Gerrard continues to raise standards at Rangers with plans to appoint loan manager

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Steven Gerrard announced his plans to appoint a loan manager this week and some eyebrows may well have been raised.

But the more you think about it, the more it makes sense. The amount of players Rangers have out on loan at the moment makes the loan army the size of a matchday squad, so having a manager to oversee those players’ progress is a logical move.

It is tricky for Gerrard to keep tabs on his loanees all over the world, so it would be good to have someone at the club full-time to monitor their progress as they try to prove they can be new first-team stars at Ibrox.

Moreover, Gerrard’s sentiments about wanting to look after these men who are still Rangers players even when they’re not at Ibrox are positive too.

Gerrard’s old foe Phil Neville is doing similar with his Lionesses team; setting up constant communication so they feel like England players even when they’re not in the camp.

Chelsea also monitor their loan army with a Whatsapp group and specialist feedback, so this is nothing new.

If it’s good enough for one of the richest and most successful clubs in European football, then it’s right that Gerrard is given licence to try it and further attempt to raise standards at Ibrox.