Would We Have Gone Down Under Gerrard?

[London Villan]

Says a lot about a manager just starting out in his career to up sticks and head for semi-retirement.

[Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air]

Representatives are currently in London having finalised Gerrard’s appointment which was announced accompanied by a video on their social media channels.

The video played up Gerrard’s storied career with Liverpool – although, unfortunately, it spells ‘Mersey’ as ‘Meresy” (sic) in one of the graphics.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/premier-league/steven-gerrard-accepts-saudi-riches-in-u-turn-as-new-club-botches-his-announcement-video/ar-AA1dnE1k

[eamonn]

I wonder if there are a few Kinihans out there to hang around with .

[brontebilly]

Says a lot about a manager just starting out in his career to up sticks and head for semi-retirement.

I'd love to see him getting asked the kind of questions the likes of Mickelson and Westwood got. Would you have taken a club job in Putin's Russia if they paid you enough etc

Same career path DOL took after he left us. Two ego maniacs.

[pablo_picasso]

After watching the Amazon Peter Crouch film, it makes you realise Gerrard has no interest in any other football club than Liverpool.

Does he mention anything about his time at Villa when O'Leary told him he didn't fancy him as a player and shipped him out for relative peanuts?

He didn't have one of our shirts in his collection.

I don't think he enjoyed his time with us that much tbh...

[pablo_picasso]

https://twitter.com/theanfieldtalk/status/1675953045669019649?s=46&t=0-BUXD66ovTcofwrbTW4Ag

From the man himself speaking in Arabic to the supporters of his new club.

Translation: “I’m Steven Gerrard. Look me in the eye and be the best version of yourself. When we win it’s on me. When we lose I’ll say it’s on me but really it’s on the players and on you. I’m a wanker. You’ll get to know that over the next few weeks until I am fired”

"You will find my tactic of "magic" an absolute head roller..."

[LeeB]

After watching the Amazon Peter Crouch film, it makes you realise Gerrard has no interest in any other football club than Liverpool.

Does he mention anything about his time at Villa when O'Leary told him he didn't fancy him as a player and shipped him out for relative peanuts?

He didn't have one of our shirts in his collection.

I don't think he enjoyed his time with us that much tbh...

It was a real shame for me, he'd come back from a loan at Norwich a different player, but it coincided with the one great season JPA had and his chances were limited to coming off the bench mainly.

Typically we binned him off for peanuts and Angel was never the same again. Had we had Monchi then they'd have took top dollar for Angel (Liverpool were apparently sniffing) and kept Crouch who was about to bloom.

[chrisw1]

Typically we binned him off for peanuts and Angel was never the same again. Had we had Monchi then they'd have took top dollar for Angel (Liverpool were apparently sniffing) and kept Crouch who was about to bloom.

There would have been riots in B6.

[LeeB]

Typically we binned him off for peanuts and Angel was never the same again. Had we had Monchi then they'd have took top dollar for Angel (Liverpool were apparently sniffing) and kept Crouch who was about to bloom.

There would have been riots in B6.

There would have been some bedsheets and loud tutting but riots is probably a bit much

[AV84]

Can't think Gerrard has any real ambition of being a manager if he's gone to Saudi instead of dropping a league or two in England and rebuilding his reputation. He did well at Rangers, but we could all do well at Rangers or Celtic, and it ended badly with us but I don't think it was so bad nobody would ever want to employ him again. I can't see how even being successful in the Saudi league can be compared to achieving anything within the English or even European structures. He's essentially stalling his managerial career and when his time is up in Saudi he'll still be the guy sacked by Aston Villa because he couldn't get a performance out of a squad that finished that season in 7th, and pushed for higher. His bank account will be a lot bigger though.

[eamonn]

He's done a Dolly O'Dearie Leary on it and like him, it'll be the end of his managerial career.

[Dogtanian]

Maybe he is taking a gamble that if they keep spending, the league will be more respectable in a few years time and won't be the blot on his CV we think it is now. Also, we do tend to be more dismissive of football outside the UK England than other countries, so if he is a success it could lead to better opportunities still.

[Nii Lamptey]

Wise move imo... Never going to cut it as a manager, and has opted for the pay cheque which should see him and his family right for life. He'll do a year or two out there, and then return to do magical midweek nights at Anfield on the telly.

[AV84]

Maybe he is taking a gamble that if they keep spending, the league will be more respectable in a few years time and won't be the blot on his CV we think it is now. Also, we do tend to be more dismissive of football outside the UK England than other countries, so if he is a success it could lead to better opportunities still.

Yeah, I don't mean to be dismissive of the quality of football over there, I just mean it's extremely difficult to weigh any successes he might have against successes he might have had in the Championship, or League 1 or somewhere more familiar.

It does come down to familiarity I suppose, but if in 4 years a newly promoted prem team are looking for a new manager and you've got Gerrard, took his Saudi team from 10th to 4th, or you've got Joe Bloggs who took MK Don's up to the Championship,  in most people's minds the second one is a more understandable achievement.

Obviously improving any team, in any league, shows some level of management skills, but generally speaking I think if I was already loaded, and was serious about building a management career, I'd be staying closer to home for the time being.

[Brend'Watkins]

There's a very big difference between taking a managerial job with a middling English club and middling salary and a Saudi club with a large tax free salary.