Tom English sends sack warning to Steven Gerrard

In a talking sense for a change shock, Tom English talked of the enormous pressure Steven Gerrard faces as Celtic line up their 10 in a row plans. He reckons Gerrard could be gone by Christmas.

Way back in 2018 when Steven Gerrard was announced as the Rangers new manager English in a BBC article declared it as “A gobsmacking appointment” and “Either seriously clever or recklessly stupid.”

Well for some the jury is still out but zero trophies, a couple of second half of season collapses, many millions of pounds spent on recruiting the talent that provided those collapses and, to be fair some good European results, doesn’t really lean towards seriously clever does it? Gerrard won’t like being the manager who let 9in a row happen, he’s going to hate being in charge for 10 then!

And that’s where Tom English, speaking in Ireland’s Off the Ball podcast, starts to display some common sense. He manages to look beyond the Liverpool midfielders playing reputation and looks to answer the Celtic fans question –  “Have you ever seen Gerrard win the league?”

English warns Gerrard that if he felt any pressure this season then next season will be enormous. Some of Gerrards post match interviews in the season just ended suggested the pressure was telling. Sometimes he really seemed to struggle to get the words out to throw his team under the bus. Occasionally he did so very competently. Perhaps that’s all part of linked the winning mentality so sought after at Ibrox.

English saw it pretty clearly:

"“He is going to be under the most horrendous pressure, horrendous pressure, I can’t think of any other manager in European football, and I said this advisedly who’ll be under more pressure than him.”"

English acknowledged that for anyone associated with Ibrox a Celtic 10 in a row has to be stopped. And English went so far as to suggest that if, by December that’s not looking likely, then Gerrard may not survive to be there in the new year to see the usual lack lustre league performances by the Rangers. Though who would want to come in to carry the label of being the manager who let it happen remains to be seen. Graeme Murty might want to turn off his mobile in case the call comes!

Fair play to Tom English, he’s not been earning many brownie points of late from Celtic fans. Gerrard’s reputation means questioning his managerial ability can need the sort of vision to see beyond a Castore produced set of Emperors clothes. English is at least having a go. Even with this latest view though many hoops followers might still question his thinking and disagree.

Gerrard getting to Christmas? Will he even be there for the start of a new season more like!