Steven Gerrard’s boys failed to challenge Celtic to the Premiership title last season and now reports are claiming that the Gers boss could become the new manager at Newcastle United.
Rafa Benitez has left the Magpies after his contract expired last month and now the former Newcastle manager has taken charge of Chinese Super League club Dalian Yifang.
Opinions are obviously divided on whether Steven Gerrard will head back to England with the majority of the pundits claiming that the Gers boss will not be able to resist the temptation of managing a Premier League club.
But according to Danny Murphy, Celtic are one of the major reasons why Gerrard will not be deserting Rangers FC during the current summer transfer window.
“I doubt it (that Gerrard will be Newcastle’s next manager),” Murphy told Jim White’s Talksport show on Monday(as reported). “I haven’t spoken to him about this so I couldn’t say.
“But I doubt it because he went up there with a real ambition to try and overturn the Celtic stronghold and try and compete for that title.
“He’s improved them in that year. Celtic ran away with it a little bit in the end, but still, it was a much more competitive league.
“I think the job’s half done for him and Gary Mac (McAllister, the Rangers assistant manager). I would be surprised, I really would.
“Most good managers want to go into a position where they can at least have the ability to chop and change a few and put their own identity on the team.
“If that’s not going to happen because Mike Ashley (the Newcastle owner) is waiting to try and get the right deal to sell the club, and prepared to take the risk of getting relegated and just working with what he’s got – which is massive – I’m not sure Steven Gerrard would entertain the idea.
“But on the flipside, what Newcastle United is also, is a massive football club, with a wonderful following, that is very hard to turn down if you’re at a club that isn’t in the Premier League and you think, ‘I could be the one to go there and make a difference”.”
