Kean says Coleman laid path for Gerrard success
Now he believes Steven Gerrard can do exactly the same at Rangers – because the job is about leadership and inspiration as much as knowledge.
And he reckons the Liverpool legend has it coming through his pores – just like the man who went on to take Wales to Euro 2016, their first major finals for 58 years.
Scotsman Kean worked as assistant boss to Coleman and former Bolton, Blackburn, West Ham and England manager Sam Allardyce.
He is convinced Gerrard and No. 2 Gary McAllister have the right blend to revive an Ibrox club taking a roll of the dice despite his inexperience.
The former Blackburn Rovers boss said: “I was there when Chris took the step from being a captain to a manager at Fulham.
“He was just finding his feet in coaching behind the scenes after he had nearly lost a leg in a car crash.
“Fulham sacked Jean Tigana with five games of the season to go when they were in the bottom three of the Premiership and they looked doomed.
“But Chris took 10 points to save them.
“Steven has a bit more coaching behind him than Chris had at the time because he has done a bit in the Liverpool academy.
“But I always think: Inspire players and speak like a captain. Chris was brilliant at that.
“He’d go in at half-time and say how it was. I said, ‘I’ll bounce off you – you go and speak. I’ l l pick out another couple of points.’ “Initially I’d put on the training sessions and Chris would lead the club as a captain and maybe that’s why Steven has brought in Gary Mac. “Gary has been a manager and possibly has more experience. “He wi l l free up Steven to motivate and inspire, which is a massive part of the job. “I’ve seen players raise their game just from having a pep talk. “It was great initially with Jean, a wonderful player who used to inspire by taking part, being the best in training. All the smallsided games. “But he wasn’t really a talker and it was a very quiet dressing room.
“It was Chris, the captain, who’d speak at half-time. Jean wouldn’t say anything.
“Steven will inspire just because of the level he has played at and he speaks as a captain.
“There won’t be anything disguised or brushed under the carpet. The boys will relate to that because sometimes things that should be said aren’t.”
Former Celt Kean is back in Scotland this summer to staff the SFA’s coaching licences and is on the lookout for work after four years in Brunei.
The 50-year-old has kept a close eye on Rangers from afar to see how former Reading mate Graeme Murty coped in the top job. F e w p e o p l e wo u l d understand more what the caretaker boss went through at Ibrox.
He could write the book on being thrown in at the deep end a f t er h i s experiences inheriting the Blackburn reins f rom Allardyce under the Venkys’ ownership.
He sighed: “I felt for Murts. I was at Reading when Tommy Burns brought him in.
“What happened to him is exactly what happened to me. You get the job for one game then it’s two – then to the end of the season.
“You just try to keep the dressing room right and get the boys in shape to win games. It’s hard.
“You get sacked if you do a bad job and if you do a good job you might be included in the next staff.”
Murty has yet to decide on his own future after losing the reins at Ibrox for the final three games of the season to Jimmy Nicholl.
The offer to retake his post as the club’s Under-20s boss is still on the table.
But Kean reckons now he’s had the limelight he may struggle to go back.
He said: “Graeme will have the taste for first-team football and to go back to the academy is different.
“He had a degree of success so will now realise he can bring something to a first-team group.
“It looked like he was enjoying the responsibility and dealing with the more senior players.
“You still get a buzz when the whistle blows every game – but when you are the lead guy it’s everything.
“Once you’ve had that for a while it’s very difficult to think of not doing it.”
Kean ended up a public punchbag for the Blackburn fans because of t he la ck of v is ib le leadership from the Ewood Park hierarchy.
Murty ended up with the same issue, having to spend his press conferences as the only voice of the club.
How the 43- year- old reacts to any last ing damage caused by that will determine his future.
Kean said: “It depends the way you look at damage.
“I was getting a hard time from the fans because there was no real public figure within the club.
“I wa s a n swe r i n g questions that weren’t really football questions.
“Even through the tough times our dressing room was tremendous – even all the stick that was going on with owners.
“I ’ m sure Murts would have been the same.
“Decisions a re ma de above your head but those making them don’t have to hold press conferences. So you are it.
“And you’ve got everyone on a Friday asking about it and nothing related to the game the next day. the
“In Graeme’s case it was all about who the next manager was going to be.
“Each time there’s a good result he put himself in with a better shout. Each time there’s a bad result it was: Is this your last game?
“Is that damaging? It depends. If you win, it’s not. Was there an improvement in the team? If there was then he did his job.”