Steven Gerrard may call on former Rangers boss Walter Smith for advice on fixing Ibrox side’s ‘head-scratching’ form
As a manager still in the development stage of his touchline career, Steven Gerrard could do with a sounding board in this excruciating period, not least at a time when the discordant voices have been booming.
Even as Rangers nine-in-a-row manager, Walter Smith knew periods in charge when he would have gladly slipped on the headphones.
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Hide AdBut the Ibrox icon will never turn a deaf ear to any pleas for advice from Gerrard – even if he is willing to tell the former England captain what he might not want to hear.
“I have had chats with Walter since day one and he is obviously someone who has been round the block and got the t-shirt,” said Gerrard. “I think things are different now in my reign compared to when he was the manager.
“But he has been one who has been honest with me since day one – even on the back of a good game Walter is the type of person who will not just talk about the good things but say to you this, that and the other.
“His advice has been absolute gold dust and it will continue to be because I genuinely think he wants to help and support me and this club.
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Hide Ad“You can hear his love for the club when you speak to him. He is still as passionate as he was when I looked up to him from the outside.”
Now, with the heat on, would seem an opportune time to have a word in Smith’s shell-like. “I quite possibly will speak to him. The last message I had to him was to wish him happy birthday which wasn’t so long ago [24 February].
“If you are asking if he is there for me and will he be there for me this week then I’m sure he will be if I need it.”
As opposed to winning trophies as Smith did on a regular basis, Gerrard would settle for winning on a regular basis.
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Hide AdWith Leverkusen on Thursday to follow Ross County today, the Ibrox manager isn’t simply banking on being able to show a different personality in Europe from the Scottish scene just because that was so much the case with the Braga success in the last round.
“We have proved that but it doesn’t guarantee you are going to do it again,” he said.
“We have got to go out against Leverkusen and have the same focus and give to both fixtures as much as we gave to Braga, if not more because I think the challenge might go up again as you progress in this tournament.
“That’s the reason it is quite head-scratching at the moment. Normally in these situations it’s every game that’s a struggle. Your form is there consistently.
“So to go from Hearts to Braga and then back to Hamilton is a bit head-scratching at the moment. But we are capable of bouncing back very quickly.”