Rangers boss Steven Gerrard has never been more under the microscope since coming to the Ibrox club in the summer of 2018 than he is right now.
Dropping points in five league games in 2020, including three defeats, and crashing out of the Scottish Cup, have turned up the pressure on the former England captain.
Rangers fans are in largely two-minds about the club’s next move here and whilst much of the responsibility for the devastating collapse falls on the players, plenty falls on the management team too.
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But since the pressure has increased on Gerrard, it’s difficult to argue that the Rangers boss has come across well throughout the entire thing.
The Ibrox gaffer has received plenty of criticism for his post-match comments after Hamilton, but even in the weeks before that the Gers gaffer never sounded at all optimistic about his team’s chances in the Scottish Premiership.
Gerrard might have said he never would concede the title [Glasgow Times], but he found it incredibly difficult to inspire anyone into thinking that the side could secure it.
Including the side themselves.
Gerrard repeatedly talked down the chances of catching Celtic as if they’d disappeared so far ahead that the mathematical surety was an ever-increasing inevitability.
And yet if Rangers had managed to pick up all three points against Hamilton, it would’ve hauled them within 10 points of Celtic with a game in hand.
Win that, beat Celtic at Ibrox, and suddenly the gap is four points with an Old Firm to come and plenty of games to play.
Gerrard’s lack of belief in this squad’s capability to catch Celtic has shown in recent weeks and he’s done little to convince anyone we can challenge our Old Firm rivals this season.
Whilst it’s unfair to suggest Gerrard hasn’t praised his players when the time has called for it – he has talked very highly of the team and the players in the past – there’s certainly something to be said for the criticism.
If Gerrard lost his faith in this squad mounting a title challenge, then can you blame the squad for doing the same?
