What is Steven Gerrard doing wrong?

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What is Steven Gerrard doing wrong?


Following weeks of Ibrox Noise complaining about Steven Gerrard’s blasting of players, much to the chagrin of some of our readers, we noted with interest his response to last night’s dramatic loss to the abysmal Spartak Moscow.

Now, bear in mind Gerrard’s men haven’t looked like they’ve been playing for him for some weeks now, with lethargic displays and general malaise – and we suggested his smearing of the players and castigating them every time they do something wrong is adding to the pressure they’re under.

In other words, they’re playing with fear, and aren’t willing to run through brick walls for their manager any more.

Hence, last night’s post-match comments were of great interest, and here’s what Stevie said:

“We are very disappointed with the result. I think you saw two sides of our performance today – I think we attacked very well and I thought we were very dangerous and countered very bravely and got our rewards for that to be in control of the game at half-time. But for me, football is about levels and if you don’t defend properly and you don’t do the basics well enough, high-level players and high-level teams normally punish you and that was the case tonight, so we are disappointed with the result. People who have had a lot of praise and have done really, really well to get us to this stage just didn’t do the basics well enough – we didn’t clear our lines at the right times. Normally, coming away to a place like this to get three goals, you at least expect to get a result. We should have had four goals, but that is another story. But we are bitterly disappointed with how we defended tonight.”

As has become the norm under Gerrard, he either infers players between the lines (in this case Tavernier, Goldson, Coulibaly and Flanagan) or directly names them and proceeds to brutalise them publicly.

Sorry guys, but I wouldn’t play my best football for a manager who won’t publicly back me when I make a mistake.

And yet the defence of these actions by those who smear our criticisms of Gerrard’s current methods is to say these are professional footballers, and they shouldn’t be mollycuddled.

So, is this now to endorse fully the repeated attacks on our players by our manager?

He signed these players, so by attacking them he’s also attacking his own act of signing them.

And none of this works in our heads.

Footballers will never bust a gut for a manager who doesn’t have their back. He can absolutely slaughter them in the dressing room and in private, but as soon as it’s made very public, they stop feeling supported by him.

And that’s the bottom line. Gerrard made the error of embarrassingly bigging up individual players earlier in the season – we were firmly against that (why single this player but not that one) but because results at the time were sort of ok we let it slide.

Now he’s going the other way – slaughtering them by name or inferring.

It will never work.

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31 COMMENTS

  1. I think he's totally right to come come out and give an honest account of things. Players and staff need to be held to account in instances of under performance. Just like he is right to come out and praise certain players, he is well within his right to "allude" to the players or areas that let him down.

    I think that there is far too much "shielding the blame" in the game from management.

    However, the Gareth McAuley sub in the 3rd minute of extra time baffled me.

    • The Gareth McAuley sub is easily explained. We had a couple of corners right at the death and he simply wanted some height in the box to attack the ball. No other reason

  2. I'm afraid there's a pattern forming here with IN. You seem to have it in for Gerrard as you have done with previous managers. That's the first loss this season in Europe and while we were good in attack last night there's no getting away from the fact that the defending was poor. All goals could have been avoided. He hasn't picked out any players or inferred about any players so I'm not sure where you're coming from here. Do you expect him to say nothing about the defensive performance last night? That's just unrealistic.

    Whilst not a great team, Spartak Moscow were minutes away from beating Villareal and have Champions League pedigree so I think we need a dose of reality here. Last night was disappointing but I think you need to get off Gerrards back. Don't think you're going to get a lot of support on this.

    • Forming? We’re only glad you’ve spotted what we actually said. Damn right there’s a pattern. Until we have a winning Rangers that pattern will continue.

    • If i remember correctly I.N wanted Stevie out after only a fortnight in the job!,😉

      WATP LETS GO 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧

    • Ibrox Noise in it's negativity does not reflect the majority of Rangers supporters who are largely positive about Gerrard. Gerrard while learning his trade has gifted the Ibrox club.

  3. There is alot to like but so much I don't like either but when it comes down to performances and results then I'd say it's due to a lack of quality. Lack of a genuine left back, lack of a Decent midfielder to take control of a game, lack of a genuine creative midfielder (Popov last night, that's what we need) Gerrard needs to make substitutions far earlier, everybody can see the team is screaming out for a change. Ejaria is terrible, totally flatters to decieve, absolute waste of time. He gave the ball away constantly, put Flanagan under pressure who is also useless at LB. Please don't start shouting about Docherty, I can't wait for him to play for us week in week out but he's not the answer to our current problems. No more youth players on loan because that is definitely not the answer! Get Davis in, get Wallace n barisic fit and play them.

  4. IB if you are suggesting Gerrard has lost the dressing room, you are really going too far this time. As for the McAuley – that made perfect sense. During his time in the Premier league he was lethal at attacking corner and scored a ridiculous number of goals for a centre half. So that was a decent shout by Gerrard. The big problem, after from the atrocious defending, was the calibre of player available on the bench – it was threadbare! But please IB, less of this hounding of SG. Criticism? Yes by all means but this stuff about the players no longer their all for him is absolute nonsense. The sad thing is, you know its nonsense!

  5. You used terms like blasting , smearing and brutalising – totally over the top. Give me an example where he has done that? Show me where he has named names or inferred names? From the quote above he certainly hasn't done that. He hasn't singled anyone one out. He's criticised the defensive performance and he's perfectly entitled to do that.

  6. dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/741457/Man-Utd-fans-dub-Steven-Gerrard-Jose-Mourinho-comments-Rangers-defeat-video

    Our point, folks.

  7. What i love about IN is they complain about everybody last season it was Murty before that Padro before that Warbs every player has been branded useless then great Halliday a classic example.
    You never have a good word to say about anything Rangers just moaning and complaining
    Also you never have any answers do you?
    Give the rants a rest and try being a little positive and please try and be constructive.
    You continually slagging off everyone at the club what kind of effect do you think that has on staff players etc.
    Just grow up

  8. So Man U fans having a pop at an ex Liverpool legend is the evidence to back up your argument? Having read that article he still didn't name names and he did say he can't be too critical.

    I give up, time to go elsewhere

    • I think I and many others will join you Stevie. Sometimes, and this is increasingly the case, you simply go too far IB!!!

  9. Sack Gerrard and his cronies and install the admin of ibroxnoise as co managers…….problem solved!!!!
    Ffs…..gies peace!!!!

    • Sandy and Billb hang your heads in shame

      For all its faults IN is wanting the club back to where we belong which is a mighty long way from where we are at the minute
      flippant remarks and comedy is not what we need from you two
      I agree wholeheartedly with IN
      The Club is in a perilous position and you two obviously have your head stuck in the sand or you have short memories of the History of this great Club
      IN stating facts
      itS always an easy statement to make ie well you manage the team then !!
      If you think everything is rosy your the ones having a laugh

  10. Steviemac 9 and Stevie 9 making very good points and talking sensibly. In agreement with them. I would like to see Flanagan given an opportunity at RB which is his natural position. It could possibly help tighten up our defensive game especially now that Tav. looks like he could do with re-charging his batteries.

  11. Definitely don't understand why he keeps changing the players at the back,one thing you need in a team is a settled back four,why drop halliday who played well on Saturday and replace him with Flanagan who obviously is not comfortable at left back and was terrible last night two goals came from his area of the pitch,every game we seem to give away cheap goals,,not that long ago we were raving about shutting the back door and how good we were at the back,now with all the chopping and changing we look like losing a goal every time the other team attacks, confidence has gone.

  12. I was in dispute with my brother in law last night and this morning he th8nks I'm jumping in with both feet were Stevie G is concerned .But I'm just fed up with the same shite season after season and I'm becoming very frustraited at no silver in the cabinet and no challenge to take the title from Celtic gutted man totally gutted .

    • im the same as you scud ,cant take this shite any longer ,were a laughing stock every important game we have to win we have no chance ,its been more of the same with mr gerrard f,f,s were playing a load of shite every other week all i hear is excuse after excuse ,this is no where near good enough for a club our size ,if we stick with loan players were losers

  13. Steven Gerrard has the 100 % backing of the dressing room . He also has the full backing from me as does David King and the Board and I think the same for the majority of Real Supporters . We will stop the Rotten Mob . To suggest anything else is defeatist and is a Surrender…Come On Lets Go

  14. You ask what he's doing wrong, when in reality it's the the best management job he's ever done. This guy is a rookie, U18 coach and winning half his games seems about right. It was – always was – a terrible appointment and anyone who said otherwise was indulging in wishful thinking.

  15. Chill guys, we're still going in the right direction, we would have one that game if morelos goal wasn't flagged incorrectly. It's individual player errors that are costing us. But we all knew there would be bumps in the road. I'll be more concerned if we don't turn the form around by December

    • In what way have they improved?
      Genuine question, because it appears like they are the exact same as last year. Poor in the league, can't win games, dropping points, losing cheap goals, no good players, no clear tactics…

  16. Any1 who thought we'd be on top after 6 months with gerrard in charge is dilusional. We've had to sign 15 players at a cost not much more than our rivals spent on 1 striker players with potential like katic loan players from other clubs + try get more out of at best decent players left by previous managers. Gerrard will need at least nexr 2 windows to try + get a quality needed to challenge but that will need money + luck so let's get behind him.

  17. He's doing what every manager does. He's getting some things right and some things wrong! He only needs to right a few wrongs and we will get better performances.

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