to go on another run of games. The fixture schedule is a little bit kinder after the break.
“But we need to go on another run, that’s what being a successful team is all about. You learn from your setbacks.
“You take them on the chin, they hurt, but you try to improve. That goes for me as well as the players.”
It is how Rangers, and Gerrard, react to this defeat, and perhaps the worst performance of the campaign to date, that will give supporters an insight into the manager and the squad he has assembled.
Rangers will always be measured against Celtic, and vice-versa, but the first Old Firm showdown of the season is not the moment to judge Gerrard’s capabilities.
His side is one still very much in its infancy and the group that was beaten at Parkhead still has Lassana Coulibaly, Joe Worrall and Eros Grezda to come into it. By the time Dundee visit Ibrox in a fortnight, Gareth McAuley will have been added as well.
There will, of course, be a disappointment and frustration in the result, and the manner of it, against Celtic on Sunday but there should also be an appreciation of the work that has gone in to rebuild a team and a squad in a short space of time.
There have been more positives than negatives, more highs than lows, for Gerrard so far and the optimism and excitement that coursed through the support at the start of the season won’t be watered down on the back of one defeat, even one to Celtic.
The bigger picture will still make pleasant viewing for Gerrard and supporters.