Former Liverpool striker Emile Heskey believes that Steven Gerrard must be given at least a year before Rangers can mount a genuine challenge on rivals Celtic.
Despite the fact that Gerrard brought in a number of signings this summer – which includes defender Connor Goldson – the 62-capped international reckons that the Anfield legend must be given enough time to prove that his team are capable of usurping the Hoops.
He adds that it will be a long time before his ex-teammate has his ideas come into fruition, even though his players have had an unbeaten start in the Scottish Premier League.
“I think he’s done reasonably well. I think he’s enjoying it up there. He’s brought in a lot of players and that’s difficult in itself because you’ve got new players that have got to understand your philosophy, as well as being the new manager at the club,” he told the Daily Star.
“He’s forming a decent enough team. He’s taken to it really well, in Europe he’s done really well. You can see that he’s a leader, he’s a player that drives everyone forward.
“Give him a little bit of time [to mount a challenge] and then possibly [he could win a title]. They don’t have the spending power that Celtic have so you’ve got to give him a little bit of time just to get up to par. They were quite far off last season as well so I’m guessing they won’t be there for at least a year or two.”
OPINION
Heskey is spot on in his prediction of his former teammate and what may lay ahead of him at Rangers. Given it is his first season as a manager, it would be unfair to base his credentials on just one campaign alone in what can be a pretty tough league. The league is often a two horse race between Celtic and Rangers, but at the moment, his team still have not bridged the gap between them and their rivals. It will only be a matter of time until they get up to speed and can seriously challenge the Hoops once again, but that will only happen once Gerrard’s philosophy is understood by his squad. However, in his first season as a boss, he has done pretty well to ensure an unbeaten start in 12 games – and in a few years’ time, Rangers will be toe to toe with Celtic for the league title.