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Gerrard Linked With Blues Job
Sunday, 15th Apr 2018 09:47

Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard is the latest name to be linked with the Town manager’s job.

According to The Sun on Sunday, Town owner Marcus Evans has “sounded out” Gerrard on whether he would be interested in succeeding Mick McCarthy via a third party.

Gerrard is currently the U18s coach at the Anfield academy but is expected to eventually step up into senior management, whether that’s now or after he has gained further coaching experience at a lower level.

The 37-year-old, pictured above in action for England against Croatia at Portman Road in 2003, was previously linked with the MK Dons, while other clubs are also said to have shown interest.

Gerrard’s England team-mate Frank Lampard is also thought to be a potential candidate for the Town job and it's understood that the ex-Chelsea and West Ham man has had some contact with the Blues regarding the role as he similarly looks to start his management career.

We understand Town have received very significant interest since McCarthy announced he would be moving on at the end of the season a fortnight ago before exiting ahead of that schedule on Tuesday.

Lincoln manager Danny Cowley is still the bookies’ favourite for the role at 2-1 with Bet Victor despite the Imps boss and his brother and assistant Nicky being close to signing new extended contracts at Sincil Bank.

Ex-Blues skipper and coach Tony Mowbray remains second-favourite at 5-1 with Shrewsbury boss Paul Hurst - a manager very much in the up and coming mould Town are understood to favour appointing - now third-favourite at 10-1.

Elsewhere in the Sunday tabloids, Mowbray is linked with his old job at West Brom, who have also been mentioned in connection with former Blues boss McCarthy. Another ex-Baggies manager Derek McInnes, currently at Aberdeen, is also claimed to be among the leading candidates.

Meanwhile, the Sunday People claims the Blues and Sunderland are keen on signing Reading keeper Jonathan Bond when he comes out of contract in the summer.

Bond, 24, who has been on loan at Peterborough this season, started his career with Watford and had loan spells at Brackley Town, Dagenham and Redbridge, Forest Green Rovers and Bury before joining the Royals, for whom he has made only 14 appearances in 2015.

He was with Gillingham in the first half of last season before joining Posh, for whom he has been a regular starter until recent weeks, in the summer.

Town may well be in the market for another senior keeper in the summer with Bartosz Bialkowski expected to receive interest from January suitors Crystal Palace among others.

However, with the management situation unlikely to be resolved until the summer, links with players should currently be taken with a pinch of salt.


Photo: Action Images



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jas0999 added 09:55 - Apr 15
Although bringing in a young up and coming manager would be an exciting prospect, bringing in someone with no experience would be extremely risky and unlikely.

You would need some experience to mamage ITFC and preferably at a higher level than just league two. With Evans very hands off, there is more to do in this role - like MM and PJ before him have said.
14

itfcserbia added 09:58 - Apr 15
Oooh, I'd love Derek McInnes - get him in!
-1

BlueBadger added 10:04 - Apr 15
He is VERY famous.
2

bluerico added 10:06 - Apr 15
Gerrard would be a good appointment if he had managed a lower league club with some success. At the moment he does not have that experience.
16

northernblues added 10:15 - Apr 15
Is this another case of evans reading his football book of whose who again????
6

midastouch added 10:17 - Apr 15
It would be high risk and it didn't work out at all with Keane. But he would command massive respect and it might be able to help us attract players who would prob be drawn to work under him. Hard one that. It could be a match made in heaven or it could end in tears. Given he's from Liverpool he would surely set us up to try in the right way. Hard to know. Not all great players make great managers, far from it. If he got off to a bad start with a string of early losses (a bit like Keane did once the second season started, not counting his first few games at the end of the season such as when we beat Coventry I think) he would be under massive pressure and until you are in that situation you never quite know how you will respond. Really not sure. And Gary Neville talks a lot of sense as a pundit but look how it went for him at Valencia, he was awful. Although I do think he would of been better suited to a job as manager in his native country rather than abroad. Hard call this one.
16

hadleighboyblue added 10:19 - Apr 15
You would hope Evans has learnt his lesson from appointing Keane . A big name player and studio pundit does not necessarily make a good manager !

The Ipswich job requires good knowledge of all aspects of being a manager Gerrard and Lampard haven't got the manager experience .
14

arc added 10:19 - Apr 15
Well, thank heavens no one has mentioned John Terry. (Oh no! I just did! Sorry!)
2

midastouch added 10:20 - Apr 15
And the same obviously goes for Lampard. One of those two could turn out to be a cracking manager but no guarantees as no track record to judge it on.
6

TimmyH added 10:21 - Apr 15
lol!...not going to happen, who next?...Elvis reincarnated as our boss.
2

midastouch added 10:28 - Apr 15
And I fear Bart might be leaving the building at the end of the season. When you think how many points he saves us a season that's one massive disadvantage the new manager might be confronted with. Football is just as much about defence as it is attack. If Bart saved us 20 points a season, if the new manager got us creating and scoring more that still be negated by the loss of Bart and we'd be about where we are now, mid table! And if they couldn't get us playing any better going forwards without Bart 20 points worse off potentially could see us in a dogfight, his loss really would make it tough for us I fear. Hopefully the new manager can get us playing in such a way that we create more and that takes some of the pressure off a new goalkeeper. Anybody that tries and compares Mick to the new manager if the new man hasn't got the luxury of Bart at their disposal will surely be drawing an unfair comparison given how many times he saved Mick's neck!
6

blue75 added 10:31 - Apr 15
I'd take either Gerrard or Lampard both intelligent players who would probably want to play attacking football. They would need guidance and experienced no 2 is essential I have suggested previously Lampard with Ray Wilkins as his but sadly that is no longer possible.
5

BlueBlood90 added 10:39 - Apr 15
No thanks!!
2

terryf added 10:44 - Apr 15
It's good to see that these high profile players are being linked with our Club, but I think it would be a big risk and I'm not sure it would be the right decision.
It's crucial we get the next appointment right for the future of our Club.
Attracting the right candidate is the tricky bit.
4

Lightningboy added 10:45 - Apr 15
Please no more “celebrity” big name managers..the last 3 haven't worked out..stop going down that path Marcus..you've already wasted the last 9 years on these kind of people.

I think the majority of us want someone we can connect with & preferably someone with a town connection.



11

carsey added 10:46 - Apr 15
This smacks of Evans going for a name above someone who has some management pedigree. Gerrard might make a great manager one day but I'd rather he didn't practice at my club.
8

marcusevans added 10:52 - Apr 15
What if Gerrard cane here as an assistant to a more experienced manager?
6

Taricco_Fan added 10:55 - Apr 15
Please, no.

I'm all for a young manager but this isn't a job for someone with no experience. We have no money to spend so we need a man who has proven himself in such circumstances.
4

brassy added 11:02 - Apr 15
it might make more sense to wait and see who actually applies for the job.
4

clint_eastwood added 11:06 - Apr 15
If we're going for a young untried manager, I'd prefer we go for former Real Madrid players Michel Salgado or Fernando Hierro.
-2

mickymacsbarmyarmy added 11:08 - Apr 15
Managers with proven track records
Keane, Jewell & Dino had it in abundance, 5 promotions from the championship between them & they all went well.
Klinsmann & Zidane didn't exactly work there way up the managerial ladder did they ??
3

thecheek added 11:11 - Apr 15
Would much rather take a chance on Kuqi than the likes of Lampard or Gerrard
6

blueheartXT added 11:13 - Apr 15
the job description would read

Manager / magician wanted to entertain and provide exciting attacking football

no money available all sales will pay wages if your doing really well in january ill sell your best players and not reinvest

a wonderfull crowd will support you unless you pick a team they dont agree with then they will boo your decisions and scream abuse at you but dont worrya free body gaurd is available 24 hours aday to escort you to and from games

-3

runningout added 11:19 - Apr 15
There will be negatives whoever gets the job, same at any club
3

BlueandTruesince82 added 11:20 - Apr 15
Twaddle
1


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