DRIVING FORCE
Gerrard title win would surpass silverware won in Souness era, says ex-Ibrox star
WhEN Steven Gerrard was announced as Rangers manager 20 months ago, the fervent hope among the Light Blue legions was of history repeating itself.
Some 32 years after another European cup-winning Liverpool captain in Graeme Souness rolled into town, Gerrard radiated the same superstar quality as his fellow Anfield icon.
By reputation alone, like Souness, he was able to restore Rangers’ big-club feel.
the latest blue-chip acquisition to arrive from English football when he signed for Souness at the end of 1987, Mark Walters needs no one to point out the many parallels between the men to have managed Rangers three decades apart.
But the former Aston Villa winger, who would return to English football with Liverpool four years later, also believes there are important distinctions to be made between the eras.
While Rangers, both in the mid 80s and when Gerrard took the helm, could be said to have been going nowhere fast, the respective challenges posed by celtic varied significantly.
Although it was Walters’ misfortune to sign for Souness in the middle of celtic’s all-conquering centenary year, the financial cracks were already visible in the east end. A free-spending ibrox machine soon took full advantage.
Fast-forward to the present day and the champions have unrivalled wealth to go with their eight successive league titles.
it’s this role reversal that prompts Walters to offer that a Rangers title triumph this year would eclipse any won in the Souness era.
Explaining his reasoning, the 55-year-old said: ‘When you pay big money for players, then it’s rare you have to develop them, as they’re standard quality players.
‘But, if you are buying, with all due respect, lesser players, then you’ve got more to do. You’ve got to improve them more, so having players with less ability and improving them to win trophies is a bigger achievement.
‘if anything, Gerrard’s situation has been more difficult. if he could win a trophy, it would be a better achievement.’
Souness was 33 when he boarded a plane from italy to Glasgow. Past his peak as a footballer at the highest level, perhaps, but still easily good enough to pull on the boots in Scotland for four seasons.
Gerrard, 37 by the time he moved north, harboured no such ambitions of taking them off the peg.
if that then allowed him to concentrate fully on his first senior job in management, in Walters’ view, it deprived Rangers of a player who would still have been a master of his craft.
‘Gerrard was a world-class player — and could probably still do it now based on the charity games i’ve watched him in. he would definitely have improved things,’ Walters offered.
‘So it’s been more difficult for him than it was for Souness since he hasn’t been playing.
‘When you are playing, you know the idiosyncrasies of some players, if their heart is in it and, when things go wrong, if they’ll step up or not.
‘When you’re not playing, you sometimes need to get someone else’s opinion on whether they’re ready for the battle.’
this season, more than any in recent times, the consequences of getting such calls wrong don’t bear thinking about.
After a generation in the wilderness, Gerrard’s side have the look of genuine title challengers. one point ahead if they win their game in hand, victory at celtic Park on December 29 was a mammoth psychological boost as they seek to stop their great rivals claiming their second nine-in-a-row.
For Walters, whose first three titles proved to be the start of the ibrox club’s greatest period of dominance, the issue is as likely to be settled by whichever side possesses the greatest mettle going down the stretch.
‘Rangers have so much to gain by winning the league, so they have a lot of pressure,’ he said. ‘it’s been so long and they’re under a lot of pressure to win something. But celtic also have a huge financial advantage, so it would also be bad for them if they didn’t win it.
‘celtic might not get this chance again. When Rangers were going for ten-in-a-row, i remember them dropping points because there were a lot of nerves.
‘celtic have more experienced players in terms of winning trophies but that isn’t always a good thing. the Rangers players are less experienced in situations like this and might just think: “We’ve got nothing to lose, let’s go for it”.’
Asked whether there was a difference in temperature in the football pressure cookers of Glasgow and Liverpool, Walters’ answer is instructive.
‘in terms of the clubs i played for, there was more pressure at
Rangers to win trophies than anywhere else because there is less competition,’ he replied.
‘it’s hard to escape the supporters in Glasgow as opposed to Liverpool, where you can get away from it a little bit more.’
the extraordinary levels of pressure that come with the territory in the west of Scotland isn’t to everyone’s liking, but some thrive on it. in Ryan Kent, Walters sees a case in point.
‘he is a good player with a lot of potential and £7million could look cheap in a few years’ time,’ he predicted.
‘it was a big fee for Scottish football but he can justify that, and Rangers need to sign players like him to compete.
‘his goal against celtic was a great strike and he will take a lot of confidence from it. Going forward, he could be a game-changer.’
Recalling the days when even England internationals were not guaranteed a game at ibrox, Walters appreciates the dynamic that players of Kent’s ability bring to the squad.
‘When you sign guys of his quality, it means that other players in the squad know they need to keep their standard up,’ he explained. ‘if you don’t perform, you lose your place. As a footballer, that’s the biggest motivation you can get.
‘You need competition if you are going to do well as a club.’
the $64,000 question is answered with a smile and with an optimistic outlook that former Rangers players haven’t exuded for some time.
‘Will Rangers win the league?’ Walters asked. ‘Without a doubt, although i’ve been saying that for ten years now!
‘But it’s looking a lot better and i am pleased for the club and the lads. i’ve been taking a lot of stick down in Birmingham in the last ten years. So it’s nice to see them compete again and challenge celtic.’
lPremier Sports is the home of knockout football in Scotland and will screen live and exclusive coverage of Rangers v Stranraer (Fri, Jan 17) and Partick Thistle v Celtic (Sat, Jan 18) in the Scottish Cup fourth round. Available on Sky, Virgin TV and via the Premier Player, visit www.premiersports.com for details