Red card after 43 seconds gives Gerrard guidance for his players!
Steven Gerrard leads by example in every way – but only when he manages players.
The Rangers’ boss doesn’t want any of his men to rack up red cards the way he did during his time on the pitch.
Gerrard was ordered off eight times in his career.
Two of the early baths came when Liverpool played bitter rivals Manchester United, and he was also sent packing twice in derbies against Everton.
Under his charge, the Light Blues have already had four red cards this season, including two in Thursday night’s Europa League qualifier against FC Ufa in Russia.
Today’s Old Firm clash is as tense as it gets, and Gerrard acknowledges big occasions can get to players.
He can’t avoid that reality when he looks back to being dismissed when playing against United and the Toffees.
Gerrard admitted: “There’s a theme there, isn’t there.
“This is a game that is magnified more than any other game up here.
“It is important to let the players know that they have to get the balance right between playing on the edge and making sure that it doesn’t spill over.
“We have been trying to do that since the first game of the season – and some of my players have got it wrong.
“Today is more important than normal because it is a big challenge against a good team.
“The job is difficult enough with 11 men. So it is very important that we try to get the balance right.
“As a manager, when you have a man sent-off, you can accept it if the player is not at fault and is maybe just a bit unlucky, or is trying to do something for the benefit of the team.
“I think the frustrating ones are
when it can be avoided, or the player has been a little naive.”
Gerrard’s last ordering-off as a player was a quick-fire one after coming off the bench against Manchester United in 2015.
He admits his emotions got the better of him on that occasion.
He had been far from pleased when current Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers left him out of the Liverpool starting line-up.
The Rangers manager recalled: “That Manchester United one is unexplainable – I was only on for about 43 seconds!
“But I think that sending-off had been coming since the Thursday, to be honest! Ever since I found out I wasn’t going to start.
“I was a player who played on emotion, and that’s where I felt my best performances came from.
“Sometimes I got the balance wrong, but I am human and my players are human and they will get it wrong sometimes.
“I can accept that. What we can’t accept is it happening a lot.”
Gerrard is quick to play down any suggestion of bad blood between him and Rodgers.
He said: “I think everybody wants there to be a problem. I think they want a UFC match on the side.
“We were in contact last Thursday night after the Euro results. Everything is fine.
“Brendan is a clever coach, and always has something up his sleeve.
“It wouldn’t surprise me if he tried something different to try to catch us cold.
“That’s what he would do as Liverpool manager.”
Everyone knows the Old Firm rivalry and that, sadly, some fans in Glasgow take things to extreme.
It’s easy to think there’s nothing to compare with that, but Gerrard has spent years living with the Liverpool v Everton battle.
He said: “It’s hatred. Half of Merseyside liked me and half never have and never will. That’s life.
“But I don’t sit in my house because of it.
“I try to live my life as normal as I can – although I try to avoid places where there will be more Everton fans.
“Having been to a few Old Firm games, I knew what I was coming into in Glasgow.
“So it hasn’t blown me away. But when you’re involved, it does feel that bit warmer and intense.
“It’s very similar to Liverpool. The demands and the expectations are the same.
“If you lose a game, it’s the end of the world, and if you win, the expectation levels go through the roof.
“We need to try to give a good account of ourselves today and get a result that makes our supporters proud.
“It is still early days. It is the fourth game out of 38 so we have to put it into perspective.
“At the same time, we are desperate for a result.
“We want to win, put a good show on and show people that we are a better team than the previous results against Celtic.”