Gerrard In or Out?

[chrisw1]

Well actually there has been a slight tweak in the tactical system at Rangers
I read the biggest change is that the Giovanni van Bronckhorst made is that SG two inside 10s have been ditched in favour of out and out wingers.
Something really Villa should be having given our personnel

Given our personnel of two of the most injury prone wingers in the world who spend weeks out after tripping over a blade of grass? Yep, really good idea that, can't see any issues whatsoever.

Gerrard made his tactical decision before it was clear Bailey & Traore weren't going to feature this season.  With El Ghazi, Bailey, Traore & Buendia (+ Watkins) in his initial squad, I think playing with wider forwards than our two narrow 10's is a pretty reasonable sugestion.

[Ads]

Tweak. Small tinkering of the original machine. Not significant overhaul. My point remains undiminished.

Differentiate between Smith and Bruce where the former had to build a defence, because the later was a clown.

So our improved form is down to Dean Smith?

With regards to the Championship, it improved because we no longer had James Bree, Chester half a knee etc in defence.

This year it improved because Gerrard sorted out the positional mess of our midfield. Compare average positions with Southampton away and it showed a real absence of a plan.

It's not improved dramatically as what plagued Smith beyond those short comings, is what plagues Gerrard now and would plague anybody.

[Risso]

Well actually there has been a slight tweak in the tactical system at Rangers
I read the biggest change is that the Giovanni van Bronckhorst made is that SG two inside 10s have been ditched in favour of out and out wingers.
Something really Villa should be having given our personnel

Given our personnel of two of the most injury prone wingers in the world who spend weeks out after tripping over a blade of grass? Yep, really good idea that, can't see any issues whatsoever.

Gerrard made his tactical decision before it was clear Bailey & Traore weren't going to feature this season.  With El Ghazi, Bailey, Traore & Buendia (+ Watkins) in his initial squad, I think playing with wider forwards than our two narrow 10's is a pretty reasonable sugestion.

The facts don't back that up. Bailey started Gerrard's 2nd and 3rd games in charge, before Bailey injured himself running back into our half against Man City. Traore was injured from when Gerrard took over, got himself fit for the ANC, then injured himself again. Since getting back to some sort of fitness, Bailey has started three of the last 4 games. Buendia isn't an out and out winger as he lacks pace to beat people.

[chrisw1]

My point is he had the personnel to play with wider forwards if he wanted to.

[Risso]

My point is he had the personnel to play with wider forwards if he wanted to.

He didn't because they were injured.

[Ian.]

We’ve had match fit wingers for all of 5 minutes it feels like.

[Footy-Vill]

I thought AEG and Trez were given tougher side of treatment.
Trez been away with African Nations as well AEG has been tough as he proved himself last season and has ability to score or at least shoot at goal.
There's another reason shot count went down in matches as AEG was out the picture.
Interesting to see if he gets a summer reproach but don't think he fits Gerrards system as well as tough guys only persona so will be moved on . AEG was near playing international football and scoring and now he's been outcasted at Everton too.
Needs to move on for good of his career.

[gpbarr]

Saunders got us to the EC quarter finals. Gerrard managed 4 europa league games this season ( excluding the playoffs ) where he played 4, lost 2, drew 1 and won 1. Their record since he left is far better.

I’m not in the Gerrard out camp yet but I won’t be mentioning him in the same sentence as Saunders for a while

And further, Smith transformed us from a club struggling in the Championship to one that reached a cup final, thrashed Liverpool 7-2, delivered the clubs highest league finish in 11 years, and returned the feel good factor to the club.

When and if Gerrard starts emulating that, he will get credit. Until then, no one knows more than he that the jury is well and truly out.

Any comparison to the achievements of either Saunders or Smith is laughable.

[cdbearsfan]

The biggest contribution Saunders made to us winning the European Cup was winning the league. Qualifying was half the battle, back when only one team per country entered.

With "Rangers", you're pretty much guaranteed European football before a ball is kicked.

I've seen some fans try to claim that their success in Europe proves that Gerrard underachieved there. I've seen others claim that he should get the credit. Both views are equally bollocks, IMO. If you want to judge his "Rangers" record, judge him on what he achieved there not what may or may not have happened if he had stayed.

[N'ZMAV]

there seems to be a high level of criticism online compared to when I'm at games, especially away games - they don't seem to be against him as much as the t'internet people.

[Villan82]

43 points with four games remaining, two of which are against Palace and Burnley.

33 points from 23 games compared to 10 points from Smith's 11 games.

The anti-Gerrard thing is clearly personal and not based on evidence.

[Goldenballs]

I don't think it's personal at all. We had an absolute shocker of a start, we needed a change and it would've been a pretty epic fail to carry on that form with the players we had and the ones coming back from injury.

I'm just not convinced he's the man the push us on whilst spending lots of our owners cash. I don't like or dislike him. He's here, so we'll see how it pans out.

[Clark W Griswold]

The anti Gerrard stuff got real before Leicester away when we’d lost 4 on the bounce. The anti Gerrard stuff has rightly gone quieter after 7 points from the last 3. The points evaluation you mention is, well pointless in relation to the argument.
He’s done well though yes, and another even just 4 points from his last 4 and he’ll have earned the right to have a good crack at it over the summer and next season in my eyes. He possibly has already.

[Toronto Villa]

There didn’t need to be any anti Gerrard stuff. It’s not the same as criticism because that position attracts it. But he’d been in the job 6 months with only a couple of players that he’d brought in. Loads of injuries, Covid breaks and yes of course things that he and the team could have done better. But the whole manager out after a few months has been ludicrous

[olaftab]

43 points with four games remaining, two of which are against Palace and Burnley.

33 points from 23 games compared to 10 points from Smith's 11 games.

The anti-Gerrard thing is clearly personal and not based on evidence.

I think you need to drop your obsession with Smith's 10 from 11. I am sure we can pick a very bad 10 or so games run  about Gerrard as well. Both out managers this season have ben worryingly inconsistent.