Steven Gerrard is being linked with Rangers exit already

Rangers boss Steven Gerrard is already being linked with an exit with the club after seasons of falling short of Celtic.

It seems incomprehensible at first to think Rangers manager Steven Gerrard would be interested in becoming manager at Bristol City. But let’s take look at a few of the stories behind the rumours and falling odds on this happening.

Bristol City will finish mid table in the Championship this season, England’s second tier. They were flying high earlier in the season, at one stage in February just three points behind the top two. A run of defeats since and continued poor form after the restart saw manager Lee Johnson dismissed to create the vacancy causing much interest. Local paper Bristol Sport is one of a few quoting Gerrard as being in the running. We’re probably going to see him mentioned for most Championship vacancies, so no surprises there yet. Gerrard is sitting at around 7-1 in the betting, the likes of Chris Hughton a perhaps more obvious choice seem more likely and much lower odds..

But, there are rumours online, nothing concrete but enough to make you wonder. Respected Scottish football financier David Low tweeted today to indicate that the Gerrard possibility is plausible and not entirely daft:

"“Bristol City is owned by one of the richest guys in the UK. It hasn’t been in the top tier since 1992. It will be one of the favourites for promotion and Gerrard would take the job, if offered.”"

Gerrard will know what good finances behind a team can do for results, and he may well be wondering what the lack of it can do to his current team.

But it’s still just rumours online isn’t it? So is the tweet suggesting that maybe Gerrard was in the Bristol locality this week.

And it’s just an online rumour there that suggests he maybe met with Jon Lansdown. Lansdown is the current chairman and son of the wealthy Bristol City owner. If they did meet, if it was in Bristol, it could have been about anything, player moves for example. Assuming Gerrard would still go to that extent on those when he has Ross Wilson as Director of Football available.

We have the scenario of injuries affecting the Ibrox squad with the loss of Katic this week. We have players there being released and not replaced and perhaps the financial impacts are becoming increasingly apparent to the manager. It’s a season he can’t afford not to win. Maybe it’d do a career record more good not to take part in his current role.

Let’s also not forget that journalist Phil Macgiollabain noted in April that he’d heard from a private source close to the Ibrox club about the three months wages deferral:

"“Wage deferral for 3 months, plus if issues after that the players can leave for a reduced fee. Gerrard can leave with no fee for his services required to be paid to Rangers. Gerrard also gets a lump sum net payment of £1m if this goes ahead.”"

And then curiously we see Kyle Lafferty pop up today in the Daily Record to reassure Light Blues fans that if Gerrard were to move on Michael Neale at Rangers is the main man really behind the scenes and could easily step up to be manager. Odd for that to come out just now.

It’s definitely not fact, the information is based on a collection of rumours and could be complete coincidence and incorrect. But especially with the comments from David Low to put this into some context, it’s not a story to throw away as completely unlikely or impossible either.