Analysing Steven Gerrard in the dugout

Two consecutive appearances in the last 16 of the Europa League also restored Rangers to the top 50 clubs in Europe on ClubElo’s ranking model.  

A student and a winner 

Gerrard was a colossus as a player, capable of single-handedly dragging his teams through the tough times.  

He has also experienced working with a vast array of managers from the caring approach of Gerard Houllier, to the tough love handed out by Rafa Benitez and Fabio Capello.  

As a student of the game, he has developed his own style of man-management that picks the best aspects of all his previous bosses to form his own unique blend of good cop/bad cop.  

Not afraid to deliver home truths when required, Gerrard also knows about all of the pressures facing a 21st century footballer and when an arm around the shoulder is justified.  

His trusted lieutenants 

Gerrard quickly identified he would need help to implement his ideas on the pitch and it was Gary McAllister and Michael Beale who have been at Gerrard’s side ever since.  

McAllister brings a wealth of footballing experience to the table and was one of Gerrard’s earliest Anfield teammates.  

Beale is credited with the delivery of the day-to-day coaching duties within the back-room team and is developing a growing reputation as one of the game’s leading training-ground generals.  

Tactically astute, Beale has helped develop the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold while working with Liverpool’s academy and is one of the most influential voices in Gerrard’s ear.  

Gerrard also works closely with his head of fitness Jordan Milsom to monitor performance, with data from injury forecasting company Zone7 key to getting the right players on the pitch at the right time. 

The Gerrard way

Gerrard utilised 4-3-3 111 times while at Rangers and that looks his chosen formation in the early stages of his time at Villa Park. 

That system can then easily be adapted to a 4-3-2-1, which allows his side to control the centre of the park and their full-backs to venture forward to provide the width.  

Full-backs joining the attack is key to the Gerrard methodology, as is finding the right blend in midfield and forward line as he looks to play aggressive front-foot football.  

Gerrard is also a tinkerer, preferring to keep his players fresh than send them out for battle week-in, week-out.  

That is essential considering the Aston Villa boss prefers his sides to press aggressively from the front and set a relentless pace which suffocates the opposition.  

🗣 "It was the first time I had won in a long time…"#AVFC boss Steven Gerrard catches up with his good friend @Carra23 to discuss his spell at Rangers 🏆pic.twitter.com/NddR4PSYjZ

— Sky Sports (@SkySports) December 5, 2021

Gerrard and his staff live by the “own the ball, own the pitch” philosophy that demands they dominate possession.  

His Rangers side averaged 65 per cent possession in the Scottish Premiership, and only had less than 50 per cent of the ball on three occasions in that competition, all against Celtic.  

Added to this is the emphasis placed on territorial possession and dominating the play in the attacking third of the pitch.  

During Rangers’ title-winning season of 2020-21, they had a 66.6 per cent share of possession in their attacking third. Not only were Gerrard’s men dominating the play, they were also dominating possession in advanced areas of the pitch. 

That suggests Gerrard is already preparing for life in charge of a top club, where his side will be expected to take complete control of proceedings for 90 minutes. 

Analysis, analysis, analysis 

When Gerrard took over at Rangers one of the first things he did was install an ‘analysis hub’ next to the first-team changing room.  

The purpose of this room was not only to provide a location for Gerrard and his staff to analyse future opposition, but a place for his squad to mingle and openly share their own views on tactics, with players encouraged to take ownership of not only their own performance, but that of the club.  

By doing this Gerrard believes he creates a ‘no excuses’ environment that eliminates grumblings within his squad, a culture where complaints are simply not allowed. 

The highest of standards 

Fizzy drinks, ketchup, puddings and hot chocolate are just some of the things that have felt the cold shoulder at Aston Villa’s training ground as Gerrard expects his players to be the consummate professionals on and off the pitch.  

Mobile phones are also for the chop, with Gerrard preferring his players to spend any free time at the training complex getting to know their teammates rather than browsing the latest Instagram posts.  

At Rangers, the routine was for a bleep test to be conducted on the first day of training to find each player’s maximum heart rate. 

They would then be put through the gruelling routine of five three-minute runs on a daily basis.  

There is no escaping maximum effort in these sessions, where every inch of the data is studied and dressing downs delivered if a player is deemed to be not giving their all to the cause.  

This all goes towards creating the elite mentality that Gerrard has taken into management from his playing days, with peak fitness and a willing attitude the minimum requirements of his squad.  

Reputation requires respect 

It isn’t everything, but Gerrard’s reputation as one of the finest England players of the 21st century demands respect and what he may lack tactically in the early stages of his managerial career, he makes up for in spades with inspirational leadership.  

𝐈𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐈𝐂 🤩#OnThisDay in 2004, Steven Gerrard scored 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 incredible strike against Olympiacos ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/vQIqCHZakg

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 8, 2021

Players under Gerrard’s watch know they are lining up for a man who has scaled the heights of football and who is determined to do the same in the dugout.  

A passionate leader, rarely seen away from his technical area during a match, he has swallowed all the leadership textbooks and combined it with a little of his own Scouse grit.  

Heir apparent 

What would Gerrard need to do to prove himself as a viable option for the Liverpool hot-seat? Silverware would be a start.

Although Gerrard received plenty of plaudits for the way he turned around Rangers’ fortunes, he still only delivered one trophy to Ibrox in that time. 

In a sport where medals are currency, securing a cup for the Villa Park trophy cabinet would be a good way to convince he is ready for one of the biggest jobs in football.  

Another real test could come when Gerrard gets his hands on a high-profile star not easily impressed by the Gerrard aura.  

This would certainly be the case if becoming the next Liverpool boss where Gerrard will be inheriting a well-schooled successful dressing room stacked with international talent.  

Many managers have fallen on their sword when attempting to re-invent the wheel when stepping into the spotlight at a top club, and for Gerrard, he may have to curve his natural managerial style for a softer approach in the early stages of a reign.  

However, it is easy to argue that his high-pressing tactics and utilisation of flying full-backs is just a continuation of the Klopp era and if things do go awry, it is likely the Kop End will afford much more leeway to one of their own than they did Roy Hodgson and Brendan Rodgers.  

It seems a foregone conclusion that we’ll one day see Gerrard adorned in the Liverpool crest in the Anfield dugout, but time will tell if he is able to land the Premier League title which alluded him in his playing days.  

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