Steven Gerrard went on the 11th hour, of the 11th day, of the 11th month. It is as though he was trolling those who yesterday were his comrades. No matter what we think of the other lot, you or I would have more taste than to do that to them. He could have waited another hour.
To Celtic fans, he will forever be the man who clung on after a curtailed season and then stopped 10-in-a-row, but we will lament today, as Gerrard leaves Glasgow. He was a walking UB40 manager, one League Cup semi-final defeat away from being able to sing, “I am the one in 10…. a statistic, a reminder”, of nine failed campaigns.
For months, I wrote here that I wanted him to stay. Celtic’s complete collapse last season made the league a non-event. Gerrard oversaw another year of massive and unsustainable overspend, and coasted to the title. Despite this, his squad was unmarketable, planning was all about consumption today, to hell with tomorrow.
The main reason I wanted him to stay, however, turns out to be false. Gerrard’s current contract was signed after it became public knowledge that Brendan Rodgers had a £9m release clause in his Celtic contract. Surely, I assumed, those sharp minds at Ibrox would tie Gerrard down on nothing less than the same terms. Newco need £9m more than they need a manager who can only win when there is no opposition.
However, Villa will pay £4.5m compensation to deprive Newco of their management team. Lots of things in football are out of your control, but the figure required to adequately compensate a club to allow their manager to break his contract? Someone slipped up here, and on this occasion, it was not Gerrard.
£4.5m will keep the lights on for another three weeks, if they don’t need to pay compensation for the next guy. Anyone in a job is likely to cost as much, if not more. Now comes the work of attracting a quality candidate to a club in the 10th year of living beyond its means. Some sort of miracle worker, would be ideal.
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PorCietro could you please explain yourself more easily.
https://www.reglasgow.com/go-ahead-given-for-celtic-indoor-training-pitch/
https://www.scottishconstructionnow.com/article/celtic-take-steps-to-progress-hotel-and-museum-plan
There is money for the likes of Barrowfield.Its what built the Celtic way,knocked down the old school. Etc.Great idea to take out the front stand a make standing area.
Kyoto will be playing,in midweek,the Stadium,I was O&M manager for in Muscat,Oman..
Great memories of the most beautiful City,I have had the pleasure to live and work in.
plans submitted for front stand conversion to a standing area.
https://wikifoundryimages.s3.amazonaws.com/a10dd6d934647e2e2bf2f090fa690200
All Sevco have to do is get their next manager to wear a blue suit with brown brogues, and they’ll just continue to call him Steven Gerrard, that’s the way they do things, is it not? por cierto
!!BADA BING!! on 11TH NOVEMBER 2021 1:25 PM
Rumour The Queen is dead
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Judging by the lack of replies I don’t think anyone on here cares!
I don’t think they will appoint McInnes. He turned them down before and then they trashed his character.
SAINT STIVS
When you see that design, only an idiot would refuse planning permission.
Unless you ‘reason’ that it might take business away from the local shops and chippies.
Only in the best, wee, bigoted country in the world.
FFS!
Paul67, I fail to see the relevance of the 11th Hour/Day/Month – this is not exclusively for the Huns
Gerrards departure has no place being associated with such an occasion
On his successor – do not think a second rate nobody will appear as their saviour
I predict a name with something to prove
The league is not won far from it – I take no comfort from him going
My only focus is 3 points Aberdeen at home
67ECW
You can bet your last £ that Aston Villa have been speaking with Gerrad for weeks. These contracts are not done and dusted in a few days takes weeks of preparing and altering. He probably knew he was going before the Ross County game, and before Dean Smith was sacked, por cierto.
Any idea why the full size indoor pitch is being built at Barrowfield and not Lennoxtown ?
Ease of planning permission perhaps ?
POR CIERTO
No doubt about that whatsoever. Thems are raging about his recent interviews and it has been fun dipping in.
So has Gerard got a bigger move than Brendan did? I think so
Great article Paul and I do see the relevance of Gerrard backing out at the eleventh hour, on the 11th of the 11th.
In amongst the media fawning I see references, I do not follow rangers affairs closely for health reasons, to a Mr Ross Wilson as the director of football of the most unpopular team in the Czech Republic. A director of football may be a flabby overpaid job or you can be like Monchi at Seville FC,
To be fair I think it is our host who is being classless on this occasion, and not for the first time, cheap shot to be honest
MAGNIFICENTSEVEN on 11TH NOVEMBER 2021 3:30 PM
I disagree. Pop on over to their media and you will see what I mean.
Sorry to see Gerrard go as I wanted him beat in Scotland this year but hey ho- we’ll still see Hun tears when it comes.
If Bazza Ferguson joins the new Dream team management will they have to employ Mrs. Ferguson as all his money was sent over to her when he declared bankruptcy?
I know we were woeful last season but we still overestimare the Hun transfer bonanza potential. Goldson was a Brighton CB who could not get past Shane Duffy into that team- he is now older, slower and definitely not an attraction even as a Bosman which he will be next summer. I cannot see Stevie G wanting to exploit the moody unreliable talents of Morelos for a 2nd time. Aribo is a journeyman midfielder, Tavernier & Hagi have too many weaknesses, Kamara is a Championship level player and all the rest are passed it. The possible sellable talents are 1) Ryan Kent,(contracted to 2023) 2) Nathan Patterson(contracted to 2024), 3) poss. Bjorna Barisic (contracted to 2024). I doubt he will buy any more than one of them, if he buys any at all. Villa already have a good squad and can attract some fringe players who cannot get a game for EPL top 6 clubs.
Why should we demonstrate a classy attitude towards a Bar room thug who embraced the Ibrox ethos?
I think he got off lightly.
😂dont see many of them poor lambs calling him MR gerard on follow follow the day
SETTING FREE THE BEARS FOR RES. 12 & OSCAR KNOX on 11TH NOVEMBER 2021 3:35 PM
Why should we demonstrate a classy attitude towards a Bar room thug who embraced the Ibrox ethos?
SFTB, succinctly put. Spot on re. the ‘thug’ reference and that of his embracing the Ibrox ethos, which he seemed to do with open arms. He comes across as not the brightest of chaps, but did he have to act the total Hun at every opportunity? Wonder if Mrs Gerard will have the same reaction to him and his behaviour as Mrs Butcher had after big Terry’s spell at Mordor?
Hell slap it in to him.
So it’s farewell to Slippy G
When he joined huns exploded with glee
Now that he’s gone
After winning the ‘one’
They’ll have to be content with the fee
#notphilliplarkin1907
WISHAW TIM
I can’t bring myself to type the name of that place but there have been some treats on there the last 24hrs.
Timbhoy163 on 11th November 2021 2:36 pm
MarkieBhoy ,Gerrards coaching staff aren’t that much better than most coaches in the SPL ,grant it better players
I would have felt that way but their results in Europe say otherwise.
A reasonable and fairly balanced wee read from Ewan Murray in the Guardian. I’m often critical of his take on Scottish football, but I think this hits the button IMO.
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/nov/11/steven-gerrard-did-well-at-rangers-but-has-he-really-earned-the-aston-villa-job
Surely The Rangers can hire another manager then call him The Steven Gerrard and carry on just as they did in 2012.
Emeraldbee
The end of the article gave me a chuckle…
Let’s go,” declared Gerrard to mass appreciation as he was hired by Rangers. Go he did. At the first reasonable opportunity. What happens next at Ibrox may reveal Gerrard’s true value.
TURKEYBHOY on 11TH NOVEMBER 2021 1:14 PM
Coneybhoy,
Rodgers got 30 million to spend.
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you’re probably right, didn’t feel like that. Maybe a lot gone on poor loan fees? 10m a year is still not a lot if you are a buying manager. Lost key players in Armstrong and Dembele and never really replaced them .
I still think De Boer will take it . ‘One’s called Frank….’😎
Coneybhoy 11TH NOVEMBER 2021 12:37 PM
I think we have to give Slippy and his team last year a bit more credit than that we were awful. 102 points is a massive haul . Even if we had won 2 games against them, we still lose the league by 13 points. A few points possibly gleaned by ‘honest mistakes’ but we had a few lucky points too. Allied to the excellent play in the Europe, that is why he got the move.
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Totally agree.
I acknowledge that his one win in 9 was the holy grail for them.
What annoys me is that he is walking away before we get our high profile ” revenge” I was really looking forward to turning his team over and putting him back in his box.
Sadly that box will always remain open on a personal level.
Our disastrous last season and the huns currently sitting top will now be slippy’s final memories in Scottish football.
HH.
JIMDOM
There’s already one at Lennovtown.
I have to admit when I first heard the slippy to villa story I thought it was a laptop loyal smokescreen for the abysmal financial results . I cannot, still, understand the logic in appointing a rookie, and he is Liverpool under 18s and the “the rangers” is not an impressive CV, manager to steer a team to mid table in league were relegation can cost £100-200 million or even the club itself. He has won one trophy from a possible 9. We contributed to our own downfall last season players, manager and board have a share in the blame but even when we were at our weakest in a decade he still could win a cup. Ronnie Deila was treated as a joke and a failure even though in his 2 years he won 2 leagues and a league cup. Slippy g is not a manager who handles pressure well and won’t be able to rely on a compliant media, bent refereeing and football authorities prepared to bend over backwards to appease him. Time will tell just how good a manager he really is.
IMO
Lennoxtown will be sold. Hoooses
GREENPINTA
11TH NOVEMBER 2021 4:35 PM
Coneybhoy 11TH NOVEMBER 2021 12:37 PM
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Two balanced and intelligent views.
Is the Queen no deed then?
Mibbe waiting until the Gerrard to Villa shock news dies down, then make the announcement.
VALE BHOY on 11TH NOVEMBER 2021 4:38 PM
JIMDOM
There’s already one at Lennovtown.
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Could be wrong , but I don’t think it’s a full size indoor at Lennoxtown.
home from work, i listened to talk shite on the way, and now on with the msm sky etc, ………
really funny references on one that
stevie gerrard rangers has been transferred to steven gerrard villa
stephen thompson near greetin
the statement a “club great”
never forgotten what he done, where he got us
3 1/2 years one trophy,
ranjurz media is wonderful
ratbag judas night time flit that he has obviously been planning for months, (eh sherlock)
Slightly put off by Paul’s Remembrance Day reference. The memories and sacrifices of the many who fought Fascism when it threatened to crush Europe underfoot are not the sole property of Ibrox, the OO, or any those of that ilk. My father and his brothers, no bigger Celtic men than they, served and were promoted through the ranks in WW2 – our extended family love & hold them & their comrades in the highest regard.
I support Paul in most things he publishes, however on this occasion I must be critical of an unnecessary & narrow inclusion……makes me wonder if Paul was the author, or, could it have been a stand-in, for whatever reason.