Stevie’s a really humble guy but he has given Rangers the confidence and steel they lacked
SAYS ALEX McLEISH
BACK in the home dugout at Ibrox to guide a Rangers Legends team on Saturday afternoon, Alex McLeish revelled in recollections of the success he surveyed from that vantage point.
Two league titles dramatically sealed on the final day of the season were among seven trophies gathered during his four-and-a-half year tenure.
The thrill of those championship battles with Celtic still sparks a smile —as does the possibility of another neck-and-neck race between the Old Firm rivals this season.
For that, McLeish gives plentiful credit to the man now filling his old role. A figure who thrilled a 30,000 crowd at the weekend by pulling on a Light Blue jersey after starting in the red of first love Liverpool.
In Steven Gerrard, McLeish (right) sees an ego-free superstar whose personality has been central to driving Rangers upwards ever since he stepped into management.
The year-on-year improvement at Ibrox is clear. Last month’s timid Old Firm defeat was an obvious negative, but Gerrard’s side have otherwise shown consistency to win every other Premiership match and create a two-point advantage at the top of the Premiership ahead of club football resuming this weekend.
McLeish is wily enough to know that doesn’t count for too much at this stage of a campaign. Especially when Celtic still have the financial power to spend sizeably in January if their bid for nine-in-a-row is faltering.
Nevertheless, the 60-year-old former Scotland boss feels Gerrard is firmly on the right track to restore silverware success to Ibrox after the club’s eight-year trophy drought.
Following so much frustration and so many false dawns in recent seasons, McLeish is confident Rangers now have the real deal in charge of their fortunes.
‘Steven has done great, an amazing job,’ he enthused. ‘He’s got the gravitas and he’s a superb guy.
‘You’d maybe think that someone with such a huge, world-class reputation would come here and show an ego, but no.
‘He’s been really humble, he’s been brilliant in the Press and I really think that this is the man Rangers needed.
‘I’d never criticise fellow managers but this guy is pretty special and you can see that he wants to have a really successful managerial career just by what he’s done already. ‘Yes, he’s still got to get that bit of silverware but you couldn’t have picked a better weekend for the charity game, with Rangers going to the top of the league the previous weekend. That made for a wonderful 30,000-strong reception. ‘Steven’s obviously got to play a bit of catch-up in terms of cash and Celtic have spent their money well. ‘They’ve also nurtured some really good young players and you have to give them credit for what they’ve done. ‘But Rangers look like they are getting that confidence and Steven Gerrard has given them a bit of steel again. ‘They are top of the league — and have to now prove they can go and beat Celtic.’ A Treble-winner in 2002-03, McLeish knows precisely what it takes to come out on top when the Old
Firm stretch away from the pack to conduct their own private contest.
Every dropped point is treated as a crime. The pressurre to maintain standards, to get the job done, is relentless. The only relief comes with the rare news of the other side slipping up.
‘There were two or three seasons when I was there that we were neck and neck all the time — us top on the Saturday then Celtic top on the Sunday, or vice versa,’ recalled McLeish.
‘I always remember the year of the Treble. We drew with Kilmarnock the first day and Celtic won their game.
‘I opened the Sunday papers the next day and it was “league’s finished”. That’s how people can perceive it at times when one of the Old Firm sides drops points.
‘Of course, winning the derby games is crucial, too, but when an Old Firm side drops points to another team there’s a feeling that you should be
winning every single game.’ A watertight defence provides a foundation stone for success. Eight games in, Rangers have conceded fewer and scored more than Celtic. That solidity has come despite Gerrard juggling his centre-back options, with Connor Goldson, Niko Katic, Filip Helander and George Edmundson all getting game time. McLeish appreciates the need for rotation in the modern game. But the man who won 77 caps for his country in that position thinks Gerrard will eventually tend towards a preferred partnership. ‘The more consistency you get from your defenders, the more chance you have of leaving your opponents with a “nil” at the end of the game,’ said McLeish. ‘That’s so vital when it comes to winning silverware — if you harbour ambitions of winning trophies then your defence has to be rock solid. ‘There’s a lot of experimenting but I think there will be a moment when Steven finally takes the decision: “That’s the right pairing”.’
Both Rangers and Celtic have to juggle a title challenge with Europa League commitments this season.
Gerrard’s side suffered a self-inflicted defeat to Young Boys on their last outing in that sphere, but McLeish sees much to admire in that being one of only three losses from 24 European assignments under his command.
‘When I was working in Belgium, I was aware that the Belgians and a lot of other Europeans really valued European competition, even the smaller ones,’ added McLeish, who had a spell in charge of Genk.
‘They really wanted to get there and get as far as possible. Sometimes British clubs take the attitude that the Europa League is a bridge too far, but Rangers have adapted really well to the European scene this season.’
It was not surprising that Gerrard was the best player on show as Liverpool Legends recorded a 3-2 win in a match that raised funds for the charitable arms of both clubs.
The 39-year-old wore red for 75 minutes — dictating play and trying his damndest to score without reward — before going down the tunnel and re-emerging in a Rangers kit.
McLeish enjoyed the buzz that created and the general feeling of being back in a stadium that was once his working home.
‘It was great, I’ve got marvellous memories from here,’ he smiled. ‘Obviously it wasn’t always plain sailing as it is a very demanding job.
‘But the success we had here was pretty phenomenal back in the day, when I think of what we did. There are memories that will live with me forever and the Legends game was brilliant.
‘We got a marvellous reception from the fans and it was wonderful to be back in the dressing room with some Rangers legends, many of whom I’ve worked with in the past.’
But what of the future for McLeish? His dismissal by Scotland remains raw but it may not be the last post of his managerial career.
‘I’m having a break,’ he said. ‘I’ve had two or three approaches from different countries and continents — and from England as well.
‘But I’m just taking a break, I’m not committing myself to anything just now.’