Unhappy Gers fans must give Stevie-g time
And still some Rangers supporters seem less than pleased about how the Steven Gerrard era has started.
Well, they’d do well to remember just what he inherited, and the low confidence levels of the players at that time.
Gerrard will continue to make things better and make Rangers more of a force.
But there has to be a sense of realism out there, and a degree of patience.
The big picture is not going to be achieved overnight.
Steven and everyone at the club will be delighted to see progress being made in Europe.
They defeated FK Shkupi of Macedonia fairly comfortably over the two legs, and now face an awkward tie against NK Osijek, the first leg being in Croatia on Thursday.
Of course, Steven and his staff will be under no illusions that one win solves all problems.
However, after the debacle this time last year on foreign shores under Pedro Caixinha, when the club was knocked out by a team from Luxembourg, any win must be welcomed.
Rangers aren’t going to win the Europa League, so I think Steven would view anything achieved in Europe as a bonus.
The focus will be on the domestic game and trying to improve on last season.
Yes, catching Celtic is the ultimate aim, but Rangers mustn’t take their eye off other competitors such as Aberdeen and Hibs.
I also think Hearts and Kilmarnock will do well this season.
If Rangers take anything for granted, they will be punished. They are not in a position to be dismissive of any opponent.
There is no use beating Celtic in an Old Firm game, and then losing elsewhere.
Brendan Rodgers has never lost a game to Rangers in his two years in Scotland as Celtic manager.
That is something Steven and his players will be desperate to overcome.
But there is much work to be done at Ibrox before the clubs meet on September 2 at Parkhead.
There have been many changes to the Ibrox squad, and that was required.
But I don’t think the transfer business is over, and I would expect two more quality players to come in.
I’m not trying to undermine what the Rangers players have done so far, but a wee bit more class here and there is needed.
Steven will be looking to see how his players react to different situations, and he will want to see players fight for a starting jersey and rise to any challenge they are confronted with.
If a player doesn’t do that, or steps out of line, then the player won’t be there long, that’s for sure.
The flip side is that Steven will support his players, work with them and try to improve them.
He will challenge them every day, and that’s what every player should want.
Any new arrivals should also be welcomed by the current players.
I know Steven hasn’t managed for long, but that doesn’t mean to say he isn’t a good manager.
I’ve said from the off, from when he was identified by Rangers, that he would be an excellent choice. I stand by that.
He has worked under plenty of top managers, and will have taken positives from them all.
He will also have remembered the stuff that he felt was detrimental, and made sure he doesn’t use it.
Of course, there will always be some people who are never satisfied, and Steven is well aware of that.
For example, one or two people may have wanted to have seen more flair and more goals against Shkupi, but that’s to be expected.
Brendan Rodgers has won back-toback Trebles with Celtic and, amazingly, there will still be a few Celtic fans who aren’t satisfied and find fault.
It comes with the territory.
It just goes to show that one or two dissenting voices are usually heard more than the tens of thousands willing to praise.
When you look at the attendance figures for the past two games at Ibrox – sold out against Shkupi and more than 40,000 for a friendly against Bury – it shows that there are loads of supporters willing to back him and get right behind what he is trying to achieve.
When you have that, you have more than a decent chance.
Also, getting back-to-back clean sheets in Europe is encouraging.
Sure, I accept the opposition wasn’t the strongest, but you need a base to build from. And, remember, it was with a back four and a goalkeeper who had never played together before in a competitive match.
As the weeks go on, Steven will improve things and give his players extra little bits of information to take on board.
You can be sure his teams will always be well-prepared, and encouraged to go and play attacking football.
Yes, there will be times when the focus will be on being tight defensively, but there will always be an opportunity to open up and be expansive.
It’s early days for Steven – but I think he’s heading in the right direction.