Steven Gerrard’s management journey in Saudi Arabia came to an end this season. It’s believed that he would prefer his next gig to be somewhere closer to home, but he has been told in no uncertain terms that Leeds United will not be an option.
His latest sojourn proved to be something of a surreal chapter in Gerrard’s career. Fighting an uphill battle against the four teams directly owned by the Public Investment Fund, the former Liverpool captain nonetheless received backing for some significant transfers, and brought in Anfield alumni like Jordan Henderson and Georginio Wijnaldum.
Henderson’s departure after just six months seemingly convinced Al-Ettifaq it needed to show that it remained a viable destination for big names, and so a new contract arrived for Gerrard despite pretty uninspiring form. But earlier this year, things came to an end via mutual consent.
Ultimately, his time in Saudi Arabia was more Aston Villa than it was Rangers, although the conclusions to be drawn from the Pro League are fairly limited in scope. Gerrard’s next move is very important if he has any chance at all of reviving a top-level managerial career.
No doubt unfairly, his progress has inevitably been compared to that of Frank Lampard, a great rival in his playing days. The former Chelsea man might actually be a source of encouragement at the moment.
His own career in the dugout looked dead and buried. But at Coventry, he has revived his credentials considerably, and stands on the brink of making the Championship playoffs.
That could obviously provide a route back to the Premier League. But Gerrard has been tentatively linked with a more direct path: the Leeds United job.
Leeds recently confirmed promotion back to the top flight. And while Daniel Farke has been impressive, the 49ers Enterprises consortium that owns the club has some concerns.
(Image: Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images)
Those doubts stem from Farke’s two unsuccessful bites at the Premier League cherry with Norwich. He took the Canaries down once, and was sacked midway through his second attempt to stay afloat.
Surprisingly, Gerrard has been touted as one of those in the mix as an alternative. But Simon Jordan has been withering about his chances:
“If you’re telling me you’re bringing in Steven Gerrard to manage the situation, forget about it,” Jordan said on TalkSPORT. “In no parallel universe does Steven Gerrard merit managing Leeds United into the Premier League.”
The “parallel universe” comment is harsh. It’s actually not too difficult to envision a world where Gerrard would be a leading contender.
After all, it’s easy to forget just how well he did at Rangers. He was being talked up as the heir to Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool, having engineered a centurion, invincible campaign.
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Even in Scotland, where two teams dominate, that was very impressive. Gerrard broke a long spell of Celtic wins, a pattern which has since been re-established, and did so with the club’s first unbeaten top-flight season since 1898/99.
But in the present reality, given how things have panned out since, you’d have to say that Jordan has a point. Gerrard has shown precious little to suggest he would have a better chance of keeping Leeds afloat than Farke.
Owners with American football ties previously installed Wayne Rooney at Birmingham, which ultimately contributed to a relegation from the Championship, so perhaps we shouldn’t rule anything out. But while Gerrard still has the opportunity to make something of himself as a manager, it is hard to say with any real conviction that this would be the right job for him.
