After one season in management, Rangers boss Steven Gerrard is being tipped for a move to the Premier League.
But it isn’t the Liverpool job that awaits him. According to the Telegraph, the former Reds skipper is on the shortlist to replace Rafa Benitez as Newcastle United boss.
So would a former England captain be a good appointment? Let’s look at the pros and cons.
The pros of appointing Steven Gerrard
The Liverpool legend is a man that will command respect from his players. It was clear from day one that he was going to improve Rangers, and that’s exactly what he did.
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While he didn’t win the title in his first season, Gerrard was able to close the gap on Celtic.
One of the advantages of having Benitez as manager was his ability to pull in players. Many of his signings talked about the influence of the manager being a big reason why they joined Newcastle. Gerrard would be able to have the same effect.
Gerrard inspired people up and down the country, and the chance to play for such a legendary player could be too much to turn down for some.
The cons of appointing Steven Gerrard
He is inexperienced. One season as a manager isn’t enough to fully trust him.
Gerrard is still learning himself, and will continue to make mistakes along the way as he improves as a manger. We saw at times at Rangers that he wasn’t scared to dig out his players, which doesn’t always go down well.
The Gers boss would be a high profile appointment, simply because of his name. We haven’t seen enough of him as a manager to believe he could steer this sinking ship to safety.
While appointing someone like Mikel Arteta, who has never managed at all, would be a risk, handing a contract to Gerrard could be considered even more of a risk by Newcastle.
While he does have some experience, it’s in a different league that obviously isn’t comparable to the Premier League. At least Arteta has seen firsthand what it takes to be a success on the touchline in England.
Gerrard doesn’t seem like a good fit for Newcastle right now. It would be problematic for various reasons, and he might not be keen on a move to begin with. Plus, Rangers likely won’t be willing to hand their manager to Mike Ashley considering the ongoing legal issues between the pair.
This seems like a non-starter.