Southampton are reportedly interested in appointing Steven Gerrard as Nathan Jones‘ successor, with the English coach still out of the job having been sacked by Aston Villa earlier in the season.
According to journalist Dean Jones, the Saints hold a ‘genuine interest’ in appointing the Liverpool legend as manager of the club, with Southampton now assessing their options as to who can lead the club in the long-term as well as keep them up in the Premier League.
Jones was sacked by Southampton over the weekend having lost 2-1 to Wolves at home despite being a goal up with 15 minutes to play as well as having an extra man, with the former Luton Town manager failing to win a single Premier League point at St. Mary’s during his brief yet disastrous tenure.
With plenty of options out there, Southampton must be wise with who they appoint next, and Gerrard has seemingly emerged as one of the top candidates for the job, with the 42-year-old a Scottish Premiership winner with Rangers before moving to his doomed spell at Villa.
Indeed, Gerrard was credited during his spells with both Rangers and Villa for getting the best out of younger players and for taking certain talents to new heights. And with one of the youngest clubs in the Premier League, Southampton could be an ideal landing spot for the young coach.
However, given Gerrard’s record with Villa and the fact the Englishman was sacked this season by the Premier League side, Southampton could have reservations about appointing the SPL title winner if their main objective is to find a manager who can keep the Saints away from relegation.
Southampton appointing Gerrard could be as risky as moving for Jones
Southampton hiring Jones looked doomed from the very start given the Welsh coach’s profile, yet whilst Gerrard has traits that could make the former Rangers man a success on the south coast, the 42-year-old could easily be as risky an appointment as the last man who sat in the Saints hot seat.
Gerrard has shown flashes of becoming a promising Premier League manager at Villa, however, at a more dysfunctional club in Southampton, the former Liverpool captain could one again find himself out of his depth if he was to take the job at St. Mary’s.
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