Pat Nevin Hands Steven Gerrard Warning Ahead Of Potential Rangers Role
Former Chelsea star Pat Nevin has handed a warning to Steven Gerrard ahead of his possible appointment as the next Rangers manager. The 37-year-old is reportedly in advanced talks with the Gers over the head coach role but Nevin believes the Gerrard’s arrival could be ‘massively risky’ considering the previous experience of John Barnes at Celtic.
Speaking on BBC Sport, he said: "You look at John Barnes at Celtic and it didn't work - a guy who was brought in when the backing didn't seem to be there. Everyone looks back at that as a nightmare and disaster. If you look back at the figures, it wasn't as bad as people remember it was. It just shows you what happens if you get on the wrong side of what is expected of you here. And, if you are Steven Gerrard at Rangers, you are expected to beat Celtic in the league."
Barnes was appointed under the assistance of Kenny Dalglish during the 1999-2000 season but he could only last for half a season before he was sacked for a surprise Scottish Cup defeat to Inverness Caledonian Thistle. Since then, the Glasgow giants have gone through a successful period which has seen them dominate Scottish football whilst also witnessing the downfall of Old Firm rivals Rangers.
Rangers suffered a gruelling 5-0 defeat to Celtic in the weekend just past and Nevin feels the club cannot make a straight-forward decision in recruiting a rookie manager. BBC Pundit Alan Shearer recently cited that it is a relatively no-brainer to appoint Gerrard who can attract top players, but Nevin does not believe this is the case. Gerrard has previously turned down the head coach role with MK Dons and he is currently the outright favourite to succeed Graeme Murty as the next Rangers boss.