Winning the title with Rangers would be a close second to Istanbul for Gerrard
He has that stature. When he walks into a room, you feel that presence
JAMIE CARRAGHER senses Steven Gerrard is creating something special. A feeling familiar from their storied playing days at Liverpool is being rekindled when Carragher watches Rangers under the command of his close friend.
He predicts Gerrard will deliver the Premiership title to Ibrox this season, stopping Celtic’s bid for nine-in-a-row in its tracks. And that would be an achievement, Carragher argues, to sit a close second behind the Miracle of Istanbul as Gerrard’s greatest feat in football.
The two men were team-mates when Liverpool recovered from 3-0 down at half-time in the 2005 Champions League final to defeat AC Milan in a penalty shoot-out.
Gerrard’s leadership as captain, his refusal to accept defeat, was crucial in achieving one of the greatest comebacks in sporting history. Now Carragher sees the 39-year-old manager fashioning a powerful unity at Ibrox.
The odds against Rangers becoming champions are obviously not as high as success for the Reds felt after 45 minutes in the Ataturk Stadium. Currently two points ahead after eight games, there are clear grounds for optimism.
Even so, Carragher points to Celtic’s superiority in finance and experience to underline the scale of the victory he believes Gerrard can go on to deliver in the months ahead.
‘I think it will be right up there with his success as a player, I really do,’ said Carragher, who turned out for a Liverpool Legends team alongside Gerrard at Ibrox last Saturday.
‘Because it is not a title that is expected in some ways.
‘There is no doubt that Celtic probably have the edge in terms of the squad, financially also. They almost have the belief that they win the league every year. I think Celtic have a lot of advantages that Rangers don’t have.
‘But I think they (Rangers) will do it this year. I have seen in some of the European and Old Firm games how the crowd and the atmosphere has been.
‘You think there is something bubbling here at Rangers. I know myself from Liverpool how it feels when the manager has the crowd and the players pulled together. It feels like that at Rangers when I watch them.
‘I think, for Steven, it’s probably difficult to top Istanbul, really. But I think this title would maybe be a close second or certainly in there and about.
‘It would be the first title he had won as a manager if he pulled it off. That would be massive. Also, it would be stopping Celtic on the run they are on — when Celtic have a bigger budget and are seen as the more successful team, the favourites going into many games.’
Carragher isn’t surprised by the progress of Gerrard (right) year-on-year. While Rangers were toothless when losing this season’s first Old Firm game back in September, the fact every other Premiership fixture has been won suggests there may not be a repeat of the damaging inconsistency of last term. ‘Steven just wouldn’t take shortcuts,’ said Carragher, who admitted that his Scottish leanings were towards Celtic prior to Gerrard’s arrival. ‘He is a massive name and a lot of people in his position might think they don’t need to do coaching courses or whatever. But he does it properly. ‘He just has that stature. He is Steven Gerrard. When he walks into a room, you feel that presence. ‘You could feel the connection he has with the supporters even during the Legends game. He has got the crowd in the palm of his hand and I’m sure it will be the same in the dressing room. ‘It’s a huge driver for a team. You look at the amount of goals Rangers have scored in games at Ibrox this season and you know something is happening. ‘I now follow Rangers on Twitter, so I see all the videos and different things of Steven and the players celebrating a big result. There is a togetherness there.
‘It was a big thing for Rangers to get into the Europa League group stage. That got them a few quid and probably gave them the means to go and get Ryan Kent just before the window closed.
‘Fingers crossed, he can push on even further now.’
But where could success at Rangers eventually lead? Jurgen Klopp sparked debate recently by admitting he would want Gerrard to replace him at Liverpool if he was ‘sacked tomorrow’.
Clearly, the German isn’t going to be leaving Anfield any time soon. But Carragher sees logic in his former team-mate being in the frame whenever that happens.
And he doesn’t believe there would be a need for Gerrard to first prove himself at a lesser English Premier League club.
‘Not necessarily,’ added Carragher. ‘There is no doubt that the more experiences he has of different places or clubs will enhance him in his managerial career. But there is nothing to say he couldn’t go straight from Rangers to Liverpool.
‘I can assure you now, however, that Steven Gerrard’s focus is on trying to stop Celtic winning nine in a row and on being successful at Ibrox.
‘He knows himself that football is about being in the right place at the right time. That was the case when he came to Rangers because you felt they probably couldn’t get any lower. I remember them losing 5-0 at Celtic not long before he took over.
‘People in England looked at that and thought Rangers were miles and miles behind, but Steven has come in and given them the opportunity they have today.
‘Who knows when Jurgen Klopp is going to go? Steven could be having a difficult time here. He could be somewhere else. Or he could be absolutely flying at Rangers, having won the league, and people are thinking he is made for the Liverpool job.
‘It can be unfair on managers because you might still be the same manager but it is about the timing and whether you are flavour of the month.
‘Stevie will be in the reckoning because he is Steven Gerrard. But more importantly, because he is doing really well as a manager.’