Steven Gerrard insists he wasn't 'lucky' to escape the sack at Rangers

No Rangers manager has previously survived going without silverware during their first two seasons in the job.

Steven Gerrard passes on instructions to his players during his 100th win as Rangers manager when St Johnstone were beaten 1-0 at Ibrox on Wednesday. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

But Steven Gerrard is quick to dismiss the notion he was in any way fortunate to avoid dismissal when those circumstances came to pass last year.

The value of the Ibrox board of directors taking a long-term view of Gerrard’s tenure is set to be realised over the course of the coming weeks as his runaway Premiership leaders close in on the club’s first title win in a decade.

In an era where the average managerial shelf-life sits at around the 18-month mark, it’s a level of far-sightedness and patience which few in Gerrard’s profession find themselves benefitting from.

As appreciative as he is, however, Gerrard believes his current situation is a consequence of his employers staying true to the assurances they gave him before he put pen to paper on his first managerial contract in the summer of 2018.

“Before I signed up for the job, I asked those questions myself,” reflects Gerrard. “I don't consider myself lucky.

“We had numerous conversations with the chairman and the board to say, look, I’m a new manager coming in here who lacks experience and I’m taking on a huge challenge.

“I’m ready for the challenge, I’m excited, I’m appreciative of the opportunity but we are going to have some moments where I might need your support and I might need you as a group of men, and as a board, to go above and beyond to have my back in these tough moments.

“I wasn't surprised by the support but I was very grateful. To be successful is very tough. You cannot just appoint a manager and expect everything to be fantastic and you are successful in a matter of months.

“Sometimes it takes time and it is a long process but the board were very aware where the club was at when I took this role and the monumental challenge that was in front of us all. I’m not surprised that after a few bad results that I got that support but I’m always grateful for it.”

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