gersnet article (image) Ready or not - the Steven Gerrard era begins

[pete 2,499]

Hartson is a wounded animal who will never give a reasoned opinion of Rangers.

[ian1964 10,724]

 

[JFK-1 1,693]

40 minutes ago, pete said:

Hartson is a wounded animal who will never give a reasoned opinion of Rangers.

To be fair who does give a rational opinion? Look at the forums of any other club and all they talk about each time we make a signing is how skint we are, where does the money come from, liquidation soon. Incidentally Gerrard was going to quit just last week because he has "been sold a pup" apparently.

If we take off running I predict this simple minded insanity will if anything crank up a notch if that's even possible. We need to demand more money from shirt sponsors. Point out that we have more non fans than fans obsessing over our every move.

Edited June 13, 2018 by JFK-1

[Briton 314]

6 hours ago, JFK-1 said:

To be fair who does give a rational opinion? Look at the forums of any other club and all they talk about each time we make a signing is how skint we are, where does the money come from, liquidation soon. Incidentally Gerrard was going to quit just last week because he has "been sold a pup" apparently.

If we take off running I predict this simple minded insanity will if anything crank up a notch if that's even possible. We need to demand more money from shirt sponsors. Point out that we have more non fans than fans obsessing over our every move.

So why I don't look at the forums of other clubs?

[Gonzo79 15,294]

24 minutes ago, Briton said:

So why I don't look at the forums of other clubs?

Watching paint dry is more productive.

[D'Artagnan 173]

Lol Frankie -  I think the majority of us went on that journey from "Forum nonesense" to "Incredulity" in one easy lesson !

 

Great read

Edited June 14, 2018 by D'Artagnan

[26th of foot 6,084]

8 hours ago, ian1964 said:

 

Let's change this around and make it a bit more punchy and pertinent, 'not a bankrupt's chance on a golf cart'.

[buster. 5,199]

Best way of reacting to the general dismissal of any challenge............say nuthin !

 

[Yorkie Bear 592]

John Hartson and the like need to keep up these provocative statements to endear them to their own fanbase and, more importantly, to keep their name in the media. I never understand why the TV and radio persist with Hartson as when I have heard him (usually when there is a Wales connection) he always strikes me as someone who brings no insight into the game and simply states the obvious.

 

Anyway, i'll note his provocative anti-Gerrard quote, ready to quote it back when Gerrard triumphs.

[ian1964 10,724]

Steven Gerrard: Rangers players will be inspired by manager, says Stephen Warnock

 

In Steven Gerrard, Rangers have a "born winner with incredible professional pride who players will want to follow into battle".

That's the view of a man who turned to the former Liverpool captain for leadership when he was starting out in the game.

Full-back Stephen Warnock shared the Anfield dressing-room with him from 2002 until 2007, the period in which Gerrard inspired the Reds to their famous Champions League comeback win in Istanbul.

A different memory, however, stands out for Warnock, who remains a close friend to this day.

"I've known Steven for a long time," he told BBC Scotland. "Our children are friends. "He's always perceived as a very serious person, but he does have a great sense of humour.

"He likes a laugh and a joke. He does have that humorous side to him. And he'll want to do that with the Rangers players at the right time."

One occasion, though, sticks out for Warnock when recalling their time as team-mates.

"We were going away with England and it was my first time in the England squad," he said. "Jamie Carragher picked me up on the way to picking Steven up at his house. And Jamie just said: 'Wait until you see Steven train here. He goes up another 10% in training.'

"And I was thinking 'there's no way he can go up 10% more in training because he's unbelievable as it is'.

"And we got to the England training and he did; he went up another level. And I simply thought: 'Wow!'

"It was that professional pride within himself to show that he was such a good player. He wanted to showcase it to everyone, especially the England squad.

"And I see that quality will come out of him in management as well because he's got such pride in what he does."

Warnock served under a dozen managers in an 18-year career in English football and has little doubt Gerrard will be a success now that he was swapped the captain's armband for the dugout.

The former Liverpool midfielder officially took over as Rangers manager on 1 June and Warnock knows one thing in his mentality is sure to stand out in Scotland.

"He's a winner," he said. "Everything is about winning for him. "I think that's one thing that the Rangers fans can be very sure of: he's going to be very dedicated to the job.

"He won't be cutting any corners at any time. His professionalism is massive. "The way he conducted himself, on and off the pitch, as a player; he'll bring that into management as well and that will have a massive effect on the players that he's bringing into the club."

While some perceive Gerrard's arrival at Ibrox as a bit of a gamble, given this is his first job in management after a spell coaching Liverpool's Under-18 side, Warnock believes the Glasgow club has chosen well following Graeme Murty's sacking.

"I think it's a sign of intent from Glasgow Rangers," he said. "I think they needed someone to come in who was a 'name', who can attract players, and Steven is probably one of the biggest names out there.

"I think it's an exciting challenge for him. It's one of the biggest jobs in British football and it's very difficult to say how he's going to do, but the one thing you can say is that he'll give everything to make it work. "With it being his first job, he'll want to do it right."

Warnock believes recruiting the right players will be Gerrard's biggest challenge. "He's come from the Liverpool academy where you get given players there," he explained. "You don't have to go out and scout them.

"So he's got to make sure his scouting team's right. But I'm sure he's going to do very well. "I saw a couple of Liverpool Under-18 games that he looked after and the football they play, the style of football, was exciting and they scored a lot of goals.

"I know it's very different at that level, but his mentality will be to get that across to the players at Rangers as well."

In his five years with Liverpool, Warnock was a keen observer of Gerrard.

"He was very focussed in the dressing room," he recalled. "He wasn't a shouter. Before games, he was very focussed on what he had to do.

"He'd speak to individuals when he felt he needed to. At half-time, if he needed to voice his opinion, he would, but more often than not, he'd leave that to the manager."

Gerrard has already taken in Rangers' base at Auchenhowie and Warnock, who says he has never seen a better trainer anywhere in football, expects him to make severe demands of his players there.

"The standards he set in training every day were phenomenal and to do that at the level he did it at for so long in the game was a huge credit to him," he said.

"But people followed him. They wanted to follow him into battle because that was the type of player he was and I think that'll stand him in good stead for being Rangers manager.

"He wasn't afraid to let people know if they weren't up to his standards in training and they were slacking off a little bit. He would tell them. "That was the sort of leadership I needed when I was coming through as a youngster."

As a player, Gerrard was a Champions League-winning captain with Liverpool who amassed 114 caps for England.

So might he have a problem relating to, and dealing with, players who are nowhere near as good as he was? Not according to Warnock.

"He's had that already at youth level," he added. "Certainly, at that level, not every single player is going to get into the first team, or even have professional football as a career.

"So he'll have dealt with standards already. I don't think that will be a massive issue for him. "I think that's one thing that you learn as you're doing your coaching badges as well: you have to adapt to your surroundings. "He'll deal with what he's got and he'll make the most of it."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/44470510