Steven Gerrard’s European escapades
and how they're solidifying his legitimacy as Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp heir
Hello, it is I again. I know I said it’d be a weekly newsletter but I’m feeling inspired.
This is the seventh Marginal Pains newsletter. I’ll be looking at the man who helped Liverpool lift their fifth European Cup.
Believe it or not, Steven Gerrard is now a divisive subject amongst Liverpool fans. He’ll forever be a club legend, but there are some fans who are against the idea of him succeeding Jürgen Klopp.
The charismatic German is contracted to the Premier League champions until 2024, so this bridge isn’t going to be crossed anytime soon. However, with Rangers doing well, it is a topic of conversation right now. The Gers are top of the Scottish Premiership having won 11 of their opening 13 matches. They’ve conceded just three goals and have kept 11 clean sheets. Gerrard’s side have also defeated Standard Liege and Lech Poznan while also drawing 3-3 with Benfica to get their Europa League campaign off to a near-perfect start.
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There is a counter-argument to all that.
He’s only doing it in Scotland. Traditionally, it’s a two-horse race and impressing with one of the favourites shouldn’t mean you’re qualified to be Liverpool manager. The gap between the English and Scottish Premierships hasn’t ever been greater. So, to an extent, those making that argument do have a valid point.
But then you see his European record and can’t help but be impressed. During his time in Glasgow, he’s beaten Feyenoord, FC Porto, SC Braga and Galatasaray to go along with his impressive showings in the group so far this season. For context, under Brendan Rodgers, Celtic dominated domestically but failed to do anything of note in Europe.
Furthermore, and I realise this will sound cliche but, there’s more to football than results, and it’s this which makes Gerrard such an intriguing possibility.
Under Klopp, the Reds have built an identity and a distinctive style. Whoever succeeds him will have to have a similar approach in order to ensure wholesale changes aren’t needed. Players are suited to certain systems and the former BVB tactician is a master at ensuring their weaknesses are hidden and their strengths are played to.
In theory, someone like Julian Nagelsmann seems like a natural choice. Appearances can be deceptive, though, and when you really look at him as a manager, he’s more Pep Guardiola than he is Klopp. He has different systems which require different players. Fluidity and flexibility are important in the modern era but flip-flopping between 4-4-2 and 3-5-2 can make recruitment difficult and development even trickier.
Gerrard, like Klopp, flicks between 4-3-3 and 4-2-3-1. I recently posted an average position map on Twitter to show the similarities between Rangers and Liverpool. A lot of the replies seemed to imply all teams using a 4-3-3 formation would have the same shape. The truth is, you rarely see two teams with near-identical set-ups like that. Even down to which full-back sees more of the ball in advanced areas.
Rangers have pieced together a team with players who share profiles with their Liverpool counterparts. Calvin Bassey and James Tavernier are currently the full-backs for the Ibrox club. The former is more of a ball carrier, attempting over four dribbles per 90, while the latter is used to progress play through passes. The Rangers captain attempts ten more passes than Bassey while averaging just 2.56 dribbles.
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That dynamic is eerily similar to the one used by Liverpool. Andrew Robertson tends to be the dribbler while Trent Alexander-Arnold is the passer. In a recent interview with Rio Ferdinand, Liverpool’s right-back said he’s only able to be as adventurous as he is because he’s got confidence in the centre-backs and the midfielders to manage the situations if there’s a turnover.
The Reds assembled a physically dominant team. For example, last season, Etienne Capoue and Paul Pogba were the only midfielders in the league to win a higher percentage of aerial duels than Fabinho. The Brazilian powerhouse won 65% of his aerial battles. With Virgil Van Dijk winning 73% of his, Dejan Lovren averaging 70% and Joel Matip losing just 20% of his aerial duels, few teams could match them.
Gerrard has replicated that with his Rangers side. Connor Goldson and Filip Helander have won 72% of their aerial duels this season while Glen Kamara, one of the three midfielders, is winning 65% of the aerial battles he goes into. The Scottish Premiership table-toppers then use the likes of Steven Davis, Ryan Jack and Scott Arfield to ensure there’s balance to the team in that middle third of the pitch.
The front three differs to the current Liverpool team but does share some similarities with a previous incarnation. Ianis Hagi is more Philippe Coutinho than he is Mohamed Salah, but Alfredo Morelos and Ryan Kent do admirable impressions of Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mané respectively. Morelos pops up across the final third and generally annoys the opposition while former Liverpool winger is used as more of a direct threat, going inside from out.
Stylistically, you won’t find a team as similar to Liverpool as you do Rangers. Scotland or not, what he’s doing is quite remarkable. There’s plenty of time for all this to change, but right now, Gerrard probably tops the list of candidates to succeed Klopp. However, it’s very much on merit as opposed to him trading on his name and his relationship with the club.
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