Stability at Rangers this summer will give them the best chance possible to compete next season

Stability at Rangers this summer will give them the best chance possible to compete next season

The big name arrival of Steven Gerrard to Ibrox last year felt like a sea change in Scottish football, with him treated like a VIP you'd find over on the vip-code.co.uk site.

The media outlets were energised, pundits were bold with their predictions, supporters of Rangers were dreaming of silverware and everyone else was watching on with intrigue.

It’s fair to say though that as we approach the final few games of the season not much has changed.

Despite Rangers signing 20 players, investing heavily into the squad and progressing in Europe, ultimately Celtic are on the brink of another league title and are pushing for the Scottish Cup having already won the Scottish League Cup.

Yet that unmistakable stench of failure is not wafting through Govan quite as profoundly than in the prior two seasons.

There’s a feeling that Gerrard is building something at the club, at least amongst Gers supporters.

There’s no off the pitch drama and perhaps most importantly there will be stability at Ibrox this summer. All signs point to the Liverpool legend staying on for another go at things.

The revolving door hasn’t really had a chance to stop spinning at the club but in this upcoming transfer window Gerrard will have the opportunity to build upon the squad he already has rather than having to uproot the entire identity of the first-team.

That more than anything will give Rangers a greater chance to compete for the major honours in Scotland next season.

Key players like Alfredo Morelos and James Tavernier may end up leaving depending on the pressures of the buying market on a selling club, but even their departures would at least give the Gers boss resources that his predecessors have not had.

Gerrard is on the record saying that his philosophy when it comes to upcoming transfers is adding quality rather than quantity to his first-team squad. It’s about putting the finishing touches to a core of the team he believes in and trusts.

That confidence is something that’s been entirely absent from the club since before 2012. It’s a confidence that fans - who have become so used to a variety of flop signings arriving - have forgotten.

Yes this season has been one of failures but in putting their faith in Gerrard for another season, the decision makers at Ibrox have given the club the foundations to push on and achieve something bigger next term.

That, of course, comes with its own pressures. There will be a lot more scrutiny of Gerrard’s team in the early stages of the 2019/20 campaign. Patience will be tested if wins are not found consistently. Change will come if silverware is not delivered again.

For now though, Rangers supporters can at least fill their lungs with a deep breath and be content heading into the summer, knowing that a plan is in place.