GERRARD IS COOKING UP A STORM
Butcher and celebrity chef Ramsay agree Rangers boss has found the right recipe
SAVOURING the near-forgotten taste of Old Firm victory was a treat Terry Butcher enjoyed in the company of a culinary mastermind.
There was only one topic on the menu when the former Rangers captain bumped into Gordon Ramsay recently. Steven Gerrard’s recipe for success against Celtic has, Butcher believes, whetted the appetites of Ibrox fans across the length and breadth of the country.
Even so, the 60-year-old isn’t letting his optimism boil over. Butcher insists Brendan Rodgers’ side remain favourites for an eighth successive title. Losing a first derby in 13 might well spark a renewed response from Parkhead.
But that possibility cannot mask Butcher’s delight at the steps being taken by Gerrard, whose side will re-enter Premiership action level on points with Celtic, having played a game more. Serving up silverware is once again a realistic possibility.
Ramsay, it seems, is similarly enthused by Gerrard’s work. The Renfrewshire-born celebrity chef has never hidden his affection for Rangers, having had a trial at the club as a youth player.
‘When you’re building a squad and, as a manager you’re new as well, then you’re learning all the time,’ said Butcher, who won three league titles in four years at Ibrox.
‘The progress Steven Gerrard has made in a very short space of time is quite remarkable and to beat Celtic was just incredible.
‘I’m not name-dropping here but, on January 2, I was in a restaurant in Wadebridge in Cornwall, having my usual bucket of beer, when who walked in but Gordon Ramsay and his wife, who went to sit down in the far corner.
‘It had just been revealed that she was pregnant, so I thought I’d send across a drink with the message: “From one Rangers legend to another”. I wouldn’t normally say that but I thought I’d better go big!
‘Then he came over and it was great because the people I was with were going: “Wow! This is unbelievable”. The first thing he wanted to talk about was Rangers’ victory over Celtic four days earlier. He was ecstatic about that and so was I.
‘But that summed up how much progress has been made on and off the pitch. To have Gordon Ramsay talking about it, I’d imagine Steven Gerrard would be pleased about that. He owes me a drink now. It was 12 games without beating Celtic but it felt like 12 years.’
Adding the experience of Jermain Defoe and Steven Davis into the mix of ingredients takes Butcher further back in time. Gerrard’s loan moves to pluck established talent — albeit underused in recent times — from the English Premier League is a reminder of when another Liverpool legend lured Butcher and others north of the border.
‘It takes me back to 1986 and 1987, when Graeme Souness was bringing in big players from England — international players,’ said the ex-Motherwell, Inverness Caley Thistle and Hibernian boss.
‘That gives everyone at the club a huge lift. I don’t know how much Rangers are paying towards their wages — not 100 per cent, obviously — but it’s great.
‘They’re top-class players. They can offer so much and not just on the field.
‘Midfield players can go to Davis and ask him this and that about how they can improve. Alfredo Morelos must be thinking that, as well as having competition for his place if they continue with a lone striker, here’s someone he can learn from in Defoe.
‘Steven Gerrard knows Jermain well from facing him many times and, when you play against someone, you see into their soul.
‘Jermain hasn’t won many medals up until now and he’s come to a country where Celtic have been winning everything.
‘He has the opportunity to write himself into the history books by becoming the catalyst who helped Rangers finally get over the line, whether that’s in the championship or the Scottish Cup.
‘The Old Firm game was a massive boost for everybody concerned with the club and who supports the club. These two boys coming in has kicked it on a bit further.’
But how much further? Can Rangers find the consistency required in the second half of the season to end Celtic’s Premiership dominance? Or will the Scottish Cup, in which Gerrard’s men face Cowdenbeath on Friday night, provide the best chance to end a major trophy drought that extends back to 2011.
‘I have lots of Scottish friends in England, Rangers fans, and they are delirious,’ said Butcher. ‘They are saying: “We’re going to win the league!”. I say: “Hold on a minute, let’s not get too carried away”. Celtic have great experience of going through the whole season and ending up with the title. ‘Winning a trophy would give Rangers lots of confidence. However, I must temper this by saying they may have poked the bear. Celtic will have woken up after that defeat thinking: “Let’s get our act together,” which they can do quite well. ‘You can easily get carried away. When I played for Rangers a generation ago, we would beat Celtic and then we’d lose the next game no matter the opposition because we’d be cocky and over-confident and you’d think you could just turn up because we’d won against our main rivals.
‘That’s why I believe the winter break could work in Rangers’ favour. Gerrard’s players would have been dying to play again after that win but I think a few of them were running on empty by that stage and the rest will do them good.
‘I’ve always believed this break is good for players, not just physically but psychologically as well. It allows everyone to get back on track because Rangers have difficult away games coming up.
‘They can re-focus now. Celtic would have been itching to get back into action after losing but Rangers have had the chance to regroup and readjust and get everything right again.’
Premier Sports will screen live and exclusive coverage of Cowdenbeath v Rangers (Friday, January 18) and Celtic v Airdrieonians (Saturday, January 19) in the Scottish Cup. Available on Sky, Virgin Media and via the Premier Player, new subscribers can get their first month free. Visit www. premiersports.com for details.