The Resurgence of Rangers FC under Steven Gerrard: Analysis | Stats | Record

After a decade, the Glasgow giants Rangers FC finally got their hands on the Scottish Premiership in a 3-0 rout against St. Mirren, breaking Celtic dominance of nine consecutive years. 

Former Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard won his first trophy as a manager of Rangers FC. Rangers were crowned the new champions of the Scottish Premiership in a 3-0 win against St Mirren while Celtic was held in a 0-0 draw at Dundee United, which helped Rangers FC finish at the top of the table with a 20 points difference and won their record 55th title. Gerrard's men are unbeaten in the league and have six games to spare. 

Rangers FC had been abysmal for a decade with a financial meltdown in 2012 had to watch poignantly their rivals dominate the league for nine consecutive years. 

However, it came to an end when the Gers rekindled their form under new coach Steven Gerrard and ended Celtic's prolonged dominance with their splendid performance in the league. 

Rangers is one of the most successful clubs in the Scottish League have won 55 league titles, and the second-most successful club in the world in terms of the vast number of trophies won. 

Behind Egyptian Club Al Ahly, winning the league 55 times a domestic league world record, Scottish Cup 33 times, and Scottish League Cup 27 times and the domestic treble on seven occasions sharing a joint record with rivals Celtic. Rangers had also won the Champions League in 1972 before they lost, two finals in 1961 and 1967. 

Rangers also have a long-standing rivalry with Celtic in the Scottish league. The Glasgow giants have been considered one of the world's biggest football rivalries. Both the teams have dominated Scottish leagues for decades; however, the Rangers were more dominating in the league. 

Due to the financial crisis during the 2011-12 season, the club was placed in the fourth tier of the Scottish football league system in time for the start of the new season. 

The club then went on to win three promotions in four years, returning to the top league (Scottish Premiership) in 2016-17, season-ending their four-year-long run in the lower divisions. 

Rangers also became the only club in Scotland to have won every domestic trophy while being in the Scottish lower divisions. After their promotion, they won Scottish Premiership in 2020-21 under the managerial guidance of former Liverpool legend, Steven Gerrard, ending Celtic's nine years dominance and winning their first top-flight title in ten years.

Evolution of Rangers FC under Steven Gerrard 

Rangers saw massive progress under the new manager Steven Gerrard. During his appointment, some thought the club made a mistake after signing former Liverpool star.    

Under Steven Gerrard, Rangers saw a quick recuperation; Gerrard worked on player's mentality and also identified their strengths and weakness. As a player, he heralded the situation and made them feel complacent.

The club started to make accurate decisions under him, which led to new players' buying and sharping recruitment. The team looked like they had a purpose now, and Gerrard's impact started showing in the dressing room; Rangers were 12 games unbeaten and booked a spot in Europa League. 

Ranger's first defeat came against Celtic, and later they were eliminated from the league cup by Aberdeen. This raised many doubts about Gerrard's managing style; however, Rangers defeated Celtic, and it was their first-ever league win against them since 2012.   

In both the seasons, 2018-19 and 2019-20, Rangers clinched a place in the Europa League and finished second place in the Scottish league. Celtic dominated both the seasons, winning their eight and ninth successive titles with nine and 13 points difference in both the seasons. 

In the Europa League, Rangers drew with 1-1 against Young Boys, which was their European football beyond Christmas for the first time in eight years. 

Rangers under Steven Gerrard: 2020/21 Campaign

Rangers under their manager, Steven Gerrard, started the 2020-21 season with a bang, winning a magnificent 28 games of their 32 league games and drawing the other four. 

Gerrard's men have already won the league with a 20-point lead at the top of the table. He could inspire the team to an invincible journey clinching 100 points in the league; after their 55 titles, this could be another achievement to write on history books.  

After their Scottish Premiership triumph, Rangers and Steven Gerrard will now focus on the Europa league's second leg at the Ibrox stadium after their 1-1 draw at Sinobo Stadium against Slavia Praha.