In their time together, Steven Gerrard and Rafa Benitez shaped Liverpool’s best years in the 21st century yet. Even if he wasn’t the best of friends with Benitez, Gerrard would do well to take a leaf out of his vast managerial book.
There was a buzz of anticipation at Anfield as half time dawned to a close on the 22nd of March, 2015. Liverpool were facing Man United in England’s most iconic fixture, and captain Steven Gerrard was about to be subbed on. Gerrard had grown up hating Manchester United, not unlike most other Liverpudlian faithfuls – his father once nearly beat him when he dared to bring in a United jersey to their house when he was a little boy. And now, Liverpool’s greatest player of the modern era was about to square off against their greatest rivals for one last time in his career. The fans expected a farewell coronation.
38 seconds later, pandemonium. It was a wave of disbelief that spread across the stadium as referee Martin Atkinson showed the captain a red card, and he was off the field no sooner than he had come on. Gerrard stamped on Ander Herrera as he let his emotions take the better of him, and down the tunnel he went. Dejected fans, some who had travelled from far and wide to witness the last derby for Liverpool’s great talisman, could do nothing but wish this was all a bad nightmare.
The game is a feeling
Steven Gerrard, if nothing else, was a player who played with his heart on his sleeve throughout the ninety minutes. He could spot a defence splitting pass like few others in world football, but he would as easily rush into hard tackles and risk being booked. A successful challenge against Manchester United was celebrated as if it was a stoppage time winner in a cup final, and a goal against Everton was like an intoxicating high for the man. As the seasons went by, Gerrard learnt to keep his emotions under check as he took on the mantle of the leader, but deep within he always remained the boy from Liverpool who wanted to get to every ball he didn’t already have. In a way, that is what made him so good – the desire to see his team succeed, the drive to lead the Reds to the Promised Land.
And now, over three years removed from the stamping incident, Liverpool’s former hero has accepted the managerial role at Rangers FC in Scotland as he looks to take the next step in his career. Gerrard had been coaching the Liverpool youth for over a year before landing the Rangers job, but this will be his first attempt at managing a club at the senior level.
The question has to be asked – what kind of a manager will Gerrard be? Will he be as emotionally charged as he was on the field, or perhaps are we going to see a calmer, more composed version of the man?
Like every new manager who had once been a footballer of any significance, he will be massively influenced by the managers that he himself has played under. Stevie has worked with several coaches, all with different styles.
There was Gerard Houlier, who made him the Liverpool captain, and then there was Brendan Rodgers, under whom Gerrard nearly won the league title. There are managers better not talked about too (ahem, Roy Hodgson). But when you discuss the playing career of Steven Gerrard, it will always be incomplete without that one phase under a certain manager, when both Stevie and his gaffer touched their respective zeniths.