I can’t help but compare the coaching/managerial paths of Lampard and Gerrard. Lampard got a job at Derby, didn’t get them promoted, but then somehow miraculously landed one of the plum jobs in football as Chelsea manager. OK he played for them, and scored a lot of goals as an attacking midfielder, but as a coach he hadn’t shown anything that would justify such a move. Then in addition to landing the job, it coincided with Abramovich opening the purse strings in a way he never did for several previous managers, who all had much more on their CV than Lampard. (My take on that is Abramovich was mulling over a sale, mulling over his relationship with the UK, etc.)
Anyway, with a massive silver spoon and such undeserved fortune, what sort of job has Lampard been doing? The squad he has should mean a strong title challenge. Factor in an inexperienced manager, growing on the job, and top four might suffice, for now, but with the promise of more to come. That should be the bare minimum.
He is falling way short of those minimum expectations. As a former player he will get a lot more goodwill than others enjoyed, but having said that, the limits are being tested. Unless he turns it around quickly, he will be booted out, and rightly so.
Now let’s look at Gerrard. Cut his teeth coaching the kids at Liverpool, picked the brains of Klopp and his team. Then you get the sense that Jurgen pushed him out of the nest, in the best possible way, as a good ‘father.’ Go and fly son. Show them what you can do.
And Stevie took on a big job, albeit at a distressed giant that hadn’t won the title in Scotland for a decade. The level isn’t the same as the Prem, but the goldfish bowl is, the tradition is, the expectation of many thousands of fans is. In other words, the perfect place to sink or swim.
Well, Stevie G is doing the bloody backstroke this season! 16 points ahead of their fierce rivals, although he is talking that down to 10, given games in hand, and he is dampening expectations and focusing the players on the job in hand.
He hasn’t won the league yet, but you get the sense that it is coming.
School of hard knocks, rather than a drawer full of Ralph Lauren jumpers (this was Rio Ferdinand’s impression of Lampard’s upbringing).
Whether it all matriculates into a top level managerial career for Stevie remains to be seen. Whether or not he gets the gig as Liverpool manager one day again remains to be seen. But on the showing of their managerial careers so far, he is much more worthy of leading Liverpool than Lampard is of leading Chelsea.
Keep shining Stevie. Understated, but we see you! Top man.