Celtic hero claims one Rangers boss candidate won't fancy Ibrox battle amid debacle that'd leave him saying 'blimey'
Rangers continue their search for their next manager after sacking Russell Martin.
The pressure is on for Rangers in their latest managerial recruitment mission. Following Russell Martin’s nightmare tenure, whoever is brought in has a lot of work to do to steady the ship and turn this season around.
Following the 1-1 draw to Scottish Premiership new boys Falkirk, Rangers confirmed Martin they had made the decision to let Martin go. The 39-year-old was axed after just 123 days in charge, setting a new record for the shortest stint of any permanent manager in the club’s history.
Martin has also left a pretty big hill to climb for his successor, after recording Rangers’ lowest ever win percentage.
These unwanted records set by the Englishman have presented Rangers with a difficult scenario. While a number of household names have been linked with vacant manager role, the task of actually recruiting their preferred choices may not be an easy one.
Celtic icon rules Steven Gerrard out of Rangers job
Steven Gerrard has emerged as the favourite to take the Rangers job and make a stunning return to Ibrox. The Liverpool legend guided the Gers to the Scottish Premiership title back in 2021, achieving an invincible season in the process.
However, Chris Sutton doesn’t believe the job will align with Gerrard’s managerial approach. The Light Blues are currently struggling to make up ground in the league table, sitting eighth in the table, 11 points adrift of Celtic. Sutton believes someone like Sean Dyche will be a more fitting candidate.
“I don’t think Gerrard will take the job. Seven games into the season, Rangers are in eighth place. He will go in and assess the squad, and he will think ‘blimey, the expectation,’” the former Celtic star told the BBC’s Monday Night Club.
“Rangers aren’t a project. Rangers fans won’t accept the team just middling through this season and finishing third or fourth, and the squad just isn’t good enough to compete.
“So I think it’s more likely to be a Sean Dyche type – someone who has a track record of doing well with not the most talented squad. Somebody who can go in and be really effective.
“Whereas I think Gerrard, he was backed last time he was there. And any manager going into that job will do what the other managers have done when there’s a change – ‘the squad’s not good enough, they’re not fit enough, and you need to give us £25 million to try to turn things around.'”
Who is in the running to become the new Rangers manager?
Along with Gerrard and Dyche, the likes of Danny Rohl, Gary O’Neil and Kevin Muscat have been listed as potential candidates for the Rangers job.
Jose Mourinho and Gareth Southgate have also been mentioned in the conversation. Former interim manager Barry Ferguson is on the shortlist too, and he has spoken out on Martin’s dismissal and has seemingly ruled himself out of the conversation to take the job permanently.
“I had a great three months last season but that’s in the past,” Ferguson told the Go Radio Football Show. “I’m back doing my ambassador role, I’m back on the radio, I do my column too, so my life is good at this moment in time.
“I was disappointed for a week after not getting the job but that’s in the past, you need to move forward. Rangers are my team and I want Rangers to be challenging but unfortunately for Russell it didn’t work out and now Rangers are back to square one.”