OPINION: Gerrard talks buy Dons more time

As Pete Winkelman neared the month mark without a man in permanent charge of his MK Dons squad, splashing Steven Gerrard's face across the back pages will have been a sight for sore eyes.
Steven Gerrard as new MK Dons manager?Steven Gerrard as new MK Dons manager?
Steven Gerrard as new MK Dons manager?

For the record: I don't believe Gerrard will swap Hollywood for H10 and move to Milton Keynes. There are too many options available to him much closer to his heart than a gamble on management just a week after coming back to England. Similarly, I do not believe anything will be done before the Chesterfield game next Tuesday, and Richie Barker will remain in charge.

From Dons point of view, the Gerrard story is win-win. No-one nationally was talking about MK Dons' manager hunt, but now it's plastered over the back pages. The story before was stale, largely because from the outside it looked like nothing was happening. A month is a long time in football, and patience runs thin on the terraces - what's the hold up? What's taking so long? Was there even a plan when letting Karl Robinson go?

Now the ball is, apparently, in Gerrard's court, Dons have an excuse to wait well into next week before carrying on their search, primed with justification. If he says no, taking a job with top flight club, at least Dons have tried. Then, when Mr Winkelman has to plump for a safer pair of hands - Steve Cotterill for example - he can say he at least say he was waiting for a yay or nay from the Champions League winner. But some fans will be appeased at least - 'look how hard they were trying to get a manager in.'

Then, by some stretch, Gerrard takes the job, the media circus is once again talking about MK Dons, rather than treating them like... well, a struggling League 1 side. The club again is smelling of roses.

Only time will tell, and the future of the club hinges on how much Gerrard wants to gamble his reputation.

And if nothing comes of it, it has bought the club another week.