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

Please report offensive, libellous or inappropriate posts by using the links provided.

Page:
1
2
3
4

marcusevans added 11:25 - Apr 15 Twaddle doesn't want the job BlueandTruesince82
2

dirtydingusmagee added 11:47 - Apr 15 do you mean Waddle ?
1

Arnie added 11:50 - Apr 15 Paper talk as per usual, unlikely
0

dirtydingusmagee added 11:53 - Apr 15 seeing all the linked names liked or otherwise ,is getting as boring as the football we have had to put up with .May as well chuck Paul Whitehouse in the mix too oooh suit us .
0

CraigEdwards added 12:04 - Apr 15 Slavan Boilic for me . Great motavater with international experience. Not afraid to put the kids in.
-4

Pip50 added 12:09 - Apr 15 Sadly they would both get in the current team!
1

Monkey_Blue added 12:12 - Apr 15

No point hiring someone on their name alone. Of course he's not got the personality defects of Keane and players may well respect him initially because of his achievements. I guess there will also be a pull to the club for transfer targets. He has no managerial record though which while an optimist could say it leaves the possibility he's great open it mainly means there's no evidence he's any good. He speaks well on the game but so do lots of pundits who have failed in management. I can only see this happening if word inside the game is that he's got real ability as a coach and man manager.... but even then it's a big gamble and he'll also see us as a stepping stone not a long term project

blueboy1981 added 12:13 - Apr 15 That reliable source ? - the Sun. Enough said.
7

BlueandTruesince82 added 12:15 - Apr 15 Shouldn't that be jumpers for goal posts
0

algarvefan added 12:27 - Apr 15 Sunday paper crap talk.....nothing to see here move along please!!
2

Cheshire_Blue added 12:32 - Apr 15 Not fit to lick McCarthy's boots.
-12

MattinLondon added 12:35 - Apr 15 If there has been ‘significant interest' then maybe the next manager/head coach will be a bit leftfield rather than a manager who has been round the block many times before.
3

barrystedmunds added 12:56 - Apr 15 Some things are guaranteed in life! Football manager appointments sadly is not one of them!
2

itsonlyme added 13:16 - Apr 15 Probably not going to happen. I hope he appoints someone young but with experience. Not the Cowleys thanks.
6

magnus68 added 13:24 - Apr 15 Harry Potter maybe ? Or the gentleman in Ostersund, Sweden, Graham Potter??
3

magnus68 added 13:27 - Apr 15 Graham Potter, https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graham_Potter
1

CornardBlue added 13:45 - Apr 15 Sometimes in life you have to take a chance, if Mr Cobbold had not taken a chance on Sir Alf or Sir Bobby we would not have the history we have got, Sir Alf had never been a club Manager before and Sir Bobby a poor spell at Fulham before getting sacked. I think Gerrard would be a great fit for Ipswich and Ipswich a great fit for Gerrard.
9

bobble added 13:58 - Apr 15 we need a good manager not a scouser.
-10

Surco72 added 14:31 - Apr 15 Magic had no managerial experience and a lot less contacts than either Gerrard or Lampard, personally think this is the way to go, raise the profile of the club again. Would rather someone learning their trade under the guidance of Klopp than a manager doing OK in lower leagues
6

KernewekBlue added 14:50 - Apr 15

Conjecture and more conjecture!

Although I am glad to see the McCarthy era come to an end, I am also worried we can do a lot worse with the next incumbent.

My own personal nightmare-come-true would be Pardew... what a dislikable individual that man is! As opinionated as MM and with a face that screams "slap me!"

The other "proven" managers we've had since GB have sold our best youth talent to replace them with has-been, aged journeymen and stop-gap no hopers. We need a fresh, young face with a fresh approach, some tactical awareness and the ability to develop and play our own youngsters as well as attract decent ball-playing recruits.

ME also needs to throw some decent resources at our next manager to achieve the target of reaching promotion... something other clubs have done with greater success. Stop hiding behind the financial fair play rules as a reason for staunch frugality. Speculate to accumulate... more attractive football = bigger crowds = higher gate receipts.

Surely, we would all love to see a concerted effort by the owner and board to get the right man at the helm who has a budget to do some damage next season?

Spanishblueblood added 14:56 - Apr 15 You lot make me laugh, you go on about not having any experience, well look at the last two managers we have had.....shed loads of experience between them, please remind me....how did that go? Cheshireblue, you really are a clueless bellend!
8

Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 15:01 - Apr 15 Unlikely, but we'd at least become the second club for masses of supporters around the globe.
4

oldelsworthyfan added 15:22 - Apr 15

At this stage, none of us has a real idea who will be our next Manager, with so many names in the frame.
I would hate it to be McLaren or Pardue or Kuqi or Warburton or several others who have been named. Let's hope it will be an imaginative appointment (and not rushed, like the last three) and we have a bit of luck on the appointment. Remember, Bobby Robson (according to him) was the Cobbolds' fifth choice!
Alf Ramsey had no managerial experience, but he was not known as 'the General' for nothing when he was playing, which was a good clue on how he might turn out.. He was a great 'thinker' of the game. And he had a sense of gravitas, and without the need to use bad language.
Re Bialkowski, he's had fantastic practice behind one of our worst defences ever, and I love what he's done for us, but he is not irreplaceable. His departure would be the least of our worries compared with the right choice of a new, up-and-coming Manager.
I don't envy ME in the choice he has to make!

armchaircritic59 added 15:24 - Apr 15

Here's another name to put in the managerial pot. A certain Mr G Hoddle. As long as he doesn't bring along Eileen Drewery as his assistant! Young supporters may need to google it! I am being serious in that suggestion however. It would make a nice change too, from us supplying England with managers, to it being the other way about! There is absolutely no doubt he'd have a team playing the way it seems the majority of town fans want to see. Would it be a risk? Sure, like everyone else, but there'd be no guarantees even if Pep Guardiola came here! Which of course is about as likely Vladimir Putin winning the Nobel Peace prize!