How Gerrard mirrors his previous managers – Rodgers 2.0? Rafa’s apprentice? Or ‘Gerrard’ Houllier?

Steven Gerrard has enjoyed an encouraging start to life as a football manager since taking the reins at Ibrox Stadium with Rangers.

Since going into liquidation six years ago, the Gers have been overwhelmingly dwarfed by their cross-city rivals, and so far, the club have failed to thwart Celtic’s stranglehold over Scottish football since returning to the top flight.

Gerrard called time on his playing career in 2016, and has decided to cut his teeth in football management by taking the bold step in becoming head coach of the Glaswegian outfit.

During a Liverpool career which spanned nearly two decades, Gerrard worked under the tutelage of a number of high-profile managers, gaining the wise counsel and guidance of some much-revered figures.

In his opening 12 matches, Gerrard remains unbeaten – winning six and drawing six – and signs are certainly positive, but which of his former managers – that he played under for at least three years – does his philosophy most resemble, and which have most influenced the football he espouses?

Brendan Rodgers

Rodgers implemented a possession-based system on Merseyside which was emblematic of his philosophy at Swansea City; he recruited Joe Allen to operate as his midfield axis and shifted between the Welshman and Jordan Henderson.

The Northern Irishman maximised the attacking prowess at his disposal, but his tactical structure was built on the foundation of a robust central midfield: Gerrard was reinvented as a deep-lying playmaker with either Allen or Henderson having license to surge forward, while Philippe Coutinho would be the creative outlet pulling the strings – it must be noted that Rodgers was very flexible with his central midfield, which often saw Lucas Leiva deployed as a pivot, anchoring the centre of the park.

Liverpool were encouraged to play a high-octane counter-attack, utilising the pace and penetration of their lethal forward trident in Daniel Sturridge, Raheem Sterling and Luis Suarez.

Already this season Gerrard has tinkered with his tactics, but a 4-3-3 system has been used to great effect. Rangers’ only league win this season has come against St Mirren, where Gerrard started with a 4-1-4-1 formation, which reshaped into a 4-3-3 when the Gers attacked.

Ross McCrorie, a versatile player who can function at centre-back, was given the Lucas role, anchoring the midfield in an effort to give Lassana Coulibaly and Ovie Ejaria license to move forward, though the Scot only lasted 31 minutes after seeing red in the first half.

However, Gerrard’s side were already two goals to the good, with Ryan Kent and Jamie Murphy providing excellent width on the wings, while star striker Alfredo Morelos led the line expertly.

Those 31 minutes prior to McCrorie’s sending off were brilliant, demonstrating glimmers of Rodgers’ influence with a stable midfield and quick transitional play, so Rangers fans can certainly expect a return to that system when the Scottish midfielder is restored to the starting line-up, as last weekend’s reshuffle to a three-man defence proved costly.

Rafael Benitez

A polarising figure in some quarters, Benitez is a meticulously prepared scholar of the game and revolutionised Liverpool during his time at Anfield.

The Spanish tactician was known for his fervent attention to detail and obsession with preparation. His Liverpool side was well-drilled, disciplined and ridiculously organised, with a propensity to grind out results.

This was most evident during the Reds’ triumphant run to the Champions League final in 2005 – they recorded seven clean sheets en route to Istanbul, including two against Chelsea in the semi-final and one against Juventus in the quarter-final.

Already we have seen Benitez’s influence rub off on Gerrard, as his side have kept five clean sheets in the Europa League preliminary rounds this season, including two on return legs when the job was already done in the first, proving Gerrard can grind out results when it matters.

Likewise in the Scottish Premiership, Gerrard has shut up shop when needed; with his side 2-0 up against St Mirren and reduced to 10-men, the Gers were able see the match out with a clean sheet.

Against Aberdeen on the opening league match of the season, Morelos was also sent off with only 12 minutes on the clock. Despite this, Rangers were able to frustrate Aberdeen and nearly clinched all three points were it not for a last-minute equaliser – it was almost the perfect Benitez display.

Even before Liverpool, Benitez’s Valencia side kept three consecutive clean sheets in the latter stages of their UEFA Cup triumph. Villarreal failed to find the back of the net in either semi-final fixture, while Marseille also fired a blank in the final.

This bodes well for Rangers fans, as they can expect a more tactically organised and disciplined side to the one they witnessed last term; and they might surprise a few people in Europe this season if Gerrard stays true to his pragmatic, Benitez-esque, style.

Gerard Houllier

Houllier was another manager obsessed with instructions, and a man who built his teams around discipline, as well as organisation; he transformed Liverpool into a bastion of stability – making them hard to break down.

The Frenchman was often criticised for a supposedly antiquated brand of football on Merseyside, but having won an FA Cup, two League Cups and a UEFA Cup, Houllier certainly produced effective and functional football.

He believed in the equality of the team, encouraging rotation and flexibility in his starting XIs, which would often result in a change of forward line-ups depending on the opposition, though Houllier would remain consistent with his defence if injuries allowed him.

That team selection mantra has already resonated with Gerrard this season; the 38-year-old has remained relatively consistent with his back-line, opting for a four-man defence comprising of James Tavernier, Connor Goldson, Nikola Katic and Borna Barisic, while his front line is very unpredictable at the minute.

Last weekend’s match against Motherwell was Gerrard’s only major reshuffle in defence, but given his side conceded three goals, it is unlikely we will see a return to that system any time soon, especially against Celtic this Sunday.

Houllier was also fond of nurturing players from his home nation, while also playing a massive role in the development of Gerrard himself. Likewise, Gerrard has taken a similar approach in trying to blood in a number of Liverpool youngsters – with Kent and Ejaria set to play key roles this season.

While Gerrard has certainly taken a few notes out of Houllier’s book, in terms of team selection and player development, it is unlikely we’ll see an Emile Heskey equivalent leading his line anytime soon.

The post How Gerrard mirrors his previous managers – Rodgers 2.0? Rafa’s apprentice? Or ‘Gerrard’ Houllier? appeared first on Squawka News.

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