Liverpool manager odds: Steven Gerrard's Rangers transformation - how he ended Celtic's 10-year dominance

His Rangers team have enjoyed a season to remember, and now hold an unassailable 20-point lead in the Scottish Premiership.

In ending their own decade-long wait for a title, nine years after being consigned to Scotland’s fourth tier following financial collapse, the Light Blues also denied bitter rivals Celtic a record-breaking 10th consecutive top-flight crown.

Former Liverpool and England captain Gerrard arrived at Ibrox as the managerial rookie tasked with ending Celtic’s dominance. He has done so in stunning fashion.

When was Gerrard appointed Rangers manager?

Since being appointed at the tail end of 2017/18, what Gerrard has achieved is phenomenal.

He inherited little short of a basket case of a club, and that's without getting into the detail of their liquidation and subsequent 'rebirth' as a fourth-tier outfit.

Long gone were the days of the Old Firm dominating Scotland's top flight, with Rangers squeezed into successive third-place finishes in '16/17 and '17/18 by Derek McInnes' Aberdeen, the same McInnes who turned the job down in the months prior to Gerrard's arrival.

What a sorry state.

McInnes had looked on after Rangers brought Pedro Caixinha's disastrous spell to a quick end, a spell which included a Europa League first qualifying round exit to Luxembourg minnows Progres Niedercorn, and decided it wasn't for him.

Caretaker boss Graeme Murty, ultimately tasked with limping to the end of the season after McInnes' rejection, didn't even make it that far.

He was gone with three games to go, so assistant caretakers - if we can call them that - Jimmy Nicholl and Jonatan Johansson turned that limp into a crawl. Someone on the Rangers board must've given Steven Gerrard one hell of a PowerPoint presentation.

"I am honoured to become the next manager of Rangers," said Gerrard on signing a four-year deal, which he has since extended until 2024.

"I have enormous respect for this football club, its history and tradition. I can't wait to start this new journey at Rangers as we look to build on the many successes that this club has achieved."

And how he has built.

When did Rangers last win the league?

Rangers' 2010/11 triumph under Walter Smith, his last act before retirement, was their third in a row; it wouldn't be long before HMRC came calling, all hell would break loose and the fabric of Scottish football would seemingly change forever.

If not forever, then for a decade, at least. Ten straight seasons of virtually unopposed Celtic dominance followed. But under Gerrard, Rangers have displayed constant progression - if not always in the league table.

He inflicted the first Old Firm defeat of Brendan Rodgers' Celtic reign, needing only two attempts after his former Liverpool manager had gone 11 derby games unbeaten against a collection of opposing managers.

That campaign Rangers kept pace with their bitter rivals until a mid-season blip saw them slip out of title contention to finish second.

What was clear, though, was that this rookie manager had made an instant impact.

Last term's truncated season was a little more inconsistent in the league, but Gerrard's side did become the first Rangers' team to reach the knockout stage of a continental competition since 2011, eventually losing to Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League last 16.

But a trophy, and the real big one, was what was missing.

How good have Rangers been this season?

It's difficult to over-egg the praise for Steven Gerrard's Rangers in 2020/21.

They have won 28 of 32 league games this season, the other four ending in draws.

With six fixtures to play, Gerrard is closing in on an unbeaten top-flight campaign - something Sky Bet are only willing to price Rangers up at 6/4 to achieve.

But what is perhaps even more impressive than the unbeaten run, is that in those 32 matches, Rangers have conceded only nine goals.

Their goal difference is an outrageous +68.

For any nay-sayers who seek to quickly write-off the quality of Scottish football, Gerrard's side are into the last 16 of the Europa League too, where they'll face a Slavia Prague team who knocked out Leicester in the previous round.

And on the topic of unbeaten campaigns, Celtic managed it in 2016/17 under Brendan Rodgers... whose Leicester team aren't doing so badly are they - Europa League aside.

Gerrard v Lampard - ready for the Premier League?

When Rangers and Derby gave Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard, respectively, their first managerial roles in May 2018, the comparisons that followed them throughout their playing careers were inevitable.

Many considered it the beginning of each's path towards the hot seat they were destined to fill, especially when both had left roles as youth coaches at the clubs with whom they made their names.

A year later Lampard replaced Maurizio Sarri as Chelsea head coach. He lasted 18 months.

Arguably, his sacking was a little harsh having achieved his remit of a top-four finish while operating under a transfer embargo. But on the other hand, following a £250m summer outlay, he had the Blues struggling in ninth at the end of January.

Is it jumping the gun to suggest that Thomas Tuchel's sensational impact (W7, D3, LO) is proof that Lampard simply wasn't ready?

And if he wasn't, and one season of managing in the Sky Bet Championship isn't enough, is three in the Scottish Premiership?

I don't think it's a stretch to say Gerrard is further along in his managerial development after three years at one of British football's biggest clubs, winning a league title and coaching in Europe for the duration of that time.

But without doubt, the Premier League is a step up.

Could Gerrard be the next Liverpool manager?

Jurgen Klopp's incredible sack race shortening, from 50/1 to 8/11 in just 24 hours, earlier this season has understandably added further fuel to the fire when it comes to Gerrard's Anfield links.

Liverpool's consistently poor form means that kind of speculation is going nowhere.

Gerrard is now the favourite with the majority of firms to be the next man in the Anfield hotseat, having nudged ahead of Klopp's assistant Pep Lijnders in the running.

Klopp, meanwhile, is as short as evens not to be in charge of the Merseyside club for the opening game of the 2021/22 Premier League season.

Next permanent Liverpool manager (odds via Paddy Power)

• Steven Gerrard - 6/4
• Pep Lijnders - 11/5
• Xabi Alonso - 11/2
• Julian Nagelsmann - 10/1

Gerrard's 13/8 favourite status with Sky Bet, and 10/11 with Paddy Power, to be the next Reds manager during the height of the noise surrounding Klopp's future in early February was no surprise.

But for Rangers and their former England captain, I have a feeling what they are building this is just the beginning.

Should Liverpool come calling, though, surely he couldn't let it slip.

Sorry Steven.

ALSO READ: Gerrard backed to replace Klopp

Odds correct at 14:00 (07/03/21)

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