GERRARD COULD CREATE A DYNASTY
But he’ll need financial muscle to do that says 1987 hero Munro
STEVEN GERRARD could spark a decade of dominance for Rangers by smashing Celtic’s 10-in-a-row dream. It seems only a catastrophic collapse will stop the Ibrox men from clinching their 55th title in one of the most remarkable campaigns of recent times.
And former star Stuart Munro believes Gerrard can create a new dynasty just like Graeme Souness 35 years ago.
Rangers were also-rans in Scottish football when Souness took over, delivered a first title in nine years and set out the route map for an incredible era of success.
Munro’s only fear, though, is that, like Souness, Gerrard will answer the call to his beloved Anfield.
Munro, who has lived in Australia for the last 20 years, said: ‘I think Gerrard could create a dynasty in the same way that Souness did. But he will need the financial muscle to do so.
‘The big difference between Rangers and Celtic was Champions League money and if Rangers can get it for the next couple of years and become even stronger then Gerrard could do something very special.
‘Celtic are still a wealthy club, though. Back in my day they had some issues and I think that undoubtedly helped us.
‘So I think it will still be a two-horse race, but Gerrard can get his nose ahead by winning this title and building again.
‘The big problem down the line is how long will Rangers be able to keep him if he goes on a run like that.
‘There are obvious parallels with Souness — both exceptional players, both young coaches and both have a deep love for Liverpool.
‘So two or three years down the track if they come calling I don’t think there’s any doubt he would go, so that’s the worry for Rangers.
‘The pressure was huge on Celtic this season because of the possibility of 10 but they haven’t handled it and Rangers have blown them away.
‘Steven Gerrard is clearly showing he has grown into being a very good manager and coach and that’s justified the faith shown in him.
‘He took a couple of years to settle into the job but it’s paying dividends now.
‘Like Souness, he has such high standards because he played at the very highest level and that’s clearly rubbing off on the players.
‘He’s made Rangers better every year and that’s no mean feat because recruitment isn’t easy for either half of the Old Firm these days.
‘They’re competing with Championship clubs in England, not just lower-end Premiership.
‘It’s not like in my day when we were signing England’s captain (Terry Butcher) and England’s goalkeeper (Chris Woods) and then continued that trend with top players coming to Ibrox.’
Rangers have a huge lead over Celtic with only 13 games to go and Munro is certain the wait for title glory is over. He said: ‘There’s such a big gap it would be ridiculous if they threw it away but pressure can be a funny thing.
‘If they slip up a couple of times and Celtic win the next Old Firm game, then things might get tricky.
‘But it seems to me that they can cope with where they are. They just need to stay consistent.
‘And the other aspect is that Celtic don’t look like going on a concerted run right now after dropping points coming back from Dubai. They haven’t won a game yet.’ Munro (left), who won four titles at Ibrox, knows that the Class of ’87 is still revered but feels Gerrard’s men will take an even more prevalent place in Rangers’ history.
The former full-back, who coaches in Melbourne, said: ‘We hadn’t won anything for a few years and we hadn’t won the league for nine years, so I don’t think we had fears about things then — it was the complete opposite.
‘I think we all felt that we had nothing to lose and as we went along confidence began to build and build.
‘It was a case of driving each other on and we got on that roll where we felt we could win every game.
‘A lot of players left when Graeme Souness came in — some by choice, some not — but I decided to stay because I felt I could develop more as a player and I wanted to be part of what was happening.
‘We knew that money was going to be spent and players were going to come in but I wanted to fight for a place.
‘There was a core of us — all Rangers supporters — that wanted to be part of it all, Ally McCoist, Davie Cooper, Ian Durrant, Robert Fleck, Derek Ferguson and Dave McPherson.
‘There was no way any of these guys were going to walk away.
‘They could feel there was something special happening and it snowballed very quickly.
‘We were all completely aware of what it would mean to the supporters if we could win the league that season — and of course what it would mean to us.
‘The current Rangers team will be feeling the same way because it’s 10 years since the flag was flying at Ibrox. But there is a big difference. Of course, all the players and staff will be wanting to win it for themselves but it’s also about stopping Celtic getting 10.
‘As much as they won’t talk about that, there is no doubt it’s there.
‘Back in 1987 Aberdeen, Celtic and Dundee United had all won the league in the preceding years, so it was a case of just trying to become champions after such a long time.
‘Now, of course, Celtic have won nine in a row and no Rangers supporter wants them getting 10, so I think that comes first and the personal glory will come after that.
‘So I think there will be a mixture of relief and sheer joy when Rangers win this title whereas it was all about celebration in my time.
‘However, there is no doubt that this group of players are going to write their names into history and it might be a few weeks after that it all sinks in.
‘They’re going to be remembered for years to come and that is something very special.’