With all the names in the Rangers hat for the new manager, there appears a slight three way division emerging in the candidates.
A division, it must be said, that has mostly been created by fans, this site included, with regards the ‘qualities’ of the individual.
The main division seems to be ‘knows SPL and/or Rangers’ v ‘foreigner’.
But the third one is ‘British’.
If we go back in time, Rangers’ most successful managers have been Scottish. No getting away from that. Uncle Walter, Mr Struth, Jock Wallace and even Alex McLeish have all been from north of the border.
Dick Advocaat is often cited as the exception but the guy had £72M to spend and STILL did not make the Champions League knock out stages.
Nevertheless, when we look at the flops, many are not Scottish and unfamiliar with our game or our club; Warburton, Caixinha, Le Guen are the three recent examples of course, but in the interests of balance Ally is very much a Ranger and a Scot and he struggled in the position.
However, that three way split seems to be defining this managerial hunt.
The preferred choice from all fans, frankly, is a Walter clone. A patriarchal leader who inspires his men, understands the league and we can trust implicitly. The problem is Walter is and was unique. We cannot have that again.
So we then look for what many of us consider second best – a successful Scottish football veteran who happens to be a Bear, and understands Rangers pre-2012 and the new era for the club. That is extremely rare too, and of all the sincere candidates only Derek McInnes appears to tick the boxes.
Some might loosely include Tommy Wright and Alex McLeish in this too but the former’s connections to Rangers are tenuous and of course he is not Scottish.
The next category is the ‘foreigner’. Rangers fans are now terrified of this list – all we can think of is Le Guen and Caixinha, and how these guys just do not get our league or our club. The successful foreigner was Advocaat but we do not have the money to furnish such a gentleman as we did in the 90s. So that perspective is shot. Hence we only have PLG and Ped to compare with, and that is deeply worrying.
A few of the notable names filling this category are Michel Preud’homme, Slaven Bilic, Gus Poyet, Ange Pestecoglou and Frank de Boer.
Last but not least is the compromise of the British manager. A manager who understands British football, but seems to fall short of Scottish and indeed Rangers. Names filling this one include Sam Allardyce (likely off to Everton), Steve McClaren, Graham Potter, Michael O’Neill (maybe slightly unfair with this one – he fits the first category loosely too) and Alan Pardew.
So us fans are left in a bit of a quandary. We want a Walter. No getting away from that. But there is no candidate who comes close.
So we are left in this limbo of choosing between a Bear familiar with Scottish football who does not seem to inspire fans, a foreigner who scares fans like Caixinha, or a Brit who might not fully grasp the rigours of Scottish football ala Warburton.
This is definitely not an easy task to get the right man, because, and here is the brutal honesty – bar a few favourites for some individuals’ delectations (as readers will know Tommy Wright is our choice), there is far from one single stand out candidate here.
It is slim pickings in a wasteland of out of work or unfancied managers.
We do not envy the board one iota here.
Why is it that Murty is not getting a mention in this confusion? He seems to have the support of the team and the fans.
He doesn't have the experience required, and cannot seriously be considered. Perhaps he could be promoted to assistant but that's it.
In all seriousness the fans calling for him to get the job need to get real. He has won two games that we should of won. He is a nice guy. But enough with this silly bandwagon.
E-Chef you’re entitled to your opinion like everybody else which is only fair. That all said and done I think you’re a total tool with an arrogance streak a mile wide. Nae offence though just giving you my honest opinion 😀
Think you’ll find Murty has won more than 2 games – even Ibrox Noise have stated he’s done a sterling job so far tbh…
I’d like to see him in the running for it yeh. That said I’ll back whatever Manager Rangers get in. Some shouldn’t be in the running like Pardew and Big Sam but again just my own personal opinion… Have a nice evening
Am sure Murty gets the best out of most of this group of players then why is he not keeping the job for rest of season then judge him on that am ok with that we watch us win games easy now.
Why is no one talking about Van Bronckhorst? hmmm.
he's now 2nd fav apparently
You left out a fourth category – managers within 90 minutes of beating Pedro's 2-in-a-row record, the only manager to take a point for Rangers off Celtic in the last 5 years and free to start in fact already started.
Leave him in the job until Christmas. If he takes 2 points or 3 points off Aberdeen in the double header, extend until June. If he takes 4 or more points, give him a rolling 12 month contract, to be reviewed June 2019.
We already know which players we want to bring in, DoF will take care of that.
Simples, as the meerkats would say
Give me a Souness
All true and a reason to have patience, let the board take some time to get the best we can, and let Murts continue in post for the time being, at least! Mon the Gers
mc liesh & murty or mc liesh &mc Call, big eck must come into it. I can see another helicopter hovering overhead?
I agree scooby , McLeish and Murty . Walter was a better manager second time round when he was older and wiser , reckon it could be the same with Eck . Murty hopefully to learn his trade from him and become manager further down the line . Some say remember that Eck never won anything in his last season, but again , neither did Walter in the last season of his first term .
We have to get it right first and foremost. Plunging into appointing the last three Rangers managers, McCoist, Warburton and Pedro have done so without an older head with much experience guiding them. I could also include McCall in that category.
Murty would make an excellent choice going forward, as the first team coach, in a similar way to how most European sides operate. He would have to have a mentor, someone he can discuss player selection, get experienced advise when the pressure is on and importantly assist in recruitment of players into the club. In an ideal world, ost of us Rangers fans would want Walter Smith in this role, but that isn’t going to happen so someoneof that Ilk and Murty with a three year plan to get us back on track to being a challenge again in Scottish football.
Going or the likes of McLaren on a huge salary, I assume, even McIness having to payoff Aberdeen up to £1m is only wasted and add in the pay off to Pedro and all his team is money lost.
Some suggest Murty is no use because he is not experienced enough, Graeme souness and Walter Smith didn't have any great experience when the arrived at ibrox in 80s and 90s.
I think he is a lot smarter than a lot of fans give him credit for. Right now we desperately some stability, he has that in abundance, he obviously also has the respect of the crop of players we have at present however good they are. As stated in this article almost all that available are a big risk one way or another.
Why not give Murty a good run till next spring, see how it works out, if it doesn't there is plenty time to get someone in to prepare for next season.
Maybe, just maybe we have another Smith or souness in the making,
what have we got to lose by giving the guy a chance, he certainly not gonna do any worse that the previous half dozen.
Comments are closed.