Boss brings a bit of bite to ancient foes’ title duel, says Rae
AT THE age of 50 and long retired from the professional game, Alex Rae retains a fondness for a full-blooded sliding tackle.
For that very reason, he has temporarily ditched his regular six-a-side game with pals as he steps up his training for the London Marathon, which he will run for the Erskine charity in April.
An on-field encounter with Rangers boss Steven Gerrard in October confirmed the wisdom of his decision.
Unable to shift the competitive instinct that fuelled a career with stints at Wolves and Sunderland among others, Rae had a nibble at Gerrard during a Rangers v Liverpool legends match at Ibrox.
‘Steven was always a fierce competitor,’ he recalls. ‘I played against him in the Rangers Charity Foundation game a few weeks ago and within a few minutes I had done a little slide tackle.
‘Seventy minutes in, I got volleyed from the back. He came right through the back of me! These things don’t leave you.’
Rae, who played at Ibrox from 2004-06, senses the same competitive instincts in Gerrard’s ongoing attempt to make Rangers title winners.
From day one, Rae bristled against the suggestion that a lack of managerial experience would hinder the former England captain as he cut his teeth in such a high-profile position.
‘People said he lacked experience but the thing is that over the last few years, Rangers’ standards had slipped,’ says Rae.
‘That was allowed to happen because people didn’t quite grasp what it is to manage Rangers and what the expectations are.
‘Steven Gerrard gets that expectation because he had it for years at Liverpool. He was frightening as a player.
‘I collected loads of football tops through my career but only a few actually hang in the house. Gerrard, Gazza (Paul Gascoigne) and my old team-mate Kevin Phillips are the ones.
‘That’s an acknowledgement of the player Gerrard was. He had everything. As a modern midfielder, he was a driving force, he was a leader. Even as a kid, he had those credentials.
‘He could tackle, he could pass and he could score goals. And he could drive teams over the line. If he can get those characteristics through to his team…’
For the second season running, Rangers won the end-of-year derby at Celtic Park but the 2-1 victory seemed loaded with extra significance.
Now just two points adrift with a game in hand, that win saw Rangers turn what could have been an eight-point deficit into something more promising and, while Rae agrees there is something more substantial about them in year two of Gerrard’s reign, he urges caution.
Last term, the club visited Rugby Park on the back of the winter break and came undone. Celtic motored ahead and were able to withstand the departure of Brendan Rodgers to claim an eighth successive championship.
‘Celtic are still in a very strong position due to their personnel and resources,’ says Rae. ‘They’ve been over the course and distance. They know how to get it done.
‘Celtic have had such a free rein but the last 20 months have seen a remarkable transformation at Rangers.
‘Steven Gerrard needed to strip it back and clear out the deadwood, so I never thought there was the slightest possibility of Rangers winning the title last year. There was just too big a gulf.
‘Rangers fans should enjoy what happened on December 29, look at the progress, but the reality is they were in the same place last year and they have to learn. It’s no good beating Celtic and then losing to Kilmarnock and dropping points as they did.
‘But you can gauge last year’s shortfalls against what they are doing now.
‘Last year in Europe, they were in pole position to get out of the group. Same again this year but they got over the line.
‘They are managing games and seeing them out. I just think it’s impressive. And it’s good for the game. It’s the first time in a long time that Rangers players will genuinely believe they can do it.
‘There is nothing better than having a competitive league.
‘They’re in a decent place and I love the fact Rangers and Celtic are pushing each other. That’s the way it was in my day.’
ALEX RAE is running the London Marathon for the Erskine charity. You can support Alex by donating to his Virgin Money Giving Page at www.virginmoneygiving.com