The focus is back on who will be the next manager of Newcastle United Football Club.
Yesterday saw the Magpies crash to another defeat in the Premier League, with Steve Bruce losing his 1000th game as a manager 3-2 to Tottenham Hotspur.
Takeover figures Yasir Al-Rumayyan, Amanda Staveley, Mehrdad Ghodoussi and Jamie Reuben were all in attendance at St. James’ Park.
But their presence could not inspire Newcastle to victory, as Spurs exposed the lack of quality both on the pitch and on the touchline.
Today, talk has turned back to potential Steve Bruce replacements.
It is currently unclear if a decision to sack him is imminent.
But yesterday was so poor it would be worrying to think he would oversee another game.
Names continue to be bandied about, including that of Steven Gerrard.
The Rangers manager is reported to be on Newcastle’s radar, but his former teammate Peter Crouch believes the Liverpool legend should not accept any offer that may come his way.
He wrote for the Daily Mail: “I had the pleasure of playing with him for three years and every day was an eye-opener.
“He became this awe-inspiring leader and, if I am honest, impressing Stevie felt more important than doing so with the manager. I wanted him to rate me.
“I’m imagining St James’ Park under the lights against Barcelona in the Champions League, but that is potentially a few years down the line. Whether that fits with Stevie’s timeline will be key to his decision if an offer arrives.
“Because let’s not mess about – here is Liverpool’s next manager. He has to be.
“If I were in his shoes, I would probably give it a swerve. There would be an element of feeling wary about the unknowns, for sure.”
Gerrard recently stated that he was not getting involved with speculation about a move to Newcastle. He said that he had ‘the utmost respect’ for Bruce.
Gerrard feels an unlikely appointment
Gerrard is currently deep into a project at Rangers.
He has done a brilliant job there and is overseeing European football at Ibrox.
Him jumping ship now would be quite the surprise, especially for a job that does entail ‘unknowns’ right now, as Crouch says.
He is clearly a talented coach and would probably improve many of the current crop at Newcastle.
But the timing does not feel right. There have also been claims Newcastle’s owners are prioritising individuals who are currently out of work.
Crouch could be right in that Gerrard could hold out to be Liverpool’s next manager.
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