Steven Gerrard tipped for Rangers over Burnley - it'd be a 'big blow' | OneFootball

FLW's Burnley fan pundit has given his verdict on Steven Gerrard potentially turning down the club to return to Rangers

Burnley are preparing for life back in the Championship after their relegation was confirmed with a 1-0 loss to Manchester City.

The Clarets earned automatic promotion 12 months ago, coming second to Leeds United in the table despite earning 100 points.

Scott Parker has departed the Lancashire outfit following confirmation of their place in the bottom three of the Premier League table.

The search for a new head coach is ongoing, with Steven Gerrard emerging as a leading contender for the position.

However, no official appointment has been made, and his former club Rangers are now reportedly considering bringing him back to Ibrox following their failure to win the Premiership title.

Danny Rohl is currently in charge of the Glasgow outfit, but his future is in doubt after a disappointing campaign.

Burnley have Steven Gerrard alternatives

When asked if it would be a blow to lose out on appointing Gerrard to Rangers, FLW’s Burnley fan pundit Josh Lucas admitted it would be difficult for the club to miss on appointing their number one target.

However, he is optimistic that there are stronger alternative candidates available on the market, and that the 45-year-old wouldn’t be the strongest possible option to replace Parker for next season anyway.

“I don’t think it’d be as big of a blow as people are making out,” Lucas told Football League World.

“There’s a lot of fans who don’t really want Gerrard.

“Don’t get me wrong, it’s not just down to him.

“I think he’s probably going to choose Rangers over Burnley knowing he’s managed there before.

“There’s a lot of managers on the market who could probably do something with this team, and rebuild it a little bit.

“And I’d be more confident with someone else I think.

“But to miss on any target is a big blow.

“Obviously no one knows how far down the line we are, but obviously it would be a big blow to miss out on our first target.

“But I do think there are better names out there that could bring the club back.”

Gerrard has been out of work since January 2025 when he departed Saudi Arabian side Al-Ettifaq.

His previous coaching experience includes a stint at Rangers, as well as Aston Villa, which proved a mixed bag.

The former England international led the Scottish giants to the league title in 2021, their first in a decade, as well as the Europa League final in 2022 in which the team lost on penalties to Eintracht Frankfurt.

However, Gerrard struggled to replicate that success at Villa Park, with his time at the club coming to an end after just 40 games in charge.

He was sacked with the team in danger of relegation to the Championship, and was replaced by Unai Emery, who has since guided the team to the Champions League and a Europa League final.

Burnley will be hoping to appoint a successor to Parker that can bring the team back to the Premier League straight away.

The former midfielder took over at Turf Moor in the summer of 2024, replacing Vincent Kompany after he made the move to Bayern Munich.

The Belgian led the Clarets to promotion in 2023, but a 19th place finish brought the team back to the second tier.

Steven Gerrard blow could be a blessing in disguise

Gerrard’s recent managerial record is far from impressive, and there are no guarantees that he would be a success at Burnley.

It has been four years since he showed any acumen to work at this level, whereas there are plenty of options that have done well in the Championship in the last couple of campaigns.

Perhaps a move back to Rangers could even open the door for the appointment of Rohl, who did exceptionally well with Sheffield Wednesday across two seasons.

It could prove to be a blessing in disguise if Burnley were to miss out on the appointment of Gerrard.