Former Celtic midfielder Paul Lambert has claimed that Rangers boss Steven Gerrard will be a failure this season if he does not guide his team to a trophy.
Lambert – who was previously the manager of Stoke City before Gary Rowett was appointed – thinks that finishing below the Hoops once again will be a failure for the new Gers boss.
He added that his biggest judgement will be against Brendan Rodgers’ team when the two sides clash this season, whilst also claiming that the Rangers’ fans will demand a trophy no matter what.
“The judgement will be when they play Celtic. That’s the judgement. If you finish above Celtic, you win the league, if you don’t finish above Celtic, it is another year of failure,” he told beIN SPORTS.
“If Steven does not win anything, and Celtic do it again (the treble), or Aberdeen win a cup or Hearts win a cup, something like that – and you walk away trophyless again, the Rangers fans will demand it.
“The two powerful clubs with the biggest fanbases will demand success. You’re up against your old rivals, you stay above them, stay higher than them, you win the league. His big judgement will be against Celtic, not anybody else.”
Win a trophy or else! Paul Lambert warns @RangersFC boss Steven Gerrard.#SPFL #RangersFC #CelticFC #OldFirm pic.twitter.com/SEqWMOz1Cm
— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS_EN) September 1, 2018
OPINION
This is a bold claim to make by Lambert – it is Gerrard’s first season as Rangers’ manager, and as a boss of a senior squad. He is right in saying that the fans will demand a trophy this season – this will be the case with any club – but he should not heap so much pressure on Gerrard just yet. He needs to overcome his biggest test against Celtic in order to prove that his side are capable of competing for honours this season. Lambert has jumped the gun a bit here, and Gerrard must ignore his prediction and focus on the job in hand. He needs time to prove to people that he is the right man for the job, and come the end of the season, we will know if he is still capable of guiding Rangers to trophies. To say that it would be another year of failure for the Gers if they do not win anything is a rather harsh thing to remark – whilst it is important that they focus on bringing home a trophy, they must not think that they will be a failure if they do not.