Who is really Steven Gerrard’s assistant manager?

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Who is really Steven Gerrard’s assistant manager?


Ok, you might be puzzled by that question, given the hype over Gary McAllister’s appointment and the comments by Steven Gerrard on his unveiling that McAllister had been the first name on his ‘team sheet’.

But approaching the business end of the season and we can rarely remember a single time we’ve seen Stevie and McAllister deliberating in the dugout, with the latter usually sat passively.

No, it’s almost always Michael Beale who’s discussing with Gerrard, who takes most of the training sessions, and who seems to be the main man to support the manager rather than the former Leeds midfielder.

We remain a little puzzled as to McAllister’s exact role at Ibrox – he suggested he was a kind of consigliere to both the manager and especially the players, but if that excludes actual management, decisions and tactics, what exactly is he doing on match day.

This is not to turn on G-Mac – he seems a perfect gentleman even if sometimes a tad out of touch with both Scottish football and the intrinsic fabric of what it means to be a Ranger, but we are a little confused as to exactly what tasks he undertakes as the number two, beyond the occasional press conference.

We just don’t see him giving Gerrard enough counsel during games, quite frankly – not that we’re staring at those two throughout the 90 minutes, of course, but when we do, McAllister is usually sat mulling things over and it’s Michael Beale with his clipboard either advising players or supporting the manager.

It looks to us, and correct us if we’re wrong, that McAllister is more of a role model and figurehead for everyone, and it’s Beale who actually does the hard graft in the position.

Or… are we talking out our backsides?

Let us know in the comments.

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15 COMMENTS

  1. McAllister was brought in as the assistant because he has all his coaching badges. If it wasn't for him Gerrard wouldn't have been able to manage the team in Europe as he is still sitting his badges.

  2. We really shouldn’t even be talking about this – “he seems a perfect gentleman” but what does he do?

    The big picture is – he is part of a regime that is a failure – no better than previous years except the clear difference being both he and SG “talk” a good game & have had a few “draws” in Europe.

    No he should be part of the “Clearances”

    Let’s move forward change the “record” or topic – who should be the next Rangers manager?

  3. There is no passion from the dugout or on the pitch. No use jumping for joy when we score against celtic when we drop points against the lesser teams. Points are points. A celtic win means more to us but points are points!
    Sadly the title race is over and for me it's down to lost points against the lesser teams and last minute goals.
    On another note… Joe Worrall! I would pay good money to read his contract. Off for certain in the summer. What is the point?!
    Katic is the better player with a goal threat that is OUR player! What the f is in Worrals contract?!
    What a fantastic achievement by the U17s in europe. Brilliant! But can any of them knock the worrals out of the team?
    If we can't beat st johnstone at ibrox in mid feb when 6 points off celtic then the title race is over. Sad to say it…

  4. If we had been offered this season in July, after Luxembourg and Celtic games last year, I think we would have snapped your hands off.
    SG has made mistakes. All new managers do. He is learning, we knew that when we hired him. BUT, he has brought in players that would not have come for someone else. he has made recruitment mistakes, as every manager does. He will rectify these in subsequent windows and continue to make us stronger. Do you really think Guardiola would come if we asked?
    Let's be grateful for what we have and hope we can continue to improve. Also appreciate that the masters of Scotland's "Knew Camp" cannot beat teams with smaller budgets in Europe and have to pray for more money:-)

    • Well said. IN ARE talking out their backsides. Kilmarnock winning today and Rangers winning on Wednesday and their whole attitude would change. Judgement time is at end of next season. Finances have to be turned round and huge salaries paid to daddies have to be eradicated. Ashley has to be resolved. Cup win this season and 2nd in league would be seen as a huge success at start of season. Get behind team.

  5. If we had been offered second, sitting 8 points behind Celtic, knocked out 1 cup at the semi final, struggling to get to another, struggling at home against the likes of St Johnstone after spending a fortune we would have taken it? Perhaps you have lesser expectations of what is expected from a Rangers team but this season is a failure like the others before it down to having a manager with no experience. Gerrard will make mistakes, that isn't the problem, the problem is he doesn't learn from them! Celtic have had their worst season under Rodgers and we made a massive blunder by not having an experienced manager in to take advantage of that, which is why any time we seen a glimmer of light Gerrard shot himself in the foot with his tactics, selections, lack of knowledge and so on! Not his fault. He just isn't ready to manage this football club in my opinion.

    Alan Calder – Don't know where you get Ashley has been dealt with but he hasn't! Please don't be one of these fickle fans who tell people to get behind the team. When our football club is repeatedly making the same mistakes over and over then fans have the right to have their opinion. After all we pay into the club and spend our time following them. Should we all shut up and be silent? It is good to be optimistic, but that's also one stage away from burying your head in the sand. Face the facts,the only thing changed about this team to the last couple is Gerrard has the ability to bring in a better calibre or player….unfortunately he doesn't have the experience to reap the benefits from it!

    • Well said mate would love to have said half of what you posted there but I would have been shot down in flames and accused of being a Tim so good on you for your honesty.

    • William, you are as entitled to your opinion as anyone else, but suggesting people who get behind the team are fickle? It's the opposite.
      Yes, SG is new, inexperienced and his mistakes are costing us. That is how you learn. We just have to hope that the mistakes reduce in number. There are also benefits from having him. Raised profile and access to players we would not otherwise get – we have just taken youth players from Chelsea and Man City, would that have come for Warburton or Pedro? Doubt it. As you say, SG has brought in a better calibre of players. He now has to learn how to manage them.
      If you feel he is not ready to manage Rangers, presumably you want him gone. So who do you have in mind to replace him?

  6. During the games to you spend your time watching the dug out and not the game ? I know some of the games can get a bit boring but I think I would just not go , rather than watch to see who is talking to whom .Its been a disappointing weekend but lets not get carried away looking to blame the wrong people .The coaching staff will all have their own roles and are all in it together.When Walter was there, was McCoist not his assistant but it was well known that McDowell did all the coaching.

  7. Scots – You have missread my comment about fans mate. I am not saying fans who get behind the team are fickle, far from it. Everyone has the right to their opinion, what I don't like is the way guys like Alan and others tell people to get behind the team, or suggesting they aren't "proper" Rangers fans. I am behind my team no matter what, that doesn't mean I won't speak up and raise my concerns or displeasure as I wouldn't expect anyone else too. Hope that clears that up fella.

    – Youth players yes your right. Gerrard has made that better. Excellent if we signed him as HOY to build a team for the future but we didn't.

    Calibre of players – Maybe Defoe came for him, but I question if Goldson, Worral, Laff, Arfield and the others came because of Gerrard. None of them were exactly top of their league players and some weren't even first choice picks.

    I have said from the start Gerrard was to inexperienced for Rangers and stand by it. Poor tactics, tinkering, not knowing your first 11, innefective subs, being outfoxed by managers with much less money,failing to recognise your mistakes are all indicators of inexperience and it has cost us. Gerrard manages Rangers like a youth team and why would he not, it is after all where all his experience is from. Clarke with his budget, facilities and squad with more than enough Gers duds in it gets the results he does because of years of experience. If we signed him straight from Liverpool academy do you think he would have been getting the results he does with the resources he does? Doesn't happen. And that is what the Ibrox board have missed now, not once, not twice but 3 times! Will Gerrard go on to be a great, perhaps but not anytime soon and Glasgow Rangers in their biggest challenge in decades to catch a rampant Celtic team chasing 10 in a row should NOT be gambling with it, when we don't need to!. King brought Gerrard for bums in seats, not because he thought he would be a Gers legend lets be honest.

    Wanting him gone, I really don't know mate. We have made our bed and kinda have to lie in it now and hope Gerrard learns the knowledge in 1 or 2 seasons that guys like Clarke, Rodgers, even Tommy Wright took probably more than a decade to learn!

    The board for me is at the heart of the problem with this. Yes they have done some great things. But when it comes to bringing in managers they are lost.

    A English lower league youth coach(Rodgers assistant) to our youth coach to Pedro an assistant manager who hadn't managed in Britain to going all out for Deek Mcinnes back to our youth coach and now finally on Liverpools youth coach(Rodgers captain). All just a bit confused and lost for me and I hoped for better. Cheers, WATP

    • William, fair enough, I get you now. I feel we should get behind the team, but do not hector others who do not wish to, as long as their criticism is justified, well meaning and comes with proposed solutions as well as criticism.
      I agree that Clarke would have been a great manager, although I have read (unsubstantiated) that he wants to succeed Rodgers. I also think Tommy Wright is an excellent manager, but do wonder if he could make the step up, or would want to.
      Goldson, Worral and some others may have been partly attracted by lack of gametime, but they had plenty of options, eg in the Championship, probably for more money. Our hooks were Europe, SG and club name which these days doesn't have the glitter it used to. Arfield and Laff yes would have come because it was Rangers. We can't get top of the league players. We don't have the budget. Kent, I doubt would have been here without SG. So on players, I would say it is a mixed bag.
      In summary, I agree with some of your points, respectfully disagree with others but that is the way it should be on a fans forum. I agree he has made mistakes and we have to hope he learns fast enough.
      RTID

    • Scots – I understand where you are coming from. You are right about Kent, I don't think he would be here if it was for Gerrard(hopefully he stays, quality player). I don't agree with the fans who want Gerrard sacked, I don't think that is an option and he hasn't really done anything wrong to be sacked. He conducts himself well, he backs the club and fans up well and he is clearly trying his best, and there are glimpses of some top qualities in there. Celtic game was an example, he was in his element leading from the side, demanding energy, telling players to keep going and dig in and so on and basically not trying to be too clever. I feel that is his strength. But then other games against lesser teams he is on the touchline looking like he is trying to solve the worlds hardest conundrum and silent for long periods, almost restrained. The reason I say I don't see progress is because I see the same inexperience in Gerrard that I did in Warburton and Co and the same issues such as the tinkering, overthinking, tactics etc. I agree there are plenty that Gerrard is changing. Fitness, desire, workrate are all vastly improved in my book. But for me the wee things I want to see improve haven't really done so in these last few seasons and I believe it's something an experienced manager would remedy from the off, and I think doing so we would see us on that next level. Cheers mate, Watp

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