Ibrox Noise was delighted to see that site favourite Steven Smith has been officially confirmed as backroom staff member at Ibrox for the rest of the season, officially. This is a confirmation which simply backs up what we already knew many months ago. The puzzle back then was why it wasn’t officially announced. Smith has been part of the backroom staff pretty much for the entire tenure of Danny Rohl. He was brought up as the Rangers man on the staff that Ibrox Noise reported on at the time. It was an official decision that was made back then, but it wasn’t officially announced.
Smith’s quiet presence in the Rohl era
Danny Rohl has spent some considerable time building up his backroom staff, which included Smith. He also brought in Scott Fry, Tristan Steiner, and one or two others who have helped him along the way. Smith has been there, as we say, the entire time, and it was going to be a long-term gig. There was no reason for Smith to leave, but we are pleased to see that he has received some recognition on an official level today with a formal announcement from the club. His secured employment in that role lasts at least until summertime.
A communicator with intelligence and clarity
Smith is an extremely smart and articulate man. We have heard him speak many, many times, and he has the gift of making complicated things sound simple. He explains things extremely well and explains them with foresight and with knowledge, but without dumbing it down to the point of making it impossible. He makes it intelligent, but he makes it succinct, and he is a very, very good communicator and exactly the kind of guy Rohl needs on his staff.
Smith’s Rangers DNA
He is the quote-unquote Rangers man that Rangers have been looking for for quite a while. Many wanted that man to be Neil McCann, but we were very happy at Ibrox Noise when it was confirmed as Smith. An individual manager he may not be, he struggled with his only time as taking charge on an interim basis against Dundee United. That one was a bit of a struggle. But then that wasn’t his modus operandi. He doesn’t necessarily seek to be an outright manager. We don’t know what his plans in the game are, but when it comes to just pure knowledge and ability to convey ideas on the training ground, Steven Smith is as good as there is.
A long-term asset at Ibrox?
And of course, he is absolutely one of us. Smith is not associated with the dyed-in-the-wool bear type that the likes of Alan McGregor, Barry Ferguson, Graeme Souness and indeed Steven Davis are. But he is as much a Rangers man as any of them are. He was brought up with the youth system, he’s a boyhood fan, and he knows what it takes. His promotion from the Academy was earned, and Steven Smith is very much old-school Rangers, but with a modern, contemporary twist on his style. He is about as good a coach as Rangers could ask for. So we are extremely pleased to have him officially confirmed till the end of the season, and we imagine if things go well enough, he’ll pretty much stay on long-term. In terms of getting in a big Rangers man, he is a pretty good choice. It’s a good call.