Ex-Rangers chief Mark Allen highlights Steven Gerrard’s qualities which helped end Celtic’s dominance
[article]ORGANISED. Ruthless. Relentless.
Three words Mark Allen swore by at the start of Steven Gerrard’s Rangers rebuild.
Three years later that’s a fitting description of the team Allen watches with pride.
Gerrard has packaged it all into his Rangers squad to the delight of supporters, Allen included.
The former Ibrox director of football knew he had the right man in Gerrard to instil each one of those qualities.
He just recognised that it would take time to operate to full, devastating effect. After two fading challenges to Celtic, rampant Rangers have overtaken their rivals.
And their super European form continued with a 9-5 aggregate win over Royal Antwerp to tee up a last-16 clash with Slavia Prague.
Allen explained: “The terminology we tried to integrate into the operation early doors was ‘Organised, Ruthless, Relentless’. Both on and off the pitch.
“It always takes time for a culture to come together. Rangers are organised. Quite relentless in their pursuit, as the league has shown. And they’re ruthless when need be, putting chances away.
“So what I’m seeing now is all that coming to life. And what was once a vision and desire is now a reality.”
Allen needed “a leader/winner character” in early 2018 as interim boss Graeme Murty’s reign unravelled.
That led him to consider a man who was no ordinary rival to him in his previous job at Manchester City’s academy — Liverpool youth coach Gerrard.
But this was no ordinary brief: Recover Rangers from the mess of the Pedro Caixinha experiment and catch soaring Celtic before ten in a row.
He added: “I’d got to see Steven at Liverpool.
“What I noted was a marked change from when we played Liverpool at home before Steven’s appointment to playing them away after it.
“It was two different Liverpool teams in terms of application, desire and intensity. Basically, it was Steven Gerrard.
“I knew then that he’d have that effect on players.
“It was always at the back of my mind. That he could bring that to the table.
“I knew from sitting with him, talking to him at his home, that if we built the right team on and off the pitch, we’d be successful.
“There was a meeting of minds to try and articulate where we wanted to go.
“Steven is always someone who’s risen to challenges. I think we presented him with the perfect challenge when we said, ‘Come on, what do you think of this?’
The previous, chaotic season started with humiliating defeat to Progres Niederkorn.
It ended in a 5-5 draw at Hibernian under Jimmy Nicholl to guarantee European football for the new boss.
The record of Gerrard in Europe is one remarkable part of the transformation during and after Allen’s time. He admits there’s huge pleasure at seeing Rangers power on in the Europa League.
And there will be much emotion when James Tavernier is finally handed the Premiership trophy.
Allen said: “I remember the 5-5 game when we crept in to European qualification.
“To go to perhaps getting to the quarter-final stage and where they are now tells people the journey and what’s been achieved in that time.
“Those who understand football will know that’s quite a phenomenal turnaround.
“I’ll have to be careful I don’t get emotional. There’s immense pride. A lot of hard work went in at, sometimes, a difficult club. I’ve always backed my convictions and been strong and resolute enough to see them through. It’s hugely satisfying that it’s going to come home.”
Links with the Liverpool job, said Allen, have existed from the start and are unlikely to disappear.
But he’s looking forward to Gerrard leading Rangers into the Champions League and putting a further stamp on the squad.
Allen said: “I think he’ll always be linked, to be fair, when you think of the part he played at Liverpool and the esteem in which he’s held.
“But I also think he’s a guy who wants to show what can be done outside of Liverpool. If it stands him in good stead for one day being considered for that job, then great.
“What people will take from this regardless is that Steven is and will be a top manager — full stop.
“I can’t speculate what’s next for Steven. From my understanding, he won’t walk away from anything.
“It’s important Rangers don’t stop here by winning the league. You’ve always got to strengthen year on year.
“That’s nothing detrimental to any player there now. They’ve been excellent.
“But the best always do it. Look at Sir Alex at United. After every single year of success, he added more. I think that would be one of the things on Steven’s mind.”
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