Fashion Sakala believes Rangers would have won the 2021/22 Premiership title had Steven Gerrard not left Ibrox. But the Gers are now ‘exactly’ the same with manager Michael Beale.
Rangers appointed Beale to the helm in Glasgow last November after sacking Gerrard’s heir, Giovanni van Bronckhorst, after one year. It marked a return to Ibrox for Beale, who was an assistant in Gerrard’s backroom staff through the England icon’s tenure from 2018 to 2021.
Gerrard led Rangers to their 55th Premiership title during his tenure in 2020/21, as well. But the 42-year-old’s successes in Scotland attracted interest from the Premier League in Aston Villa. The Birmingham club coaxed the tactician to walk away to take over from Dean Smith.
Like Van Bronckhorst at Ibrox, Gerrard would also not last at the Villa Park helm. Aston Villa fired the former Liverpool midfielder after just 11 months following six defeats to two wins in 11 Premier League games this term. He had only won 13 of 40 in all competitions altogether.
Rangers, meanwhile, fired Van Bronckhorst having lost all six of the Gers’ Champions League group-stage ties. The Ibrox natives had also won 10 of their 15 Premiership fixtures this term with the 48-year-old. Rangers have already won in 10 of their 11 league games under Beale.
Sakala believes Rangers would have won the 2021/22 Premiership title with Gerrard
As well as guiding Rangers to the Premiership title in 2020/21, Gerrard oversaw an unbeaten season to win the crown. The Gers also equalled the league record of 26 clean sheets in one season, set a new record for the least goals conceded with 13 and won 32 games that term.
Rangers were also sat four points clear atop the Premiership table when Gerrard left to take over Aston Villa. The Gers had won nine and lost one of their 13 games that season up to his departure. Yet they finished second in the standings under Van Bronckhorst by four points.
Now, Sakala – who Gerrard signed from KV Oostende in May 2021 – believes Rangers would have held on to win the 2020/21 Premiership title had Aston Villa not poached the manager. He also feels the Gers are now back playing to the same tune since Beale returned to Ibrox.
“Last season, we were four points on top before Gerrard left,” Sakala said, via quotes by The Scottish Sun. “So, the change in the coach contributed a lot for us to be struggling. If Gerrard was still here, then I think we would have won the league last season.
“This season, you can see we struggled again. It is the same thing that happened last season. But the way we are playing now under the new manager, it is exactly the same as we were playing when Gerrard was here.”
