The Gers have been on the receiving end of Celtic’s domination in recent years, but as the clock moves towards a new decade, so does the balance of power in Glasgow.
While Celtic have won the last 12 domestic trophies on offer, Rangers are now the favourites to dethrone them as the Scottish champions and win the league this season.
Celtic’s plateauing this season has met with fury by a section of their fans and there have been visible protests outside Celtic Park with calls to sack Neil Lennon.
Gerrard stressed that the pressure of managing one of the Old Firm clubs is intense and he conceded that he has accepted that the level of scrutiny is part and parcel of being a manager of one of the Glasgow giants.
He conceded that being second at Rangers is considered a failure and pointed towards the protests around Celtic as an example of the pressure managers are under in Glasgow.
Gerrard told The Athletic: “It is a situation where if the pressure is not on you it’s on the green side of the city and vice versa. That’s the way it is.
“That’s the brutal truth of working at Rangers.
“I can’t speak from their side but from our side, second is not good enough.
“In terms of the daily role and job and what you actually feel, you feel the support and you get sucked into being one of them.
“And I can feel the pressure, the responsibility and how much they want it.
“But it’s what I want to do. It’s a real intense club to work at.
“Draws are not acceptable. A defeat is a crisis. You’ve seen the reaction over at Celtic right now.
“This is what it means to the people of Glasgow and that’s the environment that both sets of coaches and players have to live under.”
Rangers and Celtic are set to clash next weekend and victory for Gerrard’s side could all but kill off the Bhoys as title challengers.
