Rangers new manager: Steven Gerrard ‘gamble’ emerges amid 49ers claim
Steven Gerrard has been linked with an emotional return to Rangers amid a takeover by a US consortium led by the 49ers.
Barry Ferguson is unlikely to be offered the managerial job permanently, with the incoming owners tipped to move in a different direction.
There are suggestions that Andrew Cavenagh and Co. want to hire a big-name manager to mark their acquisition of power at Rangers.
Jose Mourinho is said to be open to taking the reins at Ibrox, but Gerrard has emerged as the favourite to replace Ferguson instead.
Graeme McGarry sends Gerrard warning to Rangers
Many Rangers fans would welcome Gerrard back with open arms, considering he led the Light Blues to the title in the 2020-21 season.
Apart from leading the Gers to Premiership glory, the Liverpool icon also bagged many individual accolades, including the SPFL Premiership Manager of the Year award, during his time in Glasgow.
However, Graeme McGarry is opposed to the idea of Rangers bringing Gerrard back under the new ownership of Cavenagh and the 49ers.
| Matches | Wins | Draws | Losses | Goals | Points | Points Per Match |
| 192 | 124 | 41 | 27 | 407:139 | 413 | 2.15 |
The journalist believes the 44-year-old record as a manager on either side of his stint at Ibrox is not impressive enough to warrant a return.
He added that the Gers should not tarnish Gerrard’s legacy in Scotland by taking a ‘gamble’ on him, urging the 49ers to use a ‘new broom’ to mark a new era at the club.
“With the 49ers takeover set to signal a new era at the club, what is needed is a new broom to sweep through both the dressing room and the dugout”, McGarry wrote in a column on The Herald website (30 April).
“A fresh start. Not more harking back to a past that is slipping ever further into the recesses of time.
“Leaving nostalgia for that one season of title success to the side, there is hardly a solid body of evidence to show that Gerrard would be a success second time around.
“Rangers should thank him for the memories, but ensure those aren’t tarnished by taking a gamble on him once more.”
Gers must avoid Gerrard return
As McGarry said, it might not be wise to bring Gerrard back for a second stint, as some might think.
The England legend has had little success at Aston Villa and Al-Ettifaq after leaving Rangers, and it would be a huge risk to task him with taking the Light Blues back to the top of Scottish football.
He could also be without high right-hand man Michael Beale if he were to return to Govan.
With Beale’s stint as the Gers manager turning sour before his sacking in October 2023, it is hard to see him return as part of Gerrard’s backroom staff.
Therefore, it would be better for the 49ers to move in a different direction and appoint a new manager, whether he is a big name or not.