Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard is nearing a return to management after holding talks about a possible return to Rangers following the sacking of Russell Martin at Ibrox
Rangers are reportedly close to reappointing Steven Gerrard as the club’s new manager, with talks with the former Liverpool midfielder progressing. The Scottish giants are seeking a replacement for the outgoing Russell Martin after relieving him of his duties last week.
The former manager was sacked on Sunday following the club’s 1-1 draw with Falkirk. The result left the club in eighth position in the Scottish Premiership, 11 points behind early leaders Hearts.
Gerrard was quickly installed as the bookmaker’s favourite for the role, after being linked with a return in the summer, before Martin’s appointment. Gerrard is said to have held talks with Rangers on Thursday and is said to be open to taking the job.
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Those talks have reportedly been constructive with further talks now expected. Any appointment would see Gerrard return to the club where he lifted the Scottish Premiership title in 2021.
It will also see him return to the club where he first started his senior managerial career. He moved to Rangers from Liverpool’s youth teams in the summer of 2018.
He stayed until November 2021, when he left to take up the opportunity to manage in the Premier League with Aston Villa. He, however, lasted less than a year in the role.
His most recent job saw him take charge of Saudi Pro League side Al-Ettifaq. He joined the club in the summer of 2023, but left in January and has since been without a club.
It’s at Rangers where he had his most successful spell, averaging points per match (PPM) of 2.15 in his 192 games. He was less successful at Villa with a PPM of 1.18 in 40 games.
With Al-Ettifaq, his 55 games in charge saw him average a PPM of 1.33. Overall, Gerrard has managed 319 games, winning 174, drawing 70 and losing 75. His average PPM stands at 1.86.
But how does that compare to his former England teammates? Well, his record is a lot better than that of Wayne Rooney’s.
The former striker has taken charge of four clubs: Derby County, DC United, Birmingham City and Plymouth Argyle. But he only lasted more than a year in two of those four permanent positions.
As permanent boss of Derby between January 2021 and summer 2022, he averaged a PPM of 1.14 over 74 matches. That time did, however, come when the club found itself in financial difficulty.
At DC United, he took charge of 53 games between summer 2022 and October 2023. In those games, he averaged a PPM of 1.04.
Then came ill-fated spells with Birmingham and Plymouth. With the Blues, he managed a PPM of 0.67 over 15 games, while at Plymouth, his record was 0.84 PPM over 25 matches.
Therefore, over all four clubs, Rooney has taken charge of 177 games, with 46 wins, 44 draws and 87 losses. His average PPM of 1.03 is much lower than Gerrard’s record.
Former Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard is the only one of the three currently in a managerial job. The 47-year-old is in charge of Championship side Coventry City, after taking over from Mark Robins in November last year.
He has been praised for the work he has done with the Sky Blues, who currently sit top of the Championship table after play-off semi-final heartbreak last season. In his 44 matches in charge, Lampard averages a PPM of 1.77, the highest of any of his previous roles.
Before managing Coventry, Lampard had permanent positions with Derby, Chelsea and Everton. He led Derby to the play-offs in the 2018/19 season, averaging a PPM of 1.63 in his 57 games in charge.
The following summer saw him leave to return to Chelsea. He managed the club for 84 games, averaging a PPM of 1.75.
Around a year after leaving Stamford Bridge, he was appointed at Everton in January 2022. In his year in charge of the Toffees, he averaged a PPM of exactly 1.
A caretaker stint back at Chelsea followed with a PPM of 0.45 over 11 games.
Lampard has managed 240 matches in all of his first-team roles so far. In that time, he has won 106, drawn 49, and lost 85, with an average PPM of 1.53.
It means that despite the praise that Lampard has had with the job he is currently doing at Coventry, Gerrard’s overall record is still better in terms of PPM. It’s something that Rangers will no doubt take as a good sign ahead of his potential re-appointment.
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