In the race for the management position at Plymouth Argyle, there is a new favorite. Ian Foster is the former head coach of the England under-18, under-19, and under-20 teams.
The legendary Liverpool player Steven Gerrard is the head coach of Al Ettifaq in the Saudi Professional League, where the 47-year-old from Merseyside serves as lead deputy head coach. During his playing career, he was a striker for Chester City, Kidderminster Harriers, and Hereford United. Later on, he was appointed manager of Ireland’s Dundalk, and from 2015 to 2017, he served as Portsmouth’s first team coach. 
Foster, the holder of the highly sought-after UEFA Pro Licence coaching accreditation, opened as the morning’s 2/1 favorite to be hired by Argyle at Sky Bet. Scott Parker (3/1) and Gus Poyet (5/1)—who has disassociated himself from the speculation—followed him in the betting market. Dean Holden (7/1) followed by Neil Critchley (8/1) and Neil Warnock (9/1) and Paul Cook (10/1). Damien Duff (12/1) and John Eustace (12/1) followed, followed by Brian Barry-Murphy (14/1). This week, Argyle has been interviewing potential hires in hopes of making an announcement before Saturday’s FA Cup third-round match at Home Park against Sutton United.
Harry Watling, 34, a former assistant coach with the Rangers, is reportedly being considered for the position, according to David Ornstein, the football correspondent for The Athletic.
Argyle ‘admire’ Blackpool head coach Neil Critchley, who began a second stint at Bloomfield Road last summer following the Seasiders’ relegation from the Championship, according to Ornstein.
Prior to moving to America in January 2021 to take a position as head coach of Hartford Athletic in the USL Championship, Watling was an academy coach at Chelsea, Millwall, and West Ham United. He stayed in that position until June 2022, when he announced his resignation to handle “family matters in England.”
Since then, he has served as Michael Beale’s first team coach at Queens Park Rangers and Glasgow Rangers. After Beale was fired in October, he departed from the latter.
To his own surprise, Poyet—who currently coaches Greece’s national team—has long been considered the bookies’ favorite to take over at Argyle.
He said, “I don’t know why I was mentioned,” to Mark Douglas of The i. Although it’s always good to be connected to jobs, I have no connection to Plymouth, thus it has nothing to do with it.
“Occasionally, and this has happened to me in the past month, somebody will call you and ask if you’re going to this club or that club. and you respond, “No.” Still, at least someone is asking if you plan to go.
Nobody even questioned me about Plymouth. I don’t want to lock all doors just yet because you might find it difficult to turn down an offer, but right now, right before the Euro playoffs, I am in the midst of something unique with Greece.”
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